The Gegham Mountains, Armenia

A guide to 114km (5–7 days) of backcountry trekking on the Transcaucasian Trail

This guide will help you plan a multi-day, unsupported trek along the remote Gegham mountain range of Armenia. Here you’ll find interactive maps, practical information and trail notes, plus downloadable GPS data to help navigate the route.

The Gegham Mountains (Armenian: Գեղամա լեռնաշղթա / Geghama ler’nashghta) are among the most breathtaking natural landscapes of Armenia, and represent some of the country’s wildest and most unique thru-hiking opportunities.

Inhabited only in high summer by nomadic herders, this chain of volcanic cones and craters runs northwest to southeast through central Armenia and forms a natural barrier between high-altitude Lake Sevan and the Ararat plain.

Open steppe surrounds the peaks, descending gradually to the lakeshore in the east and dropping into the chasms of Khosrov Forest in the west. It also plays host to petroglyph (rock art) and vishap (dragon-stone) sites, and is the only region of Armenia where ethnic Yezidis constitute a majority.

This trail guide presents basic practical information about hiking and trekking in the area, and a suggested (unmarked) 114km through-route between Selim caravanserai and Sevan town. This route has been successfully tested by volunteers, beta-hikers and members of the TCT team.

Please note that this is a remote, backcountry section of the trail requiring full self-sufficiency for several days. Reading this guide is not a substitute for your own additional thorough planning and preparation. Those with insufficient experience are advised to hire a professional guide or consider hiking a less demanding section of the Transcaucasian Trail.

Important Disclaimer

The TCTA strives to provide accurate, current information as to trail conditions and the trail route.  However, actual trail conditions may be different, and such information may not be accurate or complete. Trail users are urged to consider all the information available from other sources and to heed local advice when available.  Trail users are ultimately responsible for all decisions as to the trail routes, trail conditions, weather, and safety.

In addition to the hazards posed by steep terrain and mountain weather, hikers should be prepared for difficult route-finding and challenging trail conditions, the possibility of washed-out bridges and dangerous river crossings in high water, aggressive dogs guarding sheep and cattle, giant hogweed, and frequent summer thunderstorms with extremely intensive periods of lightning. Access to emergency medical care and search and rescue is not always available.

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Partners & Sponsors

This section of the Transcaucasian Trail was developed between 2016-2018 with the support of the following organizations, as well as individual donors to the Transcaucasian Trail Association.

To become a TCTA member and support more trail development projects like this one, join here.

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