Neghots - Haghpat

On Wednesday afternoon (24.10.2018) we set off from our camp on the banks of the Debed near Ptghavan and head inland along the M6 into the heartland of Armenia. Steeper slopes rise on both sides of the river valley. Walking on the highway is not ideal, but the landscape compensates for it somewhat. After about 10 km, I take a coffee break just past Ayrum, which I extend to a second cup of coffee due to a shower. After another 4 km, I finally find a campsite for the following night on the property of an Armenian couple after searching for a while.

After completing our morning routine, we continue hiking on Thursday morning. We reach the entrance of Shnogh and are picked up by two brothers in their BMW. Together, we drive to the village of Teghout (I don't quite understand why...) and then back to Shnogh, where I am invited for coffee and a bite to eat. A few more friends of theirs join us, most of whom work in the Teghout ore mine or similar mines in Nagorno-Karabakh. A very sociable group. Afterwards, I make my way to the center of Shnogh with "the Dicken" to replenish our food and water supplies. Then we head back towards Teghout along a small road. From there, I want to reach Haghpat by crossing the mountains, bypassing the highway. Just before our turn into the wilderness, we are intercepted by two older Armenians who insist that my map is lying and that the only way to Haghpat is via the M6. The two are quite persistent, so I finally let them give me a ride in their van to Akhtala and walk a few more kilometers along the annoying highway from there. Finally, I set up our tent on a construction site after Neghots and end the day with a small evening meal.

Friday morning (October 26, 2018) greets us with rain. After a brief research on the weather forecast for the area and reviewing the remaining food supplies, the decision for a rest day is quickly made. I only leave the tent for essentials throughout the day...

On Saturday, the rain stops and we hit the trail again at the tenth hour. We have to tackle a short stretch of the M6 before we are allowed to hike along a smaller 'road' in stunningly beautiful landscape with wonderful weather. Autumn seems to be a good time for the area. We reach the village of Haghpat in the early afternoon. A small, rather sleepy hamlet. I leave Rango and the backpack in front of the local monastery and take my time exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ensemble is over 1000 years old and has mostly remained in its original form. Since the day is still young and the weather is still very nice, I decide to continue hiking towards Sanahin. There is another monastery there, from the same period and also designated as a World Heritage Site. From Haghpat, I can already see the Akner Plateau, which seems like a good place for the night. So we descend about 400 m, cross a small tributary of the Debed via a stone bridge, and then struggle up a steep slope for another 400 m. Once we reach the top, the magnificent view of Haghpat and the surrounding mountains compensates for the little effort. I am increasingly liking Armenia.