About Mount Ararat

Mount Ararat has fascinated mountaineers for decades. Home of Noah's Ark, this old volcano has attracted it's fair share of Ark hunters, mountaineers and geologists. Ararat was closed for many years to climbers owing to the militarily sensitive border area but access is now becoming easier.

Ararat is Turkey's highest summit. We approach the peak from the Turkish side after travelling across Eastern Anatolia to Dogubayazit, the nearest town. From here, we will attempt the climb after placing two high camps. Crampon, self arrest and basic snow-climbing techniques are essential. Ararat is not a technical peak but cold winds and high altitude make this an excellent choice for climbers interested in making an ascent of this historical peak.

The following text is from the mountaineering brochure published by the Ministry of Tourism.

Mt. Ararat is in the east of the Aras mountain range in eastern Turkey, rising at the common borders of Turkey, Armenia and Iran. Ararat, an inactive volcano capped year round with ice and snow, reaches 5137 meters. Serdarbulak plateau which is 2687m high divides the area into two peaks: Great Ararat (Buyuk Agri) which is 5137m (16,495 feet) and the Little Ararat (Kucuk Agri) which is 3896m (12,877 feet).

The Bible tells us that after the Flood, Noah landed his Ark on the top of Mt. Ararat.

Long ago, people believed that no one was permitted to reach the top of Ararat.

Climbing the spectacular Ararat is a challenging and rewarding experience. In the summer, the weather in the area and on Mount Ararat itself is sunny, warm and dry. However, in the winter and spring, cold and harsh conditions prevail and mountain climbers occasionally face blizzards and turbulent weather.June,July, August and September are the months when most world mountain climbers come to the area and when the climb up Ararat is most enjoyable. Despite the usual sunny and clear weather at that time of year, high altitude mountain weather prevails above 3000 meters. The southern face of the mountain offers the easiest and safest ascent to the summit with the best routes and communication, transportation and safety considerations.You can not  climb  Mount Ararat without a climbing permit and a licenced mountain guide.