The Armenia stage of the Caucasus Crossing is an incredible undertaking in its own right. The 454-mile (731 km) route takes in the sights and culture of this wondrous country as it follows rugged doubletrack, gravel, and livestock trails across the infinite ridges of the Caucasus Minor, from the Georgia border to Iran. Highlights include the unrivaled hospitality of the Armenian people, remnants from a Soviet past, ancient monasteries, and the bewilderingly spectacular volcanic domes of the Geghama Range.
Make no mistake, the Lesser Caucasus that dominate the Armenian segment of the Caucasus Crossing are just as challenging, if not more so, than the Greater Caucasus of the Georgian segment of the route. And they’re equally as beautiful. These peaks harbor an astoundingly diverse array of mountainscapes, ranging from the glaciated volcanic domes of the Geghama, to the jagged rock spires of Khutsup and Arevik National Park, to the wildflower-carpeted ridges of Lori Province, and the rocky folds of the Vardenis. These mountains are also home to a stunning selection of waterfalls, rock formations, forests, and plant life.
However, its mountains are only part of what makes Armenia special. It’s also one of the least travelled countries in the world. This is especially favorable to cyclists. Not only is there plenty to see, including a collection of the oldest Orthodox monasteries in the world, but Armenia is relatively inexpensive and is home to some of the nicest and most hospitable people on the planet. We experienced warm Armenian hospitality from the very first day. As Virginia wrote in her story in the first issue of The Bikepacking Journal:
“We paused for a drink at the top of our first big push, and an old blue truck roared up the hill, stopping beside us. The moustached driver jumped out and gave Logan a big hug. He’d seen us cycle past his property and wanted to make sure we were okay. After doing our best to reassure him that we knew where we were going, the man kindly posed for a photograph and left us to our own devices.”
ROUTE DEVELOPMENT
Slowly coming together over two years, this route was a massive labor of love. It started with the idea to continue the Caucasus Crossing from Georgia all the way through the Lesser Caucasus to Iran. After hundreds of hours of route finding and research, a three-week scouting mission that involved a few unsuccessful attempts and reroutes along the way, this is the final outcome. Many thanks to Tom Allen, founder of the Transcaucasian Trail (TCT) hiking route, who also helped with the Georgian segment. Tom played a crucial role in providing insight, guidance, and tracks. Much of the northern section from the border to Ijevan was conceived by Tom, and several sections of the route share trailspace with the TCT. You can find more of his mountain bike tracks and touring routes on CyclingArmenia.com.
Difficulty: The Caucasus Crossing Armenia route is rated a strong 8 out of 10 for several reasons. First and foremost, there is a lot of climbing. Second, in the character of its Georgian counterpart, there are some rugged and steep sections that necessitate hike-a-bikes on a regular basis. There’s one particular stretch that accounts for at least one point of its difficulty rating–an 18-mile (29 km) segment through the Vardenis Range that begins at mile 230 (kilometer 370). This particular section is especially tough and requires a significant amount of hiking. There is an option to skip this section by descending the M10 and picking up the tarred road going east at Shatin. We finished the route in 16 total riding days, with five rest days in various towns. That makes an average of about 28 miles (45 km) per riding day with 4,000 feet (1220m) of climbing. However, that doesn’t account for scouting and backtracking on a several of occasions, so perhaps plan for around 14-15 days of riding.
http://www.bikepacking.com/routes/caucasus-crossing-armenia/
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