Name: Mantash Lake Ride
Rating: 5.0

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Plan in onX Backcountry

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Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

Family Friendly The trail promises beautiful views.

Ucom and VivaCell-MTS networks are always available in Pokr Mantash village, and in the territory of Mantash Lake the connection is partially available. In case of emergency, call 911, a service which is available throughout Armenia. Please, beware of dogs guarding flocks of sheep.
To access Mantash Lake you'll be asked to submit passports at the entrance guardhouse for security considerations.

Overview

This reasonably casual ride starts and ends in the village of Pokr Mantash Village and heads south to enjoy the landscape and surroundings around Lake Mantash.

Need to Know

For the best experience take a taxi to Pokr Mantash Village from Yerevan (about 1.6 hours) that costs 10,000-12,000 AMD. We recommend taking a cab with a working taximeter, and making sure the driver uses it.
Best ridden from May to October. The ride generally takes six hours. Come prepared with ample water, food, tools, and a first aid kit.

Description

Once at the village make your way to the southern edge to pick up the start of the Pokr Mantash Country Road. This doubletrack leads through the closely packed fields and over the hills to soon connect with the Mantash Lake Road.

At the intersection, turn left to continue a doubletrack climb on a half-century old gravel road that climbs to the southeast before leveling off along the shores of Mantash Lake which was constructed in 1967 to act as a reservoir for local residences and pastures.If you're looking for a shorter ride you can turn around after admiring the water, but you might as well continue to where the doubletrack ends at the head of the canyon.

The Mantash River flows in the canyon adding a nice addition to the sights. This area is specially known for its acidic water sources, one of which is marked on the route. There's also plenty of opportunity to see ducks and eagles as you pedal.

On the return, descend the Mantash Lake Road until it ends at the main road. From there, it's less than 2.0 kilometers to return to Pokr Mantash Village where a taxi can be hired for the return.

Flora:
Shirak province’s flora has a rich variety of plants and shrubs. It has some forested vegetation, especially by Mantash Lake. Sour water flows out from underground. It’s home to many useful medicinal and tea herbs.

Fauna:
There are few animal species at the slopes of Aragats. You’ll most probably come across wolves, foxes, hares, rock badgers, mice, birds, butterflies, insects and beetles. During summer, some species of snakes may also be encountered here.