Name: Vardenyats Mountain Pass Route
Rating: 5.0

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Family Friendly The trail promises beautiful views.

In the Khosrov Reserve, which is adjacent to the biking trail, the mobile connection is very poor. In the Vardenyats Mountain Pass, the village of Urtsadzor, and in the surrounding areas, all the networks of Armenia are always available. In case of an emergency, call 911, a service available throughout Armenia. Beware of dogs guarding flocks of sheep.

Description

This doubletrack road starts in the village of Nshkhark and travels through the Argichi River Valley to pass through Qaradzi before ending at a paved road that leads to Urtsadzor.

Home to the famous Silk Road, the area still holds many ruins of the 14th century caravanserai (not included in this trail) found nearby. After 8.0 kilometers of easy pedaling, a steady climb leads to a nice view of Mount Ararat perched above green meadows, sun-lit valleys, and the Argichi River (you'll cross it two times during the ride and you may want to take off your shoes to walk across).

From the high-point at almost 2,600 meters, the road begins to descend to Khosrov State Reserve. You'll find a lot of flora to brighten the views and you may even come across some wild animals. Make sure to greet the guards when exiting the reserve. Then you'll ride for 10 km via a paved road till the end of the trail. The trail ends at the village of Urtsadzor, in the Ararat province. The return path is from Urtsadzor.

Technical Specifications of the Trail
The best time to access this route is from April till October. Yerevan is 146km away from village of Nshkhark, so you can reach the place in 2hr. and 11min. by taxi, the cost of which is between 14,600-15,000 AMD. The distance of the trail is around 55km. The biking trail duration is around 6 hours. The area is located at an altitude of 1,380-2,300m above sea level. 90% of the road is covered by sandstone, 10% is paved. The best drink to have on hand is bottled water.

How to Reach the Trail
To reach the above-mentioned biking trail, you should first reach Nshkhark village, in the Gegharkunik province. It is most convenient to travel by taxi. Taxi services are quite affordable throughout Armenia. We recommend taking a cab with a taximeter.