May 31, 2026
For 8 years, they promised us modern, accessible and human-centered healthcare. Instead, we got overburdened doctors, endless administration, emptying medical facilities in marzes, increasing cost of medical care and a system where the citizen is often left alone in front of his problem.
About this 168TVof “Healthy Decision” spoke during the program Anush Poghosyan, president of “Right to Health” NGO:
According to him, thousands of families experienced pain, loss and uncertainty during COVID-19.
“After the war, thousands of wounded, displaced persons and families were left with incomplete support. In these years, health care was often more busy with propaganda than with real reforms,” Anush Poghosyan presented the situation.
The latter added that even today people continue to collect money for treatment, wait in lines, travel to Yerevan from marzes to receive basic services.
“The medical worker continues to work under conditions of pressure, uncertainty and unappreciated work,” said Anush Poghosyan.
Summing up, the human rights defender called on the public to definitely participate in the June 7 parliamentary elections.
“Go to the elections so that health care is managed by specialists, not by political interests. Go to the election so that the doctor can work decently in his country. Go to the election so that the citizen has the right to be treated, not just the obligation to pay. Go to the polls, because the price of healthcare mistakes is human lives,” concluded Anush Poghosyan.
Details in the video.
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His Holiness calls on the Armenian people to participate in the parliamentary elections
May 31, 2026
All-Armenian Catholicos Garegin II calls on the Armenian people to participate in the parliamentary elections next Sunday, June 7. His Holiness announced this in his address on the occasion of the Ararat Week.
Garegin the Second reminded that on June 7, the church celebrates the feast of Saint Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which was built 1725 years ago.
“Unfortunately, these days we will celebrate the holiday of St. Etchmiadzin in a situation where heavy losses have disturbed the peace of our people, when the foundations of our people’s identity are being attacked, and sacred spiritual and national symbols are beggared. We will celebrate the feast of St. Etchmiadzin in deeply worrying conditions: our society is divided, hatred, enmity, intolerance and injustice are being sown in the homeland, and with the intervention of the authorities, the age-old regulations of the church are being mutilated, our Holy Church and church-loving people are being persecuted and repressed,” said Vehapar.
He stressed that in these difficult days it is more than important to stick firmly to the Christian faith, overcome internal divisions and restore the inner peace and tranquility of our people.
“My father urges all of you to participate in the elections indiscriminately this coming Sunday, with a high awareness of the interests of the nation and the motherland, with a vision of a bright future and responsibility towards the generations, so that the law prevails in our country, human rights and dignity are respected, justice and truth, love and solidarity and mutual respect are mastered, discarding all malice, all deceit, hypocrisies, envy and all slander, as in the message is the apostle (I Pet. 2.1)”, the Catholicos said.
He called on the political forces to be free from hate speech, to show vigilance and prudence and to keep the Armenian people away from possible unwanted developments. Garegin the Second also urged the representatives of the law enforcement system to provide all necessary conditions for the holding of fair elections and the free expression of the Armenian people.
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“Rubio’s visit and the signed memorandum express political support to the government
May 31, 2026
On May 26, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Armenia for 1 hour. He signed several documents with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at the airport and immediately left Armenia.
One of the documents signed by Ararat Mirzoyan and Marco Rubio was the framework memorandum between the Republic of Armenia and the United States of America on supply assurance in the field of extraction and processing of important minerals and rare minerals.
As mentioned memoThe aim of the participants is to support both countries to ensure the resilience and security of critical minerals supply chains, including extraction, separation and processing in their respective territories. Participants also intend to cooperate with third parties, as appropriate, to ensure the security of supply chains and to use existing cooperation mechanisms.
Narine Kirkakosyan, co-founder of “Eco-media” network It is not clear why they attach so much importance to the signed memorandum.
“I can say that this is another bubble, like the “Trump Way”, this is also a branch of it. I am reading the memorandum posted on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. First of all, it is a framework memorandum, that is, this document is about the possibility that they may sign another cooperation document. But this is still a framework memorandum between RA and the United States, it is stated that they will cooperate in the field of supply of “important materials and minerals extraction and processing, that is, they are only talking about supply, this may be related to uranium.” There is nothing new here, the phrase “because” is mentioned several times in that memorandum, as Nikol Pashinyan likes to repeat his chants, here the phrase is also repeated in the column and some sentences are written.” of 168.am Narine Kirakosyan said in a conversation with
According to him, the memorandum published on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions important minerals, he read it and tried to understand what kind of important minerals it is talking about, because not a single mineral is written about. It is presented only about the delivery, which will be “Trump’s way”.
“Here it becomes clear that Armenia can become a road “underfoot” with this document.
On the other hand, if you look back at the history of Armenia over the centuries, Armenia has always been a “silk road”, and if it was and this is another memorandum connecting it with Asia, we can say that now it will become a transit route for minerals, but what minerals are we talking about, it is not clear: uranium, molybdenum, we don’t know.
There is also talk about the recycling and reproduction of the waste, which could be the uranium used by the nuclear power plant. According to them, the United States can build modular nuclear power plants for us and waste processing can be connected with it. However, we still do not have those small modular nuclear power plants all over the world, we have not even passed the licensing. Now China is testing a small nuclear power plant, and other countries, France, the United States, are still in the working phase to get a license.
It is not by chance that I do not say everything in scientific language, I want it to be clear for people that this is another bubble document. If the government in RA changes, the next government will come and say: “Brother, davai dosvidanie”, we are not signing, this does not mean that we are worsening our relations with the United States”, added Narine Kairakosyan.
Our interlocutor also emphasized that there is nothing about Amulsar in this document.
“Rubio’s visit here and the signed memorandum only express political support to the authorities of the day.
One more thing: American politics has nothing to do with environmental protection, they do not join any international convention, they follow their own policy. Whether it is good or bad, this is their problem, but their only problem here is that what is important is good for their country, other people’s fathers be damned.
For example, they don’t think that by bombing neighboring Iran, what environmental damage they cause. Or they come, they open a gold mine in Jermuk, this is important for them, not to extract gold, but to have a presence here and push Russia out. We also had a mine in Sotku, they took it and gave it to the enemy, I think the British are using it now, or the other mines in Artsakh.
I think this is another memorandum of the conflict of interests of different big countries, which does not speak to the policies of China, Iran, Russia, and the EU. And it’s another document with which this government drags us into geopolitical conflicts,” emphasized Narine Kirakosyan.
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We do not say, Nikoli’s educated and constructive partner Aliyev says: 300,000
May 31, 2026
“Pressing” in the program Suren Surenyants, chairman of the “Democratic Alternative” party, number 6 on the pre-election list of the “Prosperous Armenia” party, among other issues, he spoke about 300,000 Azerbaijanis coming to Armenia.
According to him, Aliyev is trying to make the subject of “Western Azerbaijan” part of the international agenda.
“Pashinyan’s educated and constructive friend Aliyev says: peace is not an empty paper that you sign and it is approved. At the helm of power in Baku sits someone who understands international relations very well.
Circles close to the government generate the idea to create a criminal prosecution tool against those oppositionists who will talk about 300,000 Azerbaijanis coming to Armenia. They threaten to initiate a case under Article 297. It is the article of the Criminal Code under which Armen Grigoryan was arrested and later died in court for spreading domestic hatred.
If the Constitution is changed at the request of Azerbaijan, then there will be demands for enclaves, settling Azerbaijanis here, and strengthening their rights with legislative mechanisms – Azerbaijani demands. I recently visited Tigranashen, which Pashinyan will hand over. The school is closed in that village, and the population is leaving. They talk about silver. It does not have the same strategic significance for us as Tigranashen and the 3 villages of Tavush, which, if lost, will put us under siege,” said Suren Surenyants.
Details in the video.
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If Tigranashen is surrendered, Armenia will appear in full Turkish-Azerbaijani conflict
May 31, 2026
“Classes” of the program the guest՝ Turkic scholar, candidate of historical sciences Varuzhan Geghamyan spoke About the strategic importance of Tigranashen, which, Nikol Pashinyan did not deny that he will hand over to Azerbaijan.
“On the morning of June 8, if the de facto regime was re-elected, there will be a demand to present Tigranashen, which the Turks call Kyarki, to Azerbaijan as soon as possible. Tigranashen is of critical importance for the territorial integrity of Armenia. Tigranashen is located on the border of Nakhichevan and Vayots Dzor and Ararat. If Tigranashen is surrendered, a Turkish wedge will be driven into the territory of Armenia. Tigranashen is also located on the border of Central Northern Armenia and Southern Armenia.
If Tigranashen is handed over, it will not be a village, but a large military base. Our geography does not allow us to build a normal road bypassing that section. To go from Masis to Yeghegnadzor, from Yerevan to Goris or from Vanadzor to Kapan, you will have to deal with Azerbaijanis in one way or another. To go from one part of Armenia to another, we will pass through the Azeri corridor. If Kyarky is an enclave, as they say, and Azerbaijan wants to have a presence there, there is no other way than to give a corridor to that land.
It’s not enough, we will give that enclave, one more small corridor to get there. By handing over Tigranashen, Armenia is creating a slow-acting bomb in its territory, which will have access to the entire Ararat Valley. To go from Yerevan to Iran, whether you like it or not, you will pass through the Azerbaijani territory. It turns out that instead of lifting the blockade, we get a full blockade,” said Varuzhan Geghamyan.
Details in the video.
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Putin Urges Armenia to Hold Early Referendum on EU Membership
Astana (TDI): Armenia has come under renewed political pressure from Russia and its allies over its long-term foreign policy direction, with President Vladimir Putin and several Eurasian partners urging Yerevan to quickly decide whether it intends to pursue European Union membership or remain within Russia-led structures.
Speaking at a summit in Astana, Putin said Armenia should hold a referendum on EU membership “as soon as possible,” arguing that it is not possible for the country to simultaneously align with both the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union.
The statement was supported by Russia’s close allies Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, who jointly warned that Armenia’s deepening engagement with the EU could pose “significant risks” to the economies of member states in the Eurasian bloc.
Armenia is formally part of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union but has steadily expanded ties with the European Union in recent years, particularly after tensions increased with Moscow over security guarantees in the South Caucasus.
Under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia has adopted a foreign policy of diversification, seeking to balance relations between Russia and Western institutions while reducing overdependence on any single power.
The shift has been driven in part by frustration in Yerevan over what it views as limited Russian support during its conflicts with neighboring Azerbaijan, prompting a gradual rethinking of its traditional security alignment.
Moscow, however, continues to view Armenia as a key partner in its regional economic and security architecture, warning that a move toward EU integration could force structural and political contradictions within existing agreements.
Despite the growing diplomatic pressure, Armenian officials have not yet issued a formal response to the latest remarks, while maintaining that their foreign policy decisions will be based on national interest and long-term stability.
The debate reflects broader geopolitical competition in the post-Soviet space, where several countries are increasingly navigating between Western integration and continued participation in Russia-led economic and security frameworks.
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Rubio Armenia Visit Highlights Western Turn—One Step Remains | Opinion
Armenia’s parliamentary election on June 7 will be seen as a referendum on the country’s extraordinary geopolitical gamble. Armenia’s emerging Western orientation should not be viewed as a political property of any single leader but as a shift away from strategic overdependence on Moscow toward broader partnership with Europe and the United States, reflecting a collective national reassessment.
The strategy has already produced visible results. The May 4 European Union summit in Armenia reflected the country’s growing importance to Europe and Washington as a potential democratic and logistical bridge in the South Caucasus. This week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Yerevan to sign a strategic partnership agreement with Armenia, alongside additional accords on critical minerals and cooperation surrounding a proposed transit corridor through southern Armenia linking Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan and onward to Turkey.
The agreements underscored how central the South Caucasus has suddenly become to Western strategic thinking as Europe and the United States seek new trade, energy, and logistical routes that bypass both Russia and Iran.
So Armenia has diversified its partnerships, deepened ties with Europe, hosted Western leaders, and reduced its reliance on Russia. A country long viewed as isolated and vulnerable has started to look outward with a degree of confidence unseen in a generation.
Yet, this transformation rests on an enormous and painful sacrifice.
The price of Armenia’s geopolitical repositioning was effectively the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, known to Armenians as Artsakh, the mountainous enclave that for decades functioned as a de facto Armenian state after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Following Azerbaijan’s military assault in September 2023, the enclave, which also endured a nine-month blockade, collapsed entirely. More than 120,000 ethnic Armenians fled almost overnight into Armenia itself, fearing persecution, imprisonment, or worse under Azerbaijani rule. One of the oldest Armenian communities in the world vanished from the territory in a matter of days.
For many Armenians, the trauma remains raw and unresolved because the world moved on with startling speed. International outrage faded quickly, with attention shifting to the Middle East after the October 7 assault by Hamas on Israel, and the devastating wars that followed.
In the South Caucasus itself, diplomatic energy and attention shifted toward infrastructure deals and regional normalization. The refugees settled in Armenia, carrying stories of abandoned homes, left behind cemeteries, emptied churches, and a collective identity uprooted from its historic center. They received sympathy but little justice, no meaningful compensation, and no credible path toward return.
At the center of this unresolved tragedy sits another issue that increasingly threatens to poison Armenia’s rapprochement with Azerbaijan and its wider Western integration: the continued imprisonment in Azerbaijan of several dozen former Artsakh officials and public figures, including Ruben Vardanyan, the former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, who was convicted earlier this year and sentenced to 20 years in Azerbaijani prison.
Their detention has become one of the defining moral questions of the postwar order in the Caucasus. Azerbaijan presents them as criminals. Armenians view them as political prisoners abandoned in the rush toward normalization. Their fate has acquired enormous symbolic power because many Armenians increasingly feel that reconciliation has become a one-sided process in which Armenia makes concessions while Azerbaijan consolidates military victory and diplomatic leverage without restraint.
That perception carries serious political consequences for the normalization process. If regional integration and promising transport corridors are associated with the forsaking of prisoners and the definitive erasure of Artsakh’s Armenians—these projects will remain vulnerable no matter who wins the next elections.
Yet even Armenians open to compromise and coexistence struggle to understand why the issue of the prisoners receives so little sustained international attention at precisely the moment when Azerbaijan seeks broader legitimacy, deeper commercial partnerships, and expanded transit arrangements with the West.
The current diplomatic environment gives Europe and the United States more leverage than they appear willing to use, and that leverage is no longer theoretical. Rubio’s visit to Yerevan this week–three months after a historic visit by Vice President JD Vance–and the signing of a new U.S.-Armenia strategic partnership agreement reflect a profound geopolitical shift already underway across the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijan wants stability, investment, and recognition as a central transit and energy hub connecting Central Asia, the Caucasus, Turkey, and Europe. It wants infrastructure agreements to proceed smoothly. It wants long-term economic integration with Western markets and institutions. Armenia wants security, integration, and durable Western backing as it attempts its historic pivot away from Moscow despite growing Russian economic pressure and threats.
The region now stands closer than at any time in decades to a genuine reordering based on connectivity rather than armed confrontation. That makes this precisely the moment for Rubio, Washington, and Europe to insist on resolving the prisoner issue as part of the broader settlement rather than treating it as an inconvenient humanitarian side matter.
That makes this the moment to insist on resolving the prisoner issue as part of the broader settlement rather than treating it as an inconvenient side matter.
Western governments have repeatedly praised Armenia’s democratic development and its willingness to move toward compromise after military defeat. They have encouraged reconciliation and rewarded Yerevan diplomatically for pursuing a less confrontational path. Those same governments should now make clear that regional integration carries obligations for all parties, including Azerbaijan. The release of political detainees from Artsakh should become a central demand in negotiations surrounding transport corridors, economic partnerships, and normalization initiatives.
Such a step would strengthen moderates inside Armenia rather than weaken them. It would also show Armenians that Washington’s growing partnership with Yerevan is not purely transactional, but still tied to principles of political accountability and human dignity.
It would give Armenians evidence that diplomacy can still protect human dignity and national interests even after catastrophic loss. It would reduce the growing perception that Armenia alone absorbs sacrifice while the international system rewards power without accountability.
The alternative carries profound risks. Settlements engineered on the calculus of corridors and expediency have rarely outlasted the grievances they chose not to address. In societies marked by displacement and bitter loss, what is deferred is not resolved—it is harbored.
Peace agreements imposed without moral legitimacy rarely endure in places shaped by memory, displacement, and unresolved grief.
The South Caucasus stands at a rare historical opening, but true peace requires more than corridors, summits, and investment conferences. It requires a sense that justice still matters in the architecture of the new order taking shape across the region. Right now, the prisoners of Artsakh represent the clearest test of whether that principle survives.
Grigor Hovhannissian is Armenia’s former ambassador to the United States and Mexico and Armenia’s former deputy foreign minister.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
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Poll points to landslide win for Armenia’s Pashinyan as Russia steps up pressu
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party is on course for a commanding victory in next week’s parliamentary election, according to a new opinion poll, even as Russia escalates diplomatic and economic pressure over Yerevan’s increasingly pro-Western foreign policy.
A survey conducted by Breavis between May 5 and May 11 among 1,551 respondents found Civil Contract would secure nearly 65% of decided voters ahead of the June 7 election, far ahead of a fragmented opposition in which no party exceeded 12%, reported Euronews.
If confirmed at the ballot box, the result would hand Pashinyan a powerful mandate to continue Armenia’s strategic shift away from its traditional ally Russia and deepen ties with the European Union and United States.
The poll comes at a time of mounting tensions between Moscow and Yerevan. On May 30, Russia announced it had recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing concerns over Armenia’s growing engagement with the European Union.
“The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia, S.P. Kopyrkin, has been summoned to Moscow for consultations in connection with the steps taken by the Armenian leadership to move closer to the European Union, which are detrimental to cooperation within the EAEU,” Russia’s foreign ministry said.
The diplomatic move followed a warning from leaders of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), who said Armenia’s pursuit of closer EU integration posed “significant risks to the economic security of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union.”
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply since Pashinyan came to power in 2018. Yerevan has accused Moscow of failing to provide adequate support during successive confrontations with Azerbaijan, particularly after Azerbaijan’s 2023 offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh that triggered the exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians from the region.
Armenia subsequently froze its participation in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and has sought closer cooperation with Western partners.
The geopolitical stakes surrounding the election have intensified following a Reuters report that Western intelligence and government officials believe Russia has expanded efforts to undermine Pashinyan’s government before the vote.
According to Reuters, Russian officials discussed transporting large numbers of Russia-based Armenians to Armenia in an effort to influence the election outcome. Five Western intelligence sources cited by the news agency said Moscow examined ways to physically bring voters to Armenia, where citizens living abroad are not permitted to vote remotely.
“Russian authorities calculated a cost of about $50mn to transport 100,000 voters,” Reuters reported, citing three sources familiar with the discussions.
Russia’s foreign ministry dismissed the report, accusing Reuters of publishing false information and promoting “anti-Russian rhetoric”.
The election campaign has also drawn unusual international attention. On May 27, US President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Pashinyan, describing him as “a great friend and leader”.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Pashinyan “completely shares my vision of PEACE and PROSPERITY for Armenia and the entire South Caucasus region” and had his “COMPLETE and TOTAL Endorsement for Re-Election on June 7, 2026.”
Washington has deepened engagement with Armenia through new economic and security initiatives linked to a US-brokered peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Despite political tensions, Russia remains Armenia’s largest trading partner and dominant energy supplier. In recent weeks Moscow has imposed restrictions on several Armenian imports and warned that closer integration with Europe could carry economic consequences.
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We’ll have to eat by ourselves: Armenian strawberries in a difficult situation
Armenia risks completely losing income from strawberry exports. According to RIA Novosti, citing data from the UN Comtrade platform, in 2025, the supply of this berry to Russia brought $13.25 million to the republic.
This is a colossal share of 97% of all Armenian strawberry exports, which together reached $ 13.65 million. In fact, the industry focused exclusively on the Russian market. Now, because of the ban, there is nowhere to sell products, and farmers will probably have to rely only on domestic consumption.
Even at the beginning of the year, the Rosselkhoznadzor has repeatedly stated that Armenian fruit and vegetable products do not comply with the phytosanitary standards of Russia and the EAEU. Now the results are restrictions on imports.
EADaily also informed earlier that the Rosselkhoznadzor restricts the import of vegetables and fruits from Armenia.
Read more: https://eadaily.com/en/news/2026/05/31/well-have-to-eat-by-ourselves-armenian-strawberries-in-a-difficult-situation
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Welcome to Armenia – The walk
120 mile upgrade from the Transcaucasian Trail (TCT)
Having never been to Armenia, Jetpack and I wanted to spend a few days exploring the capital city before hitting the road. After our 3 days, I must say that I was pleasantly impressed by the city. We had a lovely hotel with great breakfasts included for little money. The city is very walkable and has many excellent museums and art facilities. Many indoor and outdoor markets with shopping of all kinds. The food we had was excellent and affordable. We did a wine tasting, since this region is the birthplace of wine (Armenia has been making it since 4100 BC). The people were friendly and talkative.
While I was in town, I got my hair cut and we did a last minute resupply. Yes, mainly buying junk food and local snacks for our long bus ride south. They have great dried fruit and nut selections, plus all the fruit leather flavors. Ice cream bars are cheap and plentiful, so I make it a point to try them all!
To get to the southern terminal we scheduled a seat on the daily 7:30 minibus to Meghri. Almost all public transportation here is done by Sprinter vans. We arrived at 7:10 and started wandering around. A guy quickly came over to “help” us, but then tried to sell us a private van ride there for much more. No, thanks. Others pointed us in the right direction. We found our bus even though the number on the front was wrong. No one spoke English but they nodded to «Meghri», so what could go wrong? The Sprinter had capacity for 21 people, but there was no space for luggage. We later learned that when everyone sat down, the island was filled with stacked luggage. We stopped twice on the 8 hour trip and realized that the two of us were the only non-smokers. The road crossed the TCT several times so we got to see a little of what awaited us.
Upon reaching Meghri, we walked a kilometer to our guest house. Marietta, our host, was wonderful and offered to cook us a local dinner in her garden for $12 each. It was beyond excellent and much more than we could eat. Breakfast was equally wonderful. We then met the only other guest, a very friendly and chatty Iranian. We chatted for a good while. It was a great reminder that people are just people and we can all get along. As a result of the morning, we started the trail with laziness 9a.
The trail begins at the border between Armenia and Iran. It is arid and mountainous at an elevation of approximately 2,100 feet. We started with a 10 mile climb to 8,000 feet. Soon we were in beautiful forests and green meadows. We were looking at bear scat and it felt totally different at first. The trail was marked but began to become more overgrown. Despite almost stepping on a snake, we reached the highest point without much drama. From there the drama began. First, I realized that I had left my extra pair of socks drying on the guesthouse clothesline. After a little more time, the trail just stopped and we were walking to follow the GPS line. It took us hours to complete the next 4 miles. To be fair, the TCT just officially opened the Armenia section in 2022 and we were warned that some sections are not well maintained. So we were warned, but we didn’t realize the extent of it. Sometimes this was grass over our heads. Steep slopes and a poisonous plant called giant hogweed should be avoided. Then a storm came… We camped in the shortest grass we could find and hunkered down in a bit of shock. These were no longer perfectly maintained American or European trails.
That night our tent was blown down 3 times due to strong winds. We finally braved the storms and looked for rocks to complement our tent stakes. There seemed to be rocks everywhere except the open meadow where we were camped. We found some rocks and that solved the problem and we tried to sleep. Then Jetpack blew a small hole in his neoair mattress and had to re-inflate it every few hours… Let’s just say it was a rough first 24 hours on the road.
We woke up to a beautiful day. The second day was much better. All day the route was clear even when it was overgrown. The giant hogweed was more prominent and we had to avoid it and walk through it more often than I would like (we are walking in pants for this reason). We were very happy to take a gravel road for the long 3,500 foot climb up Mount Khustup (10,531). It was getting late and it looked like there was going to be a storm, so we skipped the last 500 feet to the top. The trail down was perfect and we saw a herd of bezoar goats.
That night we camped in the trailhead parking lot and a group of guys who were enjoying the trail gave us some magic. They recognized excellent English and said that we had already seen more Armenian nature than most Armenians do in their entire lives. They fixed our air mattress and, despite a small storm, we slept well. Despite camping right above the city, it was 30km of trail to get there. That stretch of trail was excellent. Well maintained and very well flamed. We both needed it. The big downside of day 3 was the accumulation of ticks. Each grassy section left us pulling 5 to 10 ticks out of our pants. Instead of camping, we decided to drive the 7km to the good-sized town of Kapan and get a hotel. Two brothers, Arthur and Roman, took us. Roman turns around after a minute of driving and says, «Do you like to go fast?» And without response he accelerates the engine. The next thing we know, we are going 120 km/h in a zone of 40 cars passing despite the incoming traffic. We arrived at the town shaken but fine. We found a decent hotel room and worked to dry things off. Somehow, in just 3 days our store was already stinking. I won’t tell you how bad my only pair of socks smelled. I went on a sock hunting mission and discovered my options were cotton or cotton… We got resupplies on food we didn’t need but wanted and had a wonderful dinner.
The next 3 days on the trail have improved significantly with great blazes and a much higher percentage of obvious trails. We have been seeing monasteries and old fortresses. Eat good food and generally not see anyone on the trails. On day 5 we saw our first hikers with 2 Armenian hikers, then 2 nice hikers from the Swiss section. There are still quite a few overgrown trail sections with lots of ticks, but I think that’s to be expected in these remote areas. This trail needs a lot more regular hiking traffic to complete. Everyone we meet is friendly and tries to talk to us despite the language barrier. Yesterday, a man chased us just to ask our names, where we were from and just to say hello. He seemed so excited to have people from America visit his small town. That type of interaction has been a common experience. Many are now familiar with the trail and seem surprised that people are coming to hike it all over the country.
Today is day 7 for us and we are going to get zero in a pension in Sisian. It is another 160 kilometers to the next largest city, Yegheghadzor, with a few small towns in between. We hope for good trails and to be able to pick up the pace and arrive in 4 days. But we will still resupply as if it were the fifth day…
We were looking for an adventure and this is definitely an adventure!
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