Unseen Armenia: Trchkan Falls


By Hovsep Dagdigian

The Trchkan Waterfall is the highest waterfall in Armenia, located near the border of Shirak and Lori marzes (provinces) on the Chichkhan River in northwest Armenia. Water from the river drops 23 meters (about 70 feet) to a pool below. This is a popular site for the local people who are able to travel the mountainous and unpaved road to the falls.

Trchkan Falls
Trchkan Falls

The waterfall is accessible from the village of Nalband, about a half hour or so drive from Spitak. Once off the main road and on to the dirt and rock road winding through the mountains, it took our small rented 4-wheel drive vehicle well over an hour to reach the heights 30-40 feet above the falls.

On the way to the falls are patches of forest as well as hay fields in which hay had been harvested and stacked. It is obvious from the condition of the road and the slope of the fields that this hay must have been cut by hand rather than by large reaping machines that are found elsewhere in Armenia. There are no villages on this road although some villagers can be seen tending cattle which are grazing on the mountain fields. Others are in the fields tending their bee hives.

Friends enjoying an outing at Trchkan Falls
Friends enjoying an outing at Trchkan Falls

From a convenient parking site above the falls, it is a short walk to the bottom of the falls, fording on foot a couple of streams. The streams are only one to two feet deep. When crossing them I took extreme care not to slip on the rocky stream bed, fearing my camera would get wet. One small car descended to the stream below and attempted to cross it, getting stuck in the stream. It took four to five people to push it to the bank of the stream, with significant damage to the car.

Near the base of the falls people were bathing in the cool water, picnicking, eating khorovats, roasted chicken, fresh vegetables, and of course toasting each other with rounds of oghi. One group of men invited me to share with them their food and beverage. We talked a bit, sang a few patriotic songs, and then I took their picture. One man said that even if he had a million dollars he would not leave this place. Life may be tough here, but I think the good times like these friends were enjoying is probably not matched in many other places. Where the balance lies, I do not know.

A few years ago the Armenian Ministry of Environmental Protection gave permission for the construction of a hydro-electric station here, violating its responsibility to protect this nature preserve. Young people camped out here for months, protesting the government’s failure to live up to its obligation to protect this site. Thanks to our impressive young Armenian activists, then-Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan put an end to the planned hydro-electric station and granted full protection to the falls. Our young Armenians saved the falls from possible destruction.

I am not aware of any tour agencies offering tours to Trchkan Falls, though perhaps there are some. Access to the falls requires a 4-wheel drive off-road vehicle. Hertz in Armenia, as well as other car rental agencies, offer such vehicles. Some rental agencies, such as Hertz, require an international driver’s license (available from AAA in the U.S.) to drive their cars.

Trchkan Falls from above
Trchkan Falls from above

The drive from Yerevan to Trchkan Falls passes many other interesting sites to visit as well, including the monasteries at Mughni, Saghmosavank, and Hovhannavank. The Bash Aparan monument commemorating the Armenian victory against the Turks in May 1918 (which led to the establishment of the first Armenian republic) is on the way. Also on the way is the village of Ushi, which contains a couple of sites including the monastery of Sourp Sarkis. The monastery itself dates to the 11-12th century, but the ancient remnants of a fort there date to the Stone Age. But it may be better to visit these sites, time permitting, on the way back in order to avoid driving at night in unfamiliar territory. If time does not permit, one can visit these sites another day. They are not far from Yerevan and are quite accessible.

 

 

Hovsep Daghdigian

Hovsep Daghdigian

Joseph “Hovsep” Daghdigian is originally from Lowell, MA. His grandparents were from Kharpet in Western Armenia. He is active in the Merrimack Valley community and a former chairman of the AYF CE. Dagdigian is a retired electrical and software engineer with a MS in computer engineering. Dagdigian spends three to five months per year in Armenia and Artsakh exploring sites with his friend Vova Tshagharyan. His adventures are described in his “Unseen Armenia” series of articles. He, with Anahid Yeremian, co-founded the Support Committee for Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division (SCACRD) in 2000 to support the scientists and students at the Cosmic Ray Division of the Yerevan Physics Institute (now the A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory). He lives in Harvard, MA with his wife Lisa.
Hovsep Daghdigian

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17 Comments

    • Improving road access would help. It could be a tour packages with the other attractions mentioned in the article. Spending the day out in nature.

  1. “A few years ago the Armenian Ministry of Environmental Protection gave permission for the construction of a hydro-electric station here, violating its responsibility to protect this nature preserve. Young people camped out here for months, protesting the government’s failure to live up to its obligation to protect this site. ”

    One of the positive developments in Armenia. The younger generation caring about the quality of life and environment in Armenia.

    That waterfall and the diversity of wildlife of Armenia is part of Armenia. How those are treated has a huge impact on the people, since Armenia is so small. Environmental issues cannot be contained and isolated like one can in a much larger country. But even in those countries environmental issues can have an impact.

    • Wait, Random. I thought you said “I don’t have to make comments on every little thing that goes in the Armenian world” when you were asked to explain as to why you kept deathly silence on a statement made by a US government rep. But here you make a comment for an article about a waterfall in Armenia and young people’s activism. I’m confused. Meaning, for you a waterfall and an act of environmental activism is a bigger thing that goes in the Armenian world than an anti-Armenian statement of a mediator to the armed conflict that sends an unambiguous message to the Azeris thus posing a threat to Armenia and Artsakh?

    • I’ll make a comment on whatever I want john. You may interpret my posts as incorrectly as you want. That’s your problem not mine.

    • I came to realize, beginning from the long thread on Lemkin, that I interpret your posts, or the absence thereof, rather correctly. These posts, or, again, the absence thereof on selected issues, suggest that you either have ulterior motives or that you may be random but not necessarily Armenian. If either or both of these suspicions is correct, then, you’re right, it is our problem to confront mind-tilting and hidden agendas on these pages.

  2. john,

    How come we don’t hear unambiguous condemnation of Azeri sniper and other deadly attacks at the borders? The Russians are supposed to be our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters right? Should that not call upon Russia to strongly condemn such murders of Armenian soldiers? Does that not worry you? Why are you more worried about me not explicitly expressing my anger at such acts and the words of the American mediator? Why wasn’t Russia condemning the American mediators words? They are pro Armenian and pro Artsakh independence after all right? Right?

    • That is one of the most desperate Anti-Russian arguments yet.
      OSCE members do not criticize each other: it simply is not done.
      You should know that, and I believe you do, but are too desperate to defend the Neocon Anti-Armenian, Anti-Christian filth that have infested the US State Dept.

      It is not the first time Warlick has spewed putrid vomit about alleged “occupied territories”, while at the same time being completely mum about the inalienable right of Self Determination: a clear breach of protocol and clear breach of Madrid Principles (…as flawed as those ‘principles’ might be).

      Warlick is clearly giving an OK to Azerbaijan to continue murdering and killing Armenians.
      Warlick’s pronouncement was no accident.
      Nuland made a similar Anti-Armenian “suggestion”:
      US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland goes to Yerevan, and during a press conference demands, in so many words, that NKR authorities release on, quote, “humanitarian” (sic) grounds two Turkbaijani terrorists who had invaded Armenian lands, kidnapped a 17 year old Armenian youth, tortured him, murdered him, and had dumped his body in a forest. (also had murdered an Armenian officer, and gravely wounded a civilian woman).
      In effect, a very high ranking representative of the US State Department was giving the green light to Azerbaijan to kidnap and murder Armenians.

      When Russian or French officials make similar “suggestions”, we can talk.

      btw: you show your irrational Anti-Russian bias by singling out OSCE member Russia, and conveniently ignoring France, the other member.
      Why didn’t France publicly criticize Warlick ?

    • {I’ll make a comment on whatever I want}.

      No one contests or ever contested that.

      But on the issue of a statement that pertained to Artsakh conflict resolution, you said: “I don’t have to make comments on every LITTLE THING (capitalization mine) that goes in the Armenian world”. I believe you made yourself clear, therefore no further interpretation or misinterpretation was ever necessary. Hence, my question, again. Since you decided to make a comment (again, no one limits your freedom in choosing what and where to post, except for AW moderators) for this article, do you think that the issue of a waterfall and one paragraph in it relating to an act of environmental activism, is bigger than the official position of one of the mediator states to the Artsakh conflict?

      When you care to answer this question of mine (since I asked first) without quibbling, I’d be more than happy to answer the questions you asked in your comment.

    • Avery, john,

      We should move this geopolitics thread back to another article. I don’t want to contaminate this one about nature and waterfalls with so much heated arguments.

    • Why? There’s no indication that AW Moderators are displeased with the fact that we’re posting here. And the discussion here is not about “geopolitics” or “contamination”, but your biases and possible ulterior motives. You were pushed to the wall and are desperate. This is what it’s all about.

  3. John,
    A patriot and a rightful Armenian should be interested, for everything is belong to Armenia….that will promote our beloved homeland in the world, and bring wealth and health, for locals and beautify Armenia in a long run…our superb natural resources considered one of the best in the world. The Armenian private side must improve, while our corrupted stupid MPs and government officials are busy with their old habits.

    • {A patriot and a rightful Armenian should be interested for everything is belong to Armenia}

      Right on, GB. That being the reason why our patriotic and rightful poster [Random] is being repeatedly asked—and repeatedly fails to give a direct answer, without quibbling—as to why he makes extensive comments on one issue and chooses not to let fall a word about the other. One such ‘hush-hush’ issue was a statement by a representative of a mediator-state to the Artsakh conflict, to which patriotic and rightful poster [Random] replied, I quote, “I don’t have to make comments on every little thing that goes in the Armenian world”. Thus, a question. Again. Is a beautiful waterfall in Armenia and a minor act of environmental activism related to it BIGGER thing than an official anti-Armenian statement by one of the Minsk Group reps?

  4. {“I don’t want to contaminate this one about nature and waterfalls with so much heated arguments.”}
    (Random Armenian // August 19, 2015 at 1:47 pm //)

    Random:

    You “contaminated” and politicized this thread with your first comment (Random Armenian // August 18, 2015 at 10:35 am //).
    Of all the items discussed in the article, about nature and waterfalls and all that, you picked that one sentence.
    You and I know why you did that.

    “I’ll make a comment on whatever I want john. “
    Well ?
    So can we.
    What’s good for the goose…and all that.
    And as has been noted by me and others numerous times: AW moderators decide what gets published.
    If they thought my and [John]’s posts were inappropriate for this thread, they would have been flushed.
    Same with yours.

    And there are no “arguments” here on the pages of AW, heated or otherwise.
    People express opinions and make certain assertions, and others agree or disagree, and provide their own set of facts or nonsense to counter.
    It’s a free discussion board generously provided by ArmenianWeekly.
    If you don’t want to engage, don’t: nobody is obligated, and there is no penalty for early withdrawal from the thread.

    And if you don’t want “contamination” stop digging up dirt and hurling it at Armenia every opportunity you get.

    • ” “I’ll make a comment on whatever I want john. “
      Well ?
      So can we. ”

      Never questioned that at all.

      “And as has been noted by me and others numerous times: AW moderators decide what gets published.
      If they thought my and [John]’s posts were inappropriate for this thread, they would have been flushed.”

      Never questioned AW’s authority over their site either. In fact I’ve never even brought AW in previous discussion. I get the feeling you’re projecting your desire to have me banned or something.

      You do realize we’re having heated arguments over whether we’re having heated arguments?

  5. “And if you don’t want “contamination” stop digging up dirt and hurling it at Armenia every opportunity you get.”

    This is the source of your problem Avery. You automatically assume that speaking open and critically about issues in Armenia is somehow digging up dirt to tarnish Armenia. You just can’t deal or accept internal issues which are going in Armenia, and see them spoken openly.

    Corruption is a reality. Immigration out of Armenia is a reality. Environmental issues are a reality. The intent of speaking about these, expression of disgust about these current affairs which hurt Armenia, is not to make Armenia look bad or tarnish it. But it’s an expression and a desire to see Armenia be better. Such issues will not go away on their own, but by us and most importantly by those living in Armenia, speaking up about them. You can see the Armenian government react when people speak up about injustice.

    You’re not fooling anyone by pretending corruption and emigration either is not happening or it’s not an issue. People in Armenia know what’s going on in their own country.

    I have been to Armenia. I have spoken with Hayastantsis in and outside of Hayastan. They speak of corruption, they speak of issues and frustration with the authorities. This is real. And it’s hurting Armenia. Armenia can be more than it is now.

    And frankly your posts either excuse these important issues or pretend they don’t exist.

  6. {“I get the feeling you’re projecting your desire to have me banned or something.”}

    Random: [John] is right: {“You were pushed to the wall and are desperate. This is what it’s all about.”}

    You really are getting desperate.
    I am genuinely surprised that you’d fold that easily.

    Have you banned from AW ?
    My, my, my.

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