Climbing all four seasons in a single day with Lilit Khachaturyan
Outdoor adventurer Lilit Khachaturyan laughs as she recalls that before she took up mountain climbing, the highest point she had reached was Yerevan’s Cascade complex. Though relatively new to the sport, her passion for the mountains has already yielded impressive results.
I met Lilit at her apartment in Yerevan. The first thing I noticed on her coffee table was a colorful assortment of dried fruits. “My mother started making dried fruits because of my new hobby,” she explained. After all, not everything is practical to take on a mountain; dried fruits and nuts are the best companions for climbers.
“You can always tell whether someone is climbing for the first time,” she said. “Usually, those who are new just take a regular warm jacket, some sausages and heavy food.”
Lilit prefers her favorite yellow jacket, designed specifically for mountain climbing. It can protect her even at 5,000 meters, where the world starts to feel and look different. Mountain climbing is not cheap, and few can afford the necessary gear: warm jackets, boots, special glasses and hats. Perhaps that is why, even in a mountainous country like Armenia, climbing is not widely popular.
Lilit suggests raising awareness in schools and universities could help develop the sport. Typically, schools take children climbing to clean the territory, but nothing is taught about the place they climb, nor are children encouraged to love it, she explained. “I don’t know if I would have loved climbing as a kid if every time we went, I was told we were going to clean the territory. In effect, we were climbing to clean.”
“Maybe it’s better to love the mountains enough not to mess them up,” she added.
Interestingly, not all mountaineers start from a mountain’s base. Some fly to a point near the summit, hike a short distance and still claim the peak. Lilit calls it a personal choice. She prefers “real climbing,” which gives her adrenaline and a chance to reflect on her past, focus on her dreams and test her physical readiness.
“Every time I come back from the mountains, I see the world from a very different angle and perspective,” she reflected.
Before climbing, Lilit considered herself a city person, favoring cafés and urban life. “Now, I’m more about nature. I love climbing in Armenia, and Aragats has become the place I always want to return to.”
Emotional balance is crucial for climbers. Lilit lost her father three months ago, making her climb of Aragats especially challenging. While her physical condition was strong, her emotions prevented her from fully enjoying the experience, even as she reached the summit.
Among the 5,000-meter-plus peaks Lilit has climbed are Elbrus, Ararat, Kazbek and Damavand. In Armenia, her passion takes her to Khustup, Azhdahak and Aragats almost monthly. One surprising thing about mountaineering, she said, is that you can experience all four seasons in a single day.
“You can follow different animals freely enjoying nature. Every time I reach a summit, I feel closer to nature, and when you feel it with every muscle, you just want to hug it and take care of it,” she explained.
Lilit shares her adventures on a travel blog, encouraging others to make climbing a hobby. Recently, she began making short films with her team, documenting the entire climbing experience from start to finish. Her latest video focuses on Vishapakars, offering new perspectives on these iconic stones. She even wears a necklace with a small dragon-stone pendant.
Vishapakars, or vishap stones, are monoliths found throughout the Armenian Highlands. Commonly carved from a single piece of stone, they resemble cigars with dish-shaped heads or serpents and are said to represent vishaps, water dragons from Armenian folklore.
Lilit’s journey is filled with stories waiting to be uncovered on her blog. She shows that her love for Armenia goes beyond words, expressed instead through action. Each region of the country is revealed from a new angle through her climbs, teaching that loving the world means feeling it with every fiber, protecting it and carrying its beauty wherever you go.
All photos are courtesy of Lilit Khachaturyan unless otherwise noted.
