KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

A mountaineering club called “One Hundred Peaks” has been established at the initiative of Khachatur Stepanyan, an Associate Professor at the Chair of Armenian History,

 Armenian State Pedagogical University. The Club features ASPU students. 

The founders of the club intend to ascend [in several years] about one hundred summits in Armenia. The start has already been announced, with 17 ASPU students ascending the top of Arayi Lerr (Mountain) in Kotayk province.

 “The idea to study and recognize our homeland came during a special course dedicated to the Armenian national liberation movement at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. The students were eager to know how fidayis (freedom fighters) and special groups transferred weapons to Western Armenia passing through mountains for days and nights. The best way to satisfy the students’ curiosity and strengthen their theoretical knowledge in practice was to climb the Armenian mountains with them,” Khachatur Stepanyan said in conversation with armspu.am.

Javakhk, Nagorno-Karbakh, Western Armenia … The founder of the club draws in his mind the route they will take to ascend more peaks and says they are not going to restrict themselves to the mountains in Armenia. 

The historian believes that the initiative will seed patriotism and knowledge of their homeland among young people, strongly connect them with the native land and its mountains, strengthen their will power and instill in them the culture of healthy lifestyle. 

Khachatur Stepanyan says the one hundredth stop of the mountaineers will be Mount Ararat. In the near future, the group is going to climb Hatis, a mountain in the north-east of Kotayk. 

The students, lecturers and all interested people are free to join the club.