Experience Armenia's Backcountry: Jukhtavank to Haghartsin Trail

After spending weekdays volunteering from Monday to Friday, it’s nice to use the free time on weekends to leave the city and relax in Armenia’s nature and mountains. For my friend Alex’s last weekend in Armenia, we decided to tackle the 20+ kilometer Jukhtakvank to Haghartsin Monastery Trail full of at least 8 hours of hiking through lush Dilijan forests, high mountain meadows, and plenty of climbing.

Discovering Life Off the Beaten Path

About five hours into our hike, we spotted a ramshackle house tickled into the cliffside. We were descending into a valley that was located around the 10-mile mark and hadn’t seen any roads or people since leaving Matosavank Monastery at the start of our hike. My friend said the house must be abandoned since we were hours away from any road or sign of civilization. I was less sure the house was abandoned since I had run into other mountain-dwelling villagers on previous hikes in Armenia (like at the top of the Flowering Lake Loop Trail). Sure enough, once we were within 50 meters of the house, two dogs ran out of the house and started barking, followed by a woman in slippers and a walking stick. The woman told us she lives here with her husband and they (unsurprisingly) have no neighbors and live alone), as their kids have moved to the city. The woman and her husband take care of pigs, cows, and chickens and live without running water or electricity.

Alex and I wondered what it was like to live hours away from civilization without modern comforts to help them through Armenia’s bitter winters. We concluded they must have a horse somewhere to help them bring supplies from Dilijan to their backcountry home.

The woman asked us if we were heading to Haghartsin Monastery and we said yes. She said many hikers come through this path and often camp nearby. Alex and I were about to continue our way when our new friend said instead of continuing our descent into the valley as our HIKEArmenia app was showing, we should take a shortcut. Our new friend said if we climbed up the mountainside that rose directly above her house and crossed over the mountain pass to the right, we would avoid more climbing and descending and would be able to meet up with the marked HIKEArmenia trail on the other side, shortening our hike by a couple of kilometers.

Against our better judgment, we trusted our new friend’s suggestion, assuming she knew this area better than anyone. Regrettably, the next hour was spent bushwacking our way through an unmarked mountainside of hip- and chest-high grasses, leaving us exhausted and worse for wear. We were happy when we finally made it to the other side, linking back up with the final descent of the marked trail leading to Haghartsin Monastery.

Unfortunately, we forgot to take a picture of our initial view of our new friend’s house. You’ll just have to trust us that it’s there and go see it for yourself! Be warned that at least ⅔ of the trail is unmaintained and unmarked, so long pants, boots, and the HIKEArmenia app are all necessities.

For those wanting a hike with forested and mountainous terrain, unmatched views of Dilijan National Park, lots of (sometimes arduous) climbing, and a likely run-in with a rural Armenian family, this is the trail for you.