Syunik – trekkingstart, dogs and walnuts

24.09.2021

You can trek in Armenia for many days at a stretch, but you need a tent and the necessary gear. It’s too heavy for me and I find it nicer to sleep with people here. There are not so many options. In the province of Syunik, a longer tour called Legends Trail has been worked out, 148 km long. Because of the many stories. You can buy a small guidebook with maps (I did) and a booklet where legends are written down. However, it is not possible to do the whole trail without staying overnight in tents, but the first 3 days up to the Tatev monastery seemed to me to be a good option.

 

So the start was in Goris. The sky was its usual blue again. I met a dog that I was not afraid of and that was very eager to take pictures.

 

Actually I wanted to take the picture without the dog, but he just jumped in front of the lens

 

I don’t mind being photographed, but I’m not at all inclined to take selfies. And because I was always on my own, I almost didn’t have a photo of myself. But then there is one, namely with this reflecting glass:

 

me

The backpack was not very heavy, I didn’t weigh it, but I didn’t sigh when I put it down. For those of you who still know me with the usual larger SLR camera, I’ve more or less traded it in for a new second-hand system camera. Not everything about it is great, but in principle I’m satisfied – and it’s a huge weight saving.

 

Soon I was almost out of the city and also found the familiar marker

 

trail marker

 

However, right at the last house, an obstacle stood in the way: a wildly yapping dog. No owners were around. Behind me, two women came out of their houses and looked and assessed the situation in such a way that it was not a good idea to try to get past the dog. I should definitely retreat. But how should I then continue my hike? I consulted Maps.me: there is a diversion via the big road and then I could climb back up a bit later and meet the path. That way I still had the pleasure of seeing this petrol station:

 

huge petrol station

 

Soon I was in the forest, pleasantly shaded, no grazing animals, no dogs – and I was happy to be hiking – until there were too many small paths and too few markings and I often made the wrong decision. The mobile phone couldn’t help me that much either, I just had to walk back and forth and search around more often.

 

shady confusing forest

 

searching for the path

 

But I persisted and succeeded and then behind the forest was a beautiful view and a large cross.

 

big cross and small backpack

 

I continued and reached a village: Karahunj. This I crossed

 

Village path

 

Some people were to be found at the village square (where there was also one of the many coffee machines)

 

village square with coffee machine

 

Is anyone surprised that so few people are really in my pictures? They don’t like to be photographed – almost always when I asked, they shook their heads. Only once, a group of women in this village came up to me and wanted a selfie. Of course I took it – and in return I wanted a photo of them. They couldn’t very well say no. Here it is:

 

photohappy women

 

Many people were out harvesting their walnuts. I got many as gifts. Very nice. Then I left the village behind and took a photo look back:

 

Karahunj

 

I split this trekking day into 2 blogposts – there was still a lot to see and tell. Curious? Thank you 😀