September 7, 2006

Summit of Mount Ararat

On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Armenia's independence and the founding of the American University of Armenia, a group of six members from the faculty and friends of the University made to the summit of Mount Ararat (5,165 m, 16,945 feet). The group was made of: President Haroutune Armenian, Sona Armenian, Arsen Grigoryan, Arthur Melkonyan, Varduhi Petrosian and Ara Tekian.

The team started its ascent from Dogubeyazit on the 25th of August; it reached first camp in the afternoon of August 25th at an altitude of 3200m; they continued their ascent and reached second camp at an altitude of 4200m on August 26th; they reached the summit at 6:30am on August 27th. They made it back down to the plain in the same day.

"The group had both a sense of collective and individual achievement and marked these 15th anniversary occasions in a most appropriate manner" said President Armenian.

Photo attached from left to right: Arsen Grigoryan; Varduhi Petrosyan; President Haroutune Armenian; Arthur Melkonyan; Sona Armenian; Ara Tekian.