Group of travellers from Cyprus climbs Armenia’s highest peak

A group of travellers from the Republic of Cyprus has successfully climbed the northern summit of Mount Aragats (4,090 metres), Armenia’s highest peak and one of the country’s most important national symbols.

Expedition members Alexander Larin and Mikhail Omelchuk raised the flag of the Republic of Cyprus on the summit, took photographs and, as a symbol of friendship between the two countries, left stones brought from Cyprus bearing the inscription: “Cyprus-Armenian expedition to Mount Aragats. July 2026.”

“Unfortunately, this year Mount Aragats was covered with an unusually large amount of snow. Because of the snowdrifts, it was impossible to reach the cross, and the summit was completely covered by dense fog,” one of the expedition members said.

A separate two-member team successfully climbed the southern summit of Mount Aragats (3,879 metres). One of the expedition’s notable achievements was the ascent of 13-year-old Peresvet Larin, who became the youngest resident of Cyprus to reach a peak higher than 3,879 metres.

The expedition has become one of the symbols of the strong historical ties between Cyprus and Armenia. President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides has repeatedly highlighted the special nature of relations between the two countries, noting that the Armenian community is an integral part of Cypriot society and has made a significant contribution to the island’s cultural, social and economic life.

 The participants said the ascent was dedicated to strengthening friendship between the peoples of Cyprus and Armenia, promoting tourism between the two countries, and encouraging mountaineering and healthy lifestyles among young people. According to the participants, such international initiatives help preserve humanitarian ties and promote sports and ecotourism, while creating new opportunities for cooperation between Cyprus and Armenia in sports, tourism, culture and youth exchanges.