4 Peaks, 4 Years
4 Peaks has turned 4. This symbolic anniversary year could not pass unnoticed, so once again we began preparing for a festive event. After a month of preparation and rehearsals with the children, on February 19 we were ready to welcome our guests in one of the halls of the Elite Plaza business center. We are used to seeing each other in hiking gear, with faces reddened by wind or sun and tousled hair, but that day we had all changed: beautiful clothes, neatly styled hair and cheeks flushed with excitement.
The serious mission of hosting the event was placed on the children’s shoulders, and they handled it naturally and very well.
The 4 Peaks mountain club began its activities in 2016, and since then we have traveled a long road full of knowledge and beautiful days; like the peaks of Aragats, our hikes have stretched from north to south and from east to west. This is exactly what the children talked about, highlighting the ascents of Mount Aramazd, Amulsar and Mazaz.
During the event, we also watched specially prepared videos, which made our journey even more vivid and gave our guests the chance to get to know the children.
Over these four years:
1. Lessons were organized for 12 groups, involving 113 children;
2. 15 theoretical topics with their subtopics were covered in the lessons;
3. Practical training sessions were held: orientation, setting up tents, climbing, river crossing and more;
4. 83 hikes were organized — 39 through forests and canyons and 44 mountain ascents — covering a total of 549 km;
5. 4 tent camps were held in the town of Stepanavan;
6. Environmental initiatives were carried out;
7. The 4Peaks.am website was launched;
8. The song “Mountains” was written for the club;
9. We received recognition from state bodies;
10. We gained a large community of partners and supporters.
Fortunately, our club is one of the lucky ones: from the very beginning it has met people and organizations who eagerly offered a helping hand and contributed to our progress. We had already presented certificates of appreciation in the past, and this event was an opportunity to thank the partners we have gained over the last two years.
Certificates of appreciation were presented to:
1. The Ski Federation of Armenia — for supporting the “4 PEAKS MOUNTAIN CLUB” mountaineering development NGO by organizing a high-level training course for club members in Ashotsk;
2. Yerevan Zipline Airlines — for supporting the “4 PEAKS MOUNTAIN CLUB” NGO by organizing safe flights for club members and giving them the chance to soar;
3. The “Logos” psychological counseling center — for constantly supporting the “4 PEAKS MOUNTAIN CLUB” NGO with professional counseling;
4. “Hatis Tour” — for including Evelina Danielyan, a member of the “4 PEAKS MOUNTAIN CLUB” NGO, in the 2019 Mount Ararat expedition team and guiding the youngest Armenian girl to the summit;
5. Harutyun Saribekyan — for supporting the “4 PEAKS MOUNTAIN CLUB” NGO with the tent camp organized in Antarramej.
All the children in the club are very strong, because they manage to overcome the natural challenges they face and show great willpower and endurance. During the event, certificates were awarded to the children who were most active and took part in the most hikes. These certificates were not given for being “the strongest”, but for the qualities listed below, which were illustrated with specific stories during the event.
Certificates were awarded to:
1. Liana Tosunyan — for perseverance, endless patience, willpower and endurance during hikes and ascents;
2. Aram Bakhchinyan — for willpower, strength, endurance and readiness to help the younger ones;
3. Astghik Mirakyan — for willpower, strength, endurance and the ability to overcome difficulties;
4. Alex Babajanyan — for willpower, strength, endurance and the ability to overcome difficulties;
5. Mariam Zargaryan — for bringing warmth with the campfire and her sense of humor during the “Tent Camp”;
6. Arpi Badalyan — for bringing warmth with the campfire and her sense of humor during the “Tent Camp”;
7. Aram Abazyan — for willpower, strength, endurance and helping the older ones;
8. Andranik Avagyan — for keeping the campfire burning during the “Tent Camp”;
9. Saribek Matosyan — for willpower, strength, endurance and the ability to overcome difficulties;
10. Marina Baghdyan — for willpower, strength, endurance and for taking part in more hikes and mountain ascents than any other member of the “4 PEAKS” mountain club;
11. Evelina Danielyan — for willpower, strength, endurance and for the highest ascent made by a “4 PEAKS” club member: climbing Ararat, which made her the youngest Armenian girl to summit Ararat.
The club’s parents also spoke at the event and had prepared a surprise for the club’s coaching team. The parents’ appreciation gave us great encouragement, as we realized that we are on the right path and must keep building on what we have achieved.
We opened and closed the event with a beautiful performance by four guitars.
