On May 21-31, Armenia will host the second international rock climbing festival organized by Up The Rocks club through the financial assistance of the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia.

Founder of the club Mkhitar Mkhitaryan told journalists that the festival will contribute to the development of rock climbing in the country. According to him, the event will bring together over 20 alpinists, including 4 from Armenia, while the others are from the U.S., Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Ukraine, Austria and Iran.

The event is held in Armenia for the second time. Garni, Arpa and Noravank gorges will host the festival.

According to Mkhitaryan, efforts are exerted to develop rock climbing in Armenia. Specifically, materials and short films about rock climbing in Armenia are placed in 6-7 well-known websites. Besides, relevant articles are published in foreign magazines.

The first international rock climbing festival was held in Armenia in 2009 with participation of alpinists from Russia, Iran and the Czech Republic.