Armenia is full of interesting remote places to explore. Many of them have become major tourist spots. But, the destination I’d like to shine light on today isn’t one of them. Black Wall is not well-known—yet it’s a fascinating place situated in the Gegham Mountains—about an hour from Yerevan.
Let’s explore everything about it—from what it is and why you should visit it, to the ways you can get there and what to expect at the wall.
What is Black Wall and Why You Should Visit It
As the name hints, Black Wall is mostly that—a wall that’s black. Seems like there wouldn’t be much to this place, but—it’s actually quite interesting. Situated at the bottom of the dormant Gutanasar volcano, the wall originates from volcanic lava. Given that Gutanasar last erupted more than 200 thousand years ago, Black Wall is quite an old place. It’s a fascinating relic left from a bygone era, yet—it’s not far away from civilization.
Black Wall is located just 2.9 kilometers away from the nearby Fantan village—making it perfect for your first offroading adventure. The trail leading to it is also in pretty good condition. It’s passable in pretty much anything but the lowest of cars. In fact, people frequently visit Black Wall in small sedans and hatchbacks with no problem—including me with my beloved Peugeot 207.
Vehicle Requirements for the Trail to Black Wall
The trail to Black Wall is an excellent place for offroading an average car—even with no preparation. All you have to do is choose your lines wisely and approach it in favorable weather—and you shouldn’t scrape or get stuck anywhere. There are a few sections that could be scary—especially if you’re offroading for the first time. But, a car with average ground clearance and on-road tires can make it with no trouble.
Having said that, if you have access to a more off-road–capable vehicle, you should certainly take that instead. All-wheel-drive, all-terrain tires, and lots of ground clearance will make your trip easier.
Getting to Black Wall
Unlike lots of remote places, there are two main ways of getting to Black Wall: through Fantan or Kaputan.
Through Fantan
The easiest way goes through Fantan, a village that’s about a kilometer away from the Yerevan-Sevan highway. It’s situated northwest of the wall and as mentioned before is about 2.9 kilometers away. Getting to the village from Yerevan is pretty simple, with the quality of the roads being reasonable. This way, you can also make a last-minute stop at Charentsavan to grab any supplies you might have forgotten.
Through Kaputan
The other option goes through a village south of the wall, Kaputan. More specifically, you can get on a trail that leads to Black Wall at a few spots on the road between Kaputan and Hatis. But, having experience on one of these trails in my adventure to Mount Gutanasar in my Peugeot 207, I wouldn’t recommend this route.
There are lots of challenging sections on the southern trails that absolutely require a spotter. Damaging your car here is very easy if it isn’t capable enough. Even with a spotter, you’ll be scraping on branches and three-wheeling at various spots on the way to the wall. If you’re looking for an off-roading adventure in a dedicated vehicle, then this may be perfect for you. If you just want to see Black Wall, however, go through Fantan instead.
Preparing for Your Trip
Visiting Black Wall doesn’t really have any special requirements. You’ll need to pay attention to the following things:
- Where to get Supplies
- What to Bring with You
- What Time of Day to Visit the Wall
- What Weather Conditions to Avoid
Where to Get Supplies
If you’re coming from Yerevan, you can get supplies from a lot of different places. But, you don’t really have to, as you can get them from Charentsavan. There are lots of nice stores in the town despite it having a population of well under 20 thousand people. Based on my experience, I’d recommend going to the Safari Supermarket on Khanjyan Street. It has a wide selection of items while being way nicer than many high-end stores in Yerevan.
What to Bring with You
There isn’t much you’ll need on your trip. In terms of supplies, you can grab some small snacks with you, along with a bit of water. Depending on how long you’re going to stay at the wall, this may not even be necessary. But, having these items in your vehicle won’t hurt.
In terms of recovery gear, you won’t need much once again. If it starts raining, a set of traction boards could be useful. Outside of that, however, you should be fine with just a standard spare tire or tire repair kit.
What Time of Day to Visit Black Wall
You can visit the wall pretty much whenever you wish. If you want to see Black Wall itself, visiting throughout the day will probably be the best option. If you wish to experience it during the golden hour, you should go early in the morning. The main part of the wall faces east—meaning it’ll be nicely lit during sunrise.
What Weather to Watch Out for
As already mentioned a few times, I would not recommend going to Black Wall when it’s raining. If you have a highly capable vehicle, you shouldn’t face much trouble. But, a regular car could get stuck on the trail pretty easily.
The same goes for other slippery conditions, like snow or hail. That said, the landscape around the wall changes drastically with snowfall. So, you could visit it in winter to get a different experience, but you’ll need to be extra prepared.
Getting on the Trail to Black Wall
While none of the trails going to Black Wall have special markings, they shouldn’t be easy to miss. When going through Fantan, you’ll need to proceed to the end of the road entering the village from the Yerevan-Sevan (M4) highway. Then, you must make a right and head southwest on the H1, after which make the first left to start your journey.
Going through Kaputan, however, is a bit different. As mentioned before, multiple trails can get you to Black Wall—all of which start at varying places between Kaputan and Hatis. The one I have experience with starts right on a bend and becomes quite challenging pretty much immediately. But, some of the other trails in the area might be in better condition if you want to try them out.
What to be Careful of on the Trail from Fantan
As I recommend visiting Black Wall through Fantan, let’s cover a few things you should watch out for on this path.
The first couple hundred meters of the trail are probably some of the worst. This bit is a pretty steep and lumpy climb, with lots of deep ruts that could damage a lower car. But, the trail is pretty wide here, with a few passable lines that shouldn’t be too hard.
Proceeding further, there’s one section that’s pretty steeply cambered at about the halfway mark. So far, I haven’t had any troubles here, but that could change quickly with a bit of rain. The trail is pretty wide at this section—though it is very lumpy outside of the cambered part. If you have a car with lots of clearance, you could go around the tilted bit—even in adverse weather. That said, slippery conditions will make your journey harder at another section of the trail as well.
Just before arriving at Black Wall, the trail goes down a pretty steep incline. While this isn’t an issue when going to the wall, it can become one on the way back. The trail is only wide enough for one car here. There’s also no visibility above the crest of the hill, as it drops off pretty sharply. Combined with the need to maintain momentum up the climb to avoid slipping—these factors make the section kind of sketchy. If you’re not visiting Black Wall alone, I’d recommend asking someone to spot you at the crest.
Having said that, there isn’t that much traffic on this trail to make this hill a major problem. You just need to be aware of the risk that as you approach the crest, a car might suddenly appear in front of you. You’ll then need to reverse down the hill—which will require extra vigilance.
Reaching Black Wall
As you reach the wall, there will be plenty of spots to park your car. Due to the way the path right next to it is carved, you can even park in the shade pretty easily. Besides just looking at the wall, you can hang out and enjoy the quietness of nature. There’s a small seating area right next to Black Wall that’s perfect for this.
However, keep in mind that you’ll almost certainly have no cell reception at the wall—so you won’t be browsing the internet here. Instead, you should be observing the wilderness, including the most common form of wildlife in the area—birds. In the warmer months of the year, you’ll see lots of eagles over the Gegham Mountains—which Gutanasar is a part of. If you happen to be at Black Wall at a time when there’s no wind, chances are all you’ll be hearing is the screeches of eagles in the distance. Because of this, I’d recommend you be cautious of flying drones in the area—especially smaller ones.
Continuing on the topic of wildlife, you should be wary of snakes. If you see one—do not approach it—as there are a few venomous snakes native to Armenia. You should also be careful of scorpions. To avoid contact with these, it’s a good rule of thumb to not pick up any loose rocks. Scorpions are often hiding under rocks to shade themselves from the sun, so be careful if you need to move one for any reason.
Final Thoughts
Black Wall is a fascinating off-roading destination. Its location is perfect for first-time adventurers, being close to civilization—namely the village of Fantan. It’s also close to Armenia’s capital and is pretty easy to get to in general. If you’re looking to explore the mountainous landscapes of the country, it is an excellent place to start.