Tsakhkadzor Webcam – Ropeway and Ski Slopes of Teghenis

The Tsakhkadzor Webcam watches the bottom station of the Tsaghkadzor Ropeway, the chairlift that climbs Mount Teghenis above this resort town in central Armenia. From a high point beside the station, the camera looks up a long grassy ski run cut through broadleaf forest, which by early November has turned rust brown with patches of gold. The fenced loading area fills the foreground, where chairs swing round to pick up riders, with benches, fir trees and a stone hotel block at the left edge. Chairs ride away up the lift line on the right. In winter the same run is usually under snow, and the station is at its busiest. A second camera, on the Town Square tab, looks down on a landscaped square in the town itself.

About Tsakhkadzor and the Ropeway

Tsakhkadzor, also spelled Tsaghkadzor, is a small resort town in Kotayk Province, 58 kilometers (36 miles) northeast of Yerevan and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) northwest of Hrazdan. It sits at 1,841 meters (6,040 feet) on the slopes of Mount Teghenis, and its name means “valley of flowers” or “flower canyon”. The 2022 census counted 1,010 residents, down from 1,256 in 2011. The town was developed as a resort in the Soviet era and given town status in 1984.

The ropeway has carried passengers since 1967, according to its operator. It runs along the eastern slope of Teghenis from 1,966 meters (6,450 feet) at the base to 2,819 meters (9,249 feet) near the summit, a ride of about 32 minutes to the top. Five chairlifts make up the line: a detachable four-seater on the first stage and four double chairs above it. They are Leitner lifts that replaced the Soviet-era equipment, mostly along the old route. The bottom station in this view stands at the western edge of town.

Sport shaped the town as much as skiing did. The Tsaghkadzor Olympic Sports Complex opened in 1967 to prepare Soviet athletes for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, with Olympic champion Hrant Shahinyan among those behind it. It reopened after renovation in 2008.

Weather and Climate in Tsakhkadzor

Winters at the foot of the ropeway are long and cold. Averages for 2015 to 2024 put January highs near -4°C (25°F) and lows near -12°C (10°F), and December and February are only a little milder. The ski season normally opens in mid-December and runs into March, and the top slopes are often skiable in April. March has brought the heaviest snowfall of any month over the past decade. On camera, this is when the brown hillside turns white and skiers ride the chairs up the line.

Spring comes late at this altitude. April highs reach about 9°C (48°F) with frosty nights, and May is the wettest month, with around 130 millimeters (5.1 inches) of rain. Summer is mild, with July and August highs of 22°C to 23°C (72°F to 73°F) and nights around 11°C (52°F). Autumn cools quickly, from highs of 12°C (54°F) in October to 5°C (41°F) in November, when nights average -4°C (25°F). Late autumn is when the forest in frame turns rust and gold and the grassy run stands out as a green strip between the trees.

Things to Do Near Tsakhkadzor

The ropeway is the obvious outing. The full ride to 2,819 meters (9,249 feet) takes about 32 minutes. In winter the lifts serve the resort’s 16 trails, and the longest run is 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles), with 853 meters (2,799 feet) of vertical between the two ends of the line.

Kecharis Monastery stands in the town. Prince Grigor Magistros of the Pahlavuni family built its first church, Saint Gregory’s, in 1033, and the complex grew with Surb Nshan in 1051, the Katoghike in the early 13th century and Surb Harutyun in 1220. The town also has the Orbeli Brothers house-museum, which remembers the scholars Ruben, Leon and Joseph Orbeli. Leon was born here. Hrazdan, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) to the southeast, is the nearest larger town.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Tsakhkadzor located?

Tsakhkadzor is in Kotayk Province in central Armenia, 58 kilometers (36 miles) northeast of Yerevan and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) northwest of Hrazdan. The ropeway starts at the western edge of town and climbs Mount Teghenis.

What can you see on the Tsakhkadzor Webcam?

The main camera looks up the lower slope of Mount Teghenis from beside the ropeway’s bottom station. A grassy ski run climbs through forest to a wooded ridge, chairs ride up the lift line on the right, and the station’s loading area, benches and a small kiosk fill the foreground. The Town Square tab switches to a second camera looking down on a paved square with a white abstract sculpture, fir trees and a street lined with parked cars.

Does the Tsakhkadzor Webcam show the town?

Not on the main camera, which shows only the base area of the ropeway, with a hotel block at the left edge. The town comes in on the Town Square tab, a separate camera run by Pallada Tsaghkadzor that looks down on a landscaped square, a pool ringed by a low white wall and the street beside it.

How high does the Tsaghkadzor Ropeway go?

The line climbs from 1,966 meters (6,450 feet) to 2,819 meters (9,249 feet) near the top of Mount Teghenis, over five chairlifts. The operator puts the ride to the top at about 32 minutes.

What are the Tsaghkadzor Ropeway working hours?

The operator lists the ropeway’s working hours as 10:00 to 17:30 local time. The webcam keeps streaming outside those hours, so an empty lift line in the evening is normal.

When is the ski season in Tsakhkadzor?

The season normally starts in mid-December and runs into March, and the top slopes are often skiable in April. March has had the heaviest snowfall of any month over the past decade.

What is the weather like in Tsakhkadzor?

Winters are cold and snowy and summers are mild. January highs average about -4°C (25°F) with lows near -12°C (10°F), while July and August highs reach 22°C to 23°C (72°F to 73°F). May is the wettest month, and snow can fall from October to May.

Source: Ropeway Armenia and Pallada Tsaghkadzor