Mount Arailer on the Yegvard lava plateau in central Armenia

Arailer (2577m above sea level) is one of the largest extinct volcanoes in Armenia. It has rather steep slopes indented with many deep gorges and gullies. A 2km diameter crater has remained at the top of the volcano. The crater opens to the south-west by a deep gorge. The mountain is situated in the area of arid climate with wide yearly and daily fluctuations of temperature and humidity. Considerable thermic contrasts are also observed among separate high altitude belts of the mountain. A stable snow cover on Arailer settles in December and melts by the end of May.

Various signs of the wild geological past of this mountain expressively testify to the wide diversity of the relief formation processes that took place here millions of years ago. Hardened lava appears before us in a great number of wonderful rocks, boulders and their heaps.