Levon Sarkisov

Levon Sarkisov

Armenian Levon Sarkisov The Oldest Person To Have Climbed Everest

17:26, 21 Mar 2016 Siranush Ghazanchyan

Only mountains can be better than mountains, famous Tbilisi-based Armenian mountaineer Levon Sarkisov says.

Lev Sarkisov first discovered his love for mountains, when working at the Tbilisi Aviation Factory. A group of mountain climbers here was organizing periodic expeditions. In 1962 the group decided to climb Kazbek, the highest peak of the Caucasus Mountains.

Sarkisov later joined the mountaineer group of the Armed Forces and worked as coach for a long time.

Sarkisov was the first Armenian to climb Everest - the highest peak in the world. He holds the Guinness record as the oldest mountaineer to conquer the highest peak.

He climbed Mount Ararat four times and took the Armenian tricolor to the peak. "Taking the Armenian flag was a great risk. I could be arrested had the flag been found in my rucksack. I bought fabric of three colors at a store in Bayazet and sew the flag at the hotel," he said.

In 1999 Georgian President Edward Shevarnadze awarded him with an Order of Honor. He's also the recipient of Snow Leopard award, a Soviet mountaineering award, given to climbers conquering all five peaks of 7,000m and above located in the former USSR.

Even at 70, Lev Sarkisov is ready to take the road to mountains.

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