| | Kamchatka indeed is a land of volcanoes. At the same time most of them are active. Certainly, those who are dreaming about trip to Kamchatka many times imagined themselves as conquerors of these formidable giants… Yet, do you know that on Kamchatka there is a place where ones a huge earthquake occurred of such a power that lava and ash destroyed all life for many kilometers around. Black-and-red lava fields instead of woods and bushes, many volcanic cones instead of green hills and sand instead of rivers. And in the surrounding of all this there is Plosky Tolbachik (3,085 m.) and Ostry Tolbachik (3,682 m.), their merged cones created one volcanic massif. Tolbachik eruption of 1975-76 turned out to be a great natural phenomenon, threatening and enchanting beautiful. Today anyone who has a chance to witness “the moon sceneries”, boundless slag fields, hardened in weird forms volcanic lava and dozens of volcanic cones can touch still warm volcanic rocks, and the most incredible thing is that one can feel as if being on other planet, for instance Mars or the Moon. Besides that’s the very place where many years ago the first moon robots and mars robots were tested confidentially. And surely one can’t help climbing the very domestic volcano of Kamchatka – Avachinsky (2,751 m.). The latest eruption occurred in 1991 accompanied by lava flows. Currently a huge crater of the volcano is filled by the hardened lava and fumaroles activity is still going on. Everyone who reaches the top can touch shaggy lava, have some rest on still warm ground, feel veritable smell of yellow sulphur and to see what is hidden on the other side of the volcano! Furthermore You can visit a well-known Valley of Geysers, see a turquoise lake in the crater of Maly Semyachik volcano, and maybe eruption of Karymsky volcano.
Itinenary
Day 1 - Arrival on Kamchatka
Arrival at the airport of Elizovo town. Transfer to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Accommodation in a hotel. Acclimatization rest. Bathing in a swimming-pool with thermal water in the open air.
The territory of Paratunka hot geothermal springs – is a health and resort zone of Kamchatka. Several health resorts and a great number of recreation bases function nowadays. Here one has a good possibility to relax as well as to recover thanks to curative virtues of thermal water.
Day 2 - The Valley of Geysers
Breakfast. Extra charged excursion to The Valley of Geysers with landing in the Caldera of Uzon volcano. Transfer to a heliport. A two hour’s walking tour in The Valley of Geysers with landing in the Caldera of Uzon volcano (6 hours); an hour’s walking tour in Vostochny thermal field, flights around Karymsky and Maly Semyachik volcanoes. Helicopter flight to Zhupanova river, dinner in a tourist lodge.
Accommodation in a hotel. Dinner. Rest.
The Valley of Geysers is a unique natural site located in The Kronotsky Reserve in a vast gorge and Geysernaya river flowing along it. All forms of geothermal activity can be found here within 6 kilometers, including active and pulsing boiling springs, hot lakes, mud pots, and small volcanoes, steam jets, hot fields, and, of course, geysers. The dimension of gryphon of the biggest geyser Velikan (“Giant”) is 3 to 1.5 meters; the blast of water while eruption reaches 30 meters high. The Valley of Geysers is very picturesque, an incredible mosaics is created by multicolored clay, weird in structure and in hue geyserites structures, thermophilic algae, and profuse greenery of grasses.
Karymsky volcano is located in the central part of the Eastern volcanic belt of Kamchatka. It is a 1,536 meters height typical stratovolcano with a regular cone. Nowadays it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world with 20 eruptions for the last 215 years. Now it is in process of activation of its new volcanic cycle. The latest eruption started on 2nd January 1996 and is still going on. Each 5-15 minutes it throws out gas and ash 300-1,000 meters above its crater.
Maly Semyachik volcano is in Karymsky group of volcanoes and located 15 km. to the north-east of Karymsky volcano and 20 km. to the west of The Kronotsky gulf. Currently Maly Semyachik volcano excites interest by its acid lake in the active crater of Troitsky. The lake is 500-600 m. in diameter, its maximum depth varied from 117 to 140 meters. There is a gryphon in its centre, connected with gas flow from its bottom.
The Uzon Caldera. Caldera in Spanish means “a pot”. About 300,000 years ago a cone-shaped stratovolcano of 3,000 meters was on the place of the caldera. After series of great eruptions, ceased 40,000 years ago, the volcano was destroyed and soil gave under, transforming into the caldera. More than eight thousand years ago a colossal explosion resulted in a crater about 1 km. in diameter. Sever since Uzon has never erupted. Surely, Uzon is very old, but its maturity is adorned in an unusual way. For the last thousand of years, fumaroles, solphatares (hot volcanic gas flow) and thermal springs have been changing the landscape, saturating it with a number of thermal springs. Still alive nature hasn’t given up, forming a unique symbiosis with volcanism. Being on the territory of The Kronotsky Preserve, The Uson is taken over a special protection – in 1996 it was included into the List of the World-Wide Cultural and Natural Heritage by WWF in the nomination “Volcanoes of Kamchatka”. In the central part of the caldera there is the main thermal zone, heated by an underground and still hot magma hearth. There are more than a thousand hot springs there (which sources are able to supply a small geothermal station). Numerous lakes are supplied by springs; the biggest one is Hloridnoye, 150 m. in diameter. Mud pots and small mud volcanoes are small miracles of Uzon.
Day 3 - Departure by an all-terrain vehicle to the foot of Tolbachinskiye volcanoes
Breakfast. Early departure by an all-terrain vehicle to the foot of Tolbachinskiye volcanoes. Lunch in Milkovo village. The transfer takes all day (about 560 km.). Set up a tent base-camp. Dinner. Overnight in tents
The active volcano Plosky Tolbachik (3,085 m.) together with the extinct Ostry Tolbachik (3,682 m.) are the biggest volcanoes of the south-west sector of the Klucevskaya group of volcanoes. The top of Plosky Tolbachik presents a caldera of 3 km. in diameter! The crater is filled with ice. In the western part of volcano there is one more caldera, which is the result of great fissure Tolbachik eruption (GFTE). Its diameter is 1.8 km., and its depth is 450-500 meters.
Day 4 - Ascent to the crater of Plosky Tolbachik
Breakfast. Ascent to the crater of Plosky Tolbachik (3,085 m.) (It’s about 12 km., 8-10 hours). Lunch on the way. Return to the base-camp. Supper. Overnight in the tent-camp.
The ascent to Tolbachik goes across the lava fields and old lava flows. There is a lake of yellow color in the caldera, with sulphur discharge. There are two very big fumaroles at the foot of rocky walls of the caldera. From the top of Plosky Tolbachik a cyclorama of Kluchevskaya group of volcanoes and further ones opens. One should pay special attention to the chain and groups of about fifty slag cones concentrated in one area of the southern slope. The famous great fissure Tolbachik eruption (GFTE) occurred there.
Day 5 - Transfer to the northern cones of GFTE
Breakfast. Transfer to the northern cones of GFTE of 1975 (radial route with ascent and examine one of the volcanic cones, where volcanic activity is still going on. It takes about 4-5 hours). Bite on the way. Transfer to urochishche “Dead forest”. Return to the camp. Dinner. Relax.
Tolbachinskiye cones are the particular group of volcanic formations representing volcanoes in the miniature, their height is 100-20 meters. Several days after the Northern иbreakthrough eruption had stopped, 10 km. to the north, another center of eruption occurred, it was the Southern breakthrough. The single not very high cone formed there. The eruption mainly was going on by effusion of lava from the cone and new clefts. Currently, young trees gradually grow in the area of the Southern breakthrough. In the flows of lava, there are caves, formed after lava hardened and by chance they are demonstrated to the travelers.
Cones of the Northern breakthrough are the consequences of 1975-76 Plosky Tolbachik eruption. During the eruption there were clefts formed in the ground and discharge of ash, slag and lava occurred. In the areas of discharge several 300 meters slag cones of the products of eruption appeared. The most powerful eruption was taking place in the three highest cones. This part is the closest to the foot of Tolbachik and it was called the Northern breakthrough.
Day 6 - Radial route to the Southern cone of Tolbachinsk eruption
Breakfast. Radial route to the Southern cone of Tolbachinsk eruption of 1976. Trekking to the lava flows. Bite on the way. Return to the camp. Packing the camp. Departure to Esso village. Accommodation at a recreation base. Dinner. Bathing in a thermal water swimming-pool. Overnight at the base.
Esso is a small village in the center of Kamchatka. Here one can always feel paradisal summer warmth thanks to thermal waters. Each building of the village is heated by the hot springs. Thanks to this nobody is surprised by fresh parsley or dill, southern fruits, such as pineapple or grapes, harvesting in greenhouses in winter. The settlement Esso is surrounded by evergreen woods, relief cliffs and mountain ridges. Between the two high banks, two crystal mountain rivers make their ways, they are Uksichan and Bystraya. Short way off, an extinct volcano Degeren-Ulengende elevates.
Day 7 - A visit to Bystrinsky ethnographic museum
BBreakfast. A visit to Bystrinsky ethnographic museum, ecological-educating museum and the museum of bear. Lunch on the recreation-base. Relax. Spare time. Dinner. Overnight at the base.
Bystrinsky museum – is the only one and the best-known museum in Kamchatsky krai. The museum resembles architecture complex of XVII century Russian art of building. In a remarkable building of Russian style Even exposition is placed. Nearby there is a menacing watchtower, which in times of old could have been a fortification while siege of settlements. Also one can see original shaman belongings, things of intellectual and material culture of Evens. There is also the single one in Russia half-dug Koryaks dwelling, reconstructed according to drawings and ethnographic researches. In the museum unique things are kept, and it’s practically impossible to find them in other ethnographic museums of Russia.
Day 8 - The Bystraya (Malkinskaya) river.
Breakfast. Departure to Bystraya (Malkinskaya) river. Preparing the rafts. Briefing with the guide on the safety rules. Start of the rafting. Fishing (Arctic Char, Rainbow Trout, Salmon, Grayling). Lunch on the way. In the evening, set up a base-camp on the bank of the river. Dinner. Relax.
Bystraya is a mountain river with two rapids of the 2nd category of difficulty. You’ll enjoy the view of surrounding majestic mountains of The Sredinny Ridge, the islands right in the middle of the river, drowned in bushy grasses, and of course wild nature untouched by the civilization. The river itself is full of deep pits, the places where schools of salmon going to the spawning grounds have some rest. These are good places for fishing.
Day 9 - Rafting and Fishing
Breakfast. Packing the camp. Rafting. Passing rapids. The most interesting part of rafting starts today with a number of rapids there. Technically, they are not difficult; the speed of current on the rapids is 2-4 meters per second and varies depending on the water level. Lunch on the way. Set up a base-camp on the bank of the river in the evening. Dinner. Relax.
The first rapid represents a group of large water waves of 1.5-2 meters high. The second rapid is 2 hours after the first one. The water stream of river is parted into two by a large wave. The right stream goes under a rocky bank and turns sharply to the left, further on, rolls off the 0.5 meters high underwater plate, forming so called “bochka”. The third one is in a half of an hour. There the river turns to the right, forming several overflows and slanting water rollers. The longevity of the fourth rapid is not more than 50 meters.
Day 10 - Continue Rafting
Breakfast. Packing the camp. Rafting. Fishing. Lunch on the way. The end of rafting. Return to Paratunka recreation base. Accommodation. Swimming in a swimming-pool with thermal water.
Day 11 - Departure to the volcanic plateau at the foot of Mutnovsky volcano
Breakfast. Departure to the volcanic plateau at the foot of Mutnovsky volcano (approximately 3 hours). Visiting Viluchisky waterfall on the way (a walk lasts about 2 hours). Lunch. Rest at the foot of Viluchinsky volcano. Further on departure to the foot of Mutnovsky volcano. Set up a tent base-camp. Dinner. Relaxation.
Viluchisky volcano is situated to the south-west of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. The volcano is extinct. It elevates 2,175 m. above the sea-level. In winter it is a good place for alpine skiing and snowboarding. In the south-east part of the foot there are hot springs. In summer there is a beautiful forty meters waterfall at the foot. The top of the volcano is cut on the western part and on its top the huge rocks elevate, separated by accumulation of ice and granular snow. Lava and pyroclastics which make these rocks are changed in variegate colors, possibly, by the fumaroles activity not so long ago. Slopes of the volcano are cut by deep barrancoses (ravines), descending radially from the top or from the middle of the slope. The space of the upper ones is filled with ice and granular snow.
Day 12 - Radial trekking – ascent to the crater of active Mutnovsky volcano
Breakfast. Radial trekking – ascent to the crater of active Mutnovsky volcano (4-7 hours - ascent depends on the snowfields). The path goes across vast perennial snowfields and a narrow canyon - breach in the crater of volcano. Lunch on the way. Excursion in the crater of volcano. Return to the base-camp. Dinner. Relax.
Mutnovsky volcano is one of the biggest volcanoes in the south of Kamchatka. It has a complex structure and a long history of development. The volcano (2,323 m.) is made up of four merged cones with top calderas. The most astonishing thing that differs the ascent on Mutnovsky volcano from other ones is that the path goes in the break inside the volcano itself! While trekking you feel as if you are in the center of the Earth, it seems, one moment and hot lava breaks out from the ground! A majestic picture of an active crater opens to a traveler from the top of Mutnovsky volcano. Inside a deep hollow there are big hissing fumaroles, which collars are the bright yellow color builds of sulphur crystals, hot boiling mud pots, boiling small lakes and geysers. The whole this exotic is surrounded by rocks with overhanging blue glacier; everything bubbles, hisses, spits hot splashes and steams. After the latest earthquake of 2000, a huge glacier in the crater of Mutnovsky volcano partially melted, forming a crater lake of deep-turquoise color. It freezes in winter and melts late in July, stripping its surface from the shield ice. A small river Vulcannaya, springs from the crater of volcano, streams along the lava field and falls into a deep Opasny (“Dangerous”) canyon, forming a waterfall of 80 meters height. This place is awesome in its beauty!
Day 13 - Ascent and an observational excursion of Gorely volcano
Breakfast. Ascent and an observational excursion of Gorely volcano (5-8 hours). Lunch on the way. Descent to the camp. Supper. Packing the camp. Departure to Paratunka village. Accommodation at a recreation base. Bathing in a thermal water swimming pool. Relaxation.
The body of an active Gorely volcano gives a truly breathtaking sight! In the past, the upper part of a big ancient shield volcano lowered, forming a 13 kilometers caldera, from its bottom by chain of craters intensive eruptions started. Some craters merged with one another while these eruptions. As a result, an unusual ridge-shaped massif of complex strata-volcano now elevates from the top of a vast caldera. On the upper part of the volcano there are 11 craters of various size and form! Besides, inside and outside the caldera more than 10 smaller side slag craters and lava cupolas appeared. The volcano is unique in its beautiful collection of different craters on its upper part. Some of them are filled with multicolor lakes, some with snow and ice, and in crater Active fumaroles are permanently steaming!
Day 14 - Boat-trip in Avacha Bay and fishing
Breakfast. Transfer to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. Boat-trip in Avacha Bay to Starichkov Island (approximately 6 hours). Watching marine birds, sea fishing. Lunch on the boat. Return to the port. Return to the recreation base. Bathing in an open swimming-pool with thermal water under the open sky. Rest.
Avacha Bay is known as the biggest and one of the most beautiful bays in the world. Surrounded by hills and snow-white mountain tops it is capable to hold the world fleet! Boat-trip is a good possibility to observe eared seals, kalans (sea otters), fur seals, and perhaps beauty killer-whales cleaving endless space of the Pacific Ocean. A great number of birds are nesting on the island, such as red-faced cormorant, glaucous-winged gull, fulmar, tufted puffin, pigeon guillemot and many others. These islands are also the place of habitat for a rare Sea-eagle –it’s the biggest eagle in the world. Smaller bays have their own unique outlines and rocks have their own legends. For instance at the entrance to the ocean you can take a picture of “Gates of the town” – these are three rocks, elevating above water. Also the rocks are called “Three brothers” They say, ones brothers rose to defend Petropavlovsk and turned into stone protecting the coastline from tsunami. All this and a majestic panorama of Avacha Bay with a crown of Viluchinsky volcano top will leave in your hearth an incredible impression!
Day 15 - Reserve day
Breakfast. Reserve day for case of improper weather or relaxation in the resort. Departure.
Day 16 - Departure
Breakfast. A visit to a fish market. Transfer to the airport. Departure. | |
