It is well-known, that Kamchatka associates with volcanoes, geysers, thermal springs, salmon and ocean. But only a few from European part of Russia were lucky enough to go there. Many are driven back by distances and lack of information. There are more foreigners then Russians nowadays, making their way around the peninsular. Japanese and Americans, French and Polish, tourists from Israel, Czech Republic and many other nationalities.

In the August of 2004 we, a group of tourists from Saint Petersburg, spent our holiday in that distant part of Russia, and here is our story.

Means of transportation

A return ticket from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the largest town and the capital of Kamchatka, cost us 10 thousand rubles ($350) with a considerable price-cut, offered by two airlines. Tickets are now available nearly a year before the day of departure, so we bought them in April for August.

Making use of the local press, in the auto-services column we found a cross-country minibus with driver and paid 1 thousand rubles to get to foot of Gorely volcano, 2 hours away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. We also found out that it costs the same to get to the foot of Avachinsky volcano. The northern group of volcanoes ( Kluchevskaya sopka, Tolbachik and others) is easily reachable by local bus, driving to villages Kozirevsk or Kluchi. Then you could rent a local cross-country vehicle - GAZ-66 with cabin, for example ($200 from the village).

Where to stay

Using local press again in the real estate column we found a 2-room flat to rent for 4,5 thousand rubles a month. For 6 persons the living conditions promised to be not so bad. We had to boil water for washing in the bucket with a portable immersion heater, but except hot water we had everything for the price of a daily stay at a hotel.

Maps, descriptions

There are not so many descriptions of Kamchatka available. We took some 2-kilometer maps from the Internet and bought a guide-book on Kamchtka in Petropavlovsk-Kamchtsky. All most worth-to-see places are marked as National Parks, but no 1-kilometer maps of these are available for sale.

What we have seen and where did we go

Straight after arrival we are taken to a hostel at the foot of Avachinsky volcano. The time-difference between Saint-Petersburg and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is +9 hours, after the long flight we are sleepy. The best thing to do is to sleep at a hostel, which is higher then the forest belt – to build up the acclimatization. On the next day we make our way to the volcano. Following an easy track, the route difficulty is 1A by the Russian scale, we reach the highest point – 2700 meters above sea level – by extremely strong wind up to 30 meters per second and, alas, zero visibility.

In the evening of the same day we enjoy ourselves at a restaurant in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, with volcanoes Avachinsky (2740) and Kozelsky in the background

A day to rest, then we leave the town for a 3-day tour to volcanoes Gorely and Mutnovsky. Our major interest here is photographing of small craters and fumaroles.

The crater of volcano Gorely is really huge and worthwhile to have a look at! Many foreign groups plan their route as such: a breakfast at the hotel, 2 hours by car to the foot of Gorely, 2,5-hour walk to the crater, 2 hours to walk around the crater, 1.5 hours down to the car and then back, to have a shower and supper at the hotel. But we, staying true to our tourist-style, stay for the night at a comfortable bivouac at the foot of the volcano.

Gorely volcano, further is the Mutnovsky volcano

On the next day we walk to Mutnovsky volcano. It locks the interest for its fumarole field – fountains of sulfur dioxide gas are pushed out from the depths of the soil, mud cauldrons, small geyser of boiling water are here beside glacier tongue and rocks of unearthly colors.

Ascent to Gorely volcano. In the background the pass leading to the energy supplying station between hills Dvugorbaya and Skalistaya.

It took us a half of a day to relocate from Gorely to Mutnovsky and to take a small look around after lunch.

On the next day till lunchtime we walk to Mutnovskaya Earth-heat energy supplying station and Dachnie springs. This station was built about 15 years ago, the thermal spring in a hole pushes the turbine vanes, producing electricity. From here one can easily catch a car or order it in advance.

Fumaroles in the crater of Mutnovsky volcano

We give one more day to rest and visit thermal springs with baths in Paratunka and the fish-row at the market, on the next day we drive off to Kozirevsk, 530 km. north-west from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. We drive nearly all day and stay for the night at hotel “Shevchenko” for 150 rubles per person, including sauna. On the next day we catch a cross country vehicle GAZ-66, which takes us to the foot of mountain Kopito, 3 hours away from the hotel. The car is ordered for foreign tourists, but there is enough room for us too, and we pay a reduced price.

In this region we wanted to see volcano Tolbachik, Kamen’ – one of the most difficult to climb volcanoes of Kamchatka 4574 m. high – and Kluchevskaya sopka, the highest active volcano, 4750 m. Massive glaciers of Bogdanovicha, Ermana - over 10 km. long and Bilchenok -over 17,7 km long - stretch out here.

To our disappointments we failed to find any descriptions of routes on Kamchatka in the Internet, so we decided to go there, where it was easy and safe. It turned out that no climbing is needed on volcano Plosky Tolbachik (3000 m, 1A) and Bezimjanniy (2900 m., 1A). All other ascents need crampons and ice axes, and, above that, helmets for Kluchevskaya sopka (4750) and other equipment for hard ascent routes of Kamen’ (4574) and Krestovskiy (4108).

At the edge of old crater of volcano Bezimjanniy. In the background the group of Zimini hills , B.Udina, Tolbachik volcanoes

From mountain Kopito it takes us one day to walk to Tolbachinsky pass (100-meter steep ascent), and further 2,5 hours to Tolud pass, where we make an attempt to go to top of volcano Plosky Tolbachik, by fog and rain. Then one more day to leave Pollenntiza behind, a rock of basalt hexahedron chrystals, that look like logs, and through Bezimjanniy pass (80-meter steep ascent) move to camp at the foot of volcano Bezimjanniy. Here, in the hut of volcanologists, we meet a group of Germans. To our surprise, tourists from Russia are very rare.

At the edge of old crater of volcano Bezimjanniy. In the background the group of Zimini hills, B.Udina, Tolbachik volcanoes

It takes 4 hours to get to the edge of old crater of Bezimjanniy volcano. The views here are great and all surrounding mountains are seen very clearly. The new dome of volcano grows very rapidly, smoke and gas of fumaroles and movement of stones underneath shows its high activity. In 1956 a strong eruption occurred, pushing out a cubic kilometer of rock, raising a cloud of ash 35-40 kilometers high and covering an area of 500 square kilometers with scoria.

We achieve a one day walk back through Bezimjanniy pass to river Studjenaya, stay for the night on the left-bank moraine of Bogdanovich glacier. The Bogdanovich glacier really impresses with its size, we wander upon it for the whole day. We have lunch in a moraine-pocket, then we cross the glacier and walk on the right-bank moraine under the slopes of volcano Ushkovsky to the flattening of the glacier. Here is the beginning of the “small Antarctic” – an icy plateau 2 kilometers wide and 6 kilometers long. It is surrounded by volcanoes Kluchevskaya sopka (4750) and Kamen’ on one side and Ushkovsky and Krestovsky (4100) on the other. On a small moraine-ridge at the foot of Ushakovsky glacier we put our tents and build a stone-wall, to protect ourselves from the wind.

Descending from Tolbachinsky pass to river Mezlavovaya

As the sun raises we attempt to climb the Ushkovsky. We were told, that the ascent route is not hard - 1A. From the east the slope is covered with hard ice, we try the north-east direction. The map shows a flat slope, but we are stopped by 30-35-degree firn here, one would certainly need crampons and ice axes. We saw the blue ice-fall sliding from the Ushkovsky pass, but with our uncertainty we lost time and visibility reduced rapidly.

Up the Ushkovsky volcano (3900), it the background stand volcanoes Kluchevskaya sopka and Kamen’

We descend through rain and fog, using the pass at volcano Sredniy and roundabout glacier Ermana to Derzhavina lake. There is a hut by the lake, built by the tourists. From here it is only a day-walk to village Kluchi – through tundra and alpine meadows with beautiful and rare flowers. The nightfall catches us at the abandoned military base at the foot of Domashnaya mount. On the 10-th day of our trek we enter the bus station in Kluchi. Though last 12 hours we had to walk by constant rain, we feel that our holiday is not long enough, as we would like it to be. In the café we meet a bunch of French, who are wet as we are. Baked red salmon for supper teases the appetite.

Conclusions & recommendations

a) No doubt, it really worth visiting the peninsular at least ones. It is not that expensive, as everyone think, and one gets a lot of pleasure for his money. And it is safe, all foreigners have got that long ago.
b) The prices are generally equal to European, sometimes even cheaper. Our expenses made $700 per person.
c) A helicopter-excursion to Geyser Valley costs $500 per person, but we decided not to go. Still we saw some fumaroles, mud cauldrons and clouds of sulfurous gas and steam on volcano Mutnovsky.

Gorely volcano, further is the Mutnovsky volcano

d) We often heard people say: there are a lot of bears on Kamchatka, one should wander around only with a local guide (for at least $50 a day), porters and a cook. During our trip we saw only one bear something like 700 meters away. Only one case of a bear attacking a human being – a Japanese photographer – is known to happen 10 years ago.
e) If you have a spare week it worth visiting the National Park Nalychevo. Sometimes there are places in the helicopter for $60, but mainly on the return-flight. The Institute of volcanology also organizes helicopter-excursions to Karimsky volcano and surrounding areas – 1 day for $ 150. It turns out cheap, because a similar excursion at a tourist company would cost at least $450. For fishing-fans there are rivers Bystraya and Kamchatka.
f) In Petropavlovsk-Kamchtsky it would be interesting to see the cliffs “Three brothers”, to take a ship-ride around the bay and to bathe in the Pacific Ocean. The museum of volcanology is open only by prior arrangement.

At the market in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

What concerns the equipment:

- A GPS is advisable, as the fogs are massive, and the only path leads from Tolbachinsky pass to Bezimjanniy. There are no signs or stone towers at all. The only maps available for sale are the 2-kilometer maps.
- Rubber boots can help, but good trekking boots with Gore-Tex would also be enough. We had to go through high wet grass only 5 kilometers on the approach to Kluchi village.
- There are no mosquitoes on glaciers, but repellents are still highly desired in the lower areas. There are practically no wood for fire, during our trip we didn’t have a chance to make a single one.
- Strong winds are usual, particularly in the south of Kamchatka, so your tents should also be of sufficient quality. Stories about wind tunnels are no fairy tales. Up high the wind can be of great strength, for example on the Volcanologists pass (3000m., 1B).

Cliffs “Three brothers” in the Avachinskaya bay