The tour “Unexplored Kamchatka”

Our planet is alive, you can see it breathing, feel the pulse and warmth of the heart. But unfortunatly we start to think about it only when nature remembers us about it.

At these moments the world stopes. It feels like hypnosis – when nature goes wild, we stand gazing at the end of the world instead of hiding somewhere.  It comes to our minds that something always have happened deep inside the planet and is still happening nowadays. This calamity is only a trick. We are curious about it and scared at the same time. And we eager to see these hidden processes which seem so unidentified and unknown to us.

The most incredible thing on the Earth is the place which reveals the secrets of the planet.

And this place is Kamchatka!!! The very place where the moonwalkers were secretly tested.

Only 35 years ago there was The Big Tolbachinsk eruption via the cracks.  This eruption was disastrous. Everything was burnt by ash and dust many kilometres long.  There were red and black fields and caves of lava instead of forests and bushes, lots of volcano cones instead of green hils, and sand instead of rivers.  In 1975-1976 The Tolbachinsk eruption was a great but fearsome and amazingly beautiful nature event.

This raging element was destroying creating at the same time. As a result the fields of cinder at the base of volcano were ideal  for testing moon and martian walkers. And the craters after volcano bombs looked like moon crators. Nowadays anybode who is lucky to visit this "moon landskape" an touch the hot ground. Besides you can make a fire without any matchesjust put a dry stick into the slag for 15 cm. It's so called hot heart.

When you reach Mutnovski volcano, you can see not only the breath of the planet, but you realize that it can be different. Hot steam bursts out of the ground , fumarolls are breathing near, you can smell toxic brimstone, the most beautiful ice-glacier is about to break at any time, and acid skiings block your way all the time. While climbing the ctack of the crator further,  you can hear that there is nothing but emptyness under your feet. Your heart freezes,  but your mind is already in trap of the magnetic attraction of this magical place and you keep going on...

What else awaits you on the Edge of the World? Inconspicuous lakes of different colors of the Goreliy volcano (its true treasure is hidden at the bottom of 11 crators) and crystal water of the mountain river where you meet the biggest brown bear in the world awaits you.  You can visit national village named Esso where there are people who know traditions and rites which can surprise and amaze you.

And the main thing about them... They know the riddle.

The riddle you may try to solve by chosing this incredible adventure!

About the tour:

1. Annotation:

2. 1.   Travelling to the center of Kavchatka - Kluchevskaya group of volcanoes – volcano Ostriy and Ploskiy. Exhibitions to the epicenter of Ploskiy Tolbachik volcano eruption, climbing Severniy cones, see the sights of lava caves and fields, visiting “Dead Forest”.

3. 2.   Climbing the Mutnovskiy volcano (2323 м), Goreliy (1829 м). Visiting active crators and crators filled with laked.

4. 3.   Rafting along the river Bystraya. Passing through water rifts, fishing. Cooking real fresh soup. Possibility to meet a brown bear.

5. 4.   Visiting one of the most interesting ethnographic museums of Russia.

6. 5.   Swimming in the hot thermal water.

7. 6.   Sea travel with fishing. Visiting The Pacific ocean on the boat.

8. Possibility to see the untouched nature and the results of volcanic proccess.

TOUR PROGRAMME

Arrive to Kamchatka.

Meeting with the guide at Elizovo town. Moving to Paratunka(40km). Placing at the recreation center. Discussing the programm with the guide, swimming in the pool with thermal water. Acclimatization rest. Dinner.

2 day

Moving to the center of Kamchatka, Kosyrevsk village.

Breakfast. Leaving the hotell to Kosyrevsk.

Moving to Kosyrevsk village early in the morning by SUV. Lunch at Milkovo. Placing at private hottel. Dinner. Rest. Moving will take all day (about 560 km.).

Dinner. Rest.

3 day

Moving to the Ploskiy Tolbachik volcano (New Tolbachik eruption via crack).

Breakfast. Early moving to the base of the Ploskiy Tolbachik volcano.

Settling the tent camp. Lunch. Climbing the cone of The New Tolbachik eruption of 2013. Seeing the sights of hot magma and lava caves. Returning to the tent camp. Dinner. Night at the tent camp.

Active volcano Ploskiy Tolbachik(3 085 м) and fireless Ostriy Tolbachik (3 682 м) are the largest one south-west of the Kluchevskoy volcano group. The top of the Ploskiy volcano is the caldera 3 km in diameter! The crator is filled with ice. West of it there is another caldera which formed as a result of the Big Tolbachinsk eruption via crack. Its diameter is 1,8 км, and depth – 450 – 500 м.

4 day

Climbing the Ploskiy Tolbachik volcano

Breakfast. Briefing.Climbing the crator of the Ploskiy Tolbachik volcano (3085 m) (12 km, 8 -10 hours). Having meal on the way. Returning to the base camp.

Dinner. Sleeping in a tent camp.

Climbing took place through the fields of slag and old lava flows. There is a yellow lake inside its caldera,where you can see brimstone. At the base of the caldera's rock walls there are strong fumarolls.

From the top of it you can see a round panorama of the Kluchevskay group and other volcanoes. You should pay a special attention to the groups and chains of fifty slag cones which are situated at the part of the South side. There was a place where the famous Big Tolbachinsk eruption via crack took place.

5 day

Visiting the “Dead forest”, Great Freatic Tolbachik Eruption. Moving to the village Esso.

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”. Ride to the village Esso. Accomodation in the resort area with thermal pool. Dinner. Having rest.

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.    

The village Esso. Ethnographic excusion. Visiting national camp “Menedek”.

Breakkfast. Visiting Bystrinsky museum and a Bear museum. Lunch. Visiting national camp, carving shop. Lunch at camp. Dinner at resort.

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.    

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.  

The national camp “Menedek” is located on the river bank in 2 km from the village Anavgay. There are mane national dwellings: “Yurta” and “Yaranga”. Also there are national wooden sculptures.

Departure to Bystraya (Malkinskaya) river. Camping.

Breakfast. Deoarture from resort area. Ride (300 km) to the Bystraya river. Arrival to the river, setting up a base camp. Fishing. Dinner. Having rest

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.

Rafting. Moving to the Paratunka (“Beryozka” resort).

Breakfast. 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 coming back to the resort area. Dinner. Having rest

9 day

Helicopter tour to the Valley of Geysers, caldera of the Uzon volcanoe. Natural park Nalychevo.

Breakfast. Transfer to the heliport. During the flight you will observe many volcanoes, beautiful landscapes, forests, rivers and lakes. (Duration of the excusion is 6 hours, including the time in flight 2 hours 30 min).

Valley of Geysers is the unique natural phenomenon. It is located in the Kronotsky wildlife sanctuary in the broad canyon that is crossed by the river Geysernaya. Here you can observe all known forms of the hydrothermal activityб including hot springs, hot acid lakes, mud spots, steam flows, and geysers.

The biggest geyser is called “Velikan” (Giant) has the crater abut 3x5 meters. The water stream erupts out of it is about 30 meters high. The Valley is very picturesque with its colourfull clays, unusual structure of geyserite rocks, thermophilic algaeand endemuc plants.

Karymsky volcano is located in the central part of the Kamchatka Eastern Volcanic zone. It is a typical stratovolcano, its height is 1536 meters. Nowdays Karymsky is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Durind 215 years there were 20 eruptions. Now this volcano has a stage n of a new volcanic cycle activation. The last eruption started on the 2nd of January, 1996 and is still continuing. Every 5-15 minutes there are explosions of ashe and gas.

Maly Semyachik volcano belongs to the Karymskaya group of volcanoes and is locatd 15 km north-east from Karymsky volcano. Nowdays Maly Semyachik is interestind with its acid lake that is in the active crater Troitsky. Diameter of the lake is about 500-600 meters, the depth is about 140 meters. In the centre of the lake there is a crater with the stream of volcanic gas going out of it. 

Caldera of the Uzon volcano. The term “caldera” points to the specific origin of this giant crater. About 300 000 years ago ther was a big stratovolcano. After many eruptions  the volcano was damaged, the ground under it went down and the caldera  was formed.

Uzon is very old, but it has a great geological history. During thouthands years fumarols has changed the ground here and has formed many thermal springs.

Uzon was taken into custody - since 1996 it is included by UNESCO to the list of World Heritage.

In the centre of caldera there is a thermal zone included more than 1000 hot springs. The springs feed with water plenty of lakes. The biggest lake is Khloridnoye, its diameter is 150 meters.

10 day

Boat trip across Avachinskaya bay, fishing.

Breakfast. Transfer to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky port. Boat trip (6 hours). Observing the city panorama, Avacha bay, Tikhaya bay, island Grandmother stone, Stanitsky cape, roks Three Brothers.

You will have a chance to try yourself in fishing near the roks Three Brothers and iseland Starichkov. This island got its name because there is a big colony of sea birds “Stariks”. Here you also can observe many other birds.

Lunch on the board. Comeback to the resort area.

Avachinskaya bay is known as the biggest and the most beautiful bay in the world! It is surrounded by the hills and snow white picks. It can accomodate whole worlds fleet.

During the summertime many tourists and divers attend picturesqe shores of Starichkov island. Also you will have a chance to see sea lions, seals and even orcas here.

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.  

Breakfast.

Radial trekking – ascent to the crater of active Mutnovsky volcano (about 10-12 hours). 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!

Climbing the Gorely volcano (1829 m).

Breakfast. Leaving the resort area. Ride to the foot of Gorely volcano (about 3 hours with short stops for photoshooting). Safety instruction before the climbing. Climbing and observing the craters (about 5 hours). There is a lunch on the way (tea, sandwiches, frouts, nuts). Comeback to the resort area. Dinner. Having rest.

The structure of Gorely volcano is a really breathtaking sight! Many years ago the top of an ancient volcano went down and formed the 13 kilometers caldera. There were very intensive eruptions coming out of calderas bottom. During these eroptions some craters merged with each other. As the result now there is an unusual ridged massif coming up out of the huge caldera. There are 11 craters of different size and shape. Many of these picturesque craters has colourful lakes, some of them are full of snow and ice.

Departing.

Breakfast. Leaving the recreation center. Moving to Elizovo. Visiting the fish market and souvenir shop. Moving to the airport. Departing.

Equpment:

Backpack 40 L, tracking boots, water/windproof clothes, hat, gloves, sweater, swimming suite, sunglasses, first aid kit, repellent, sunscrin.

Additional information: tourists should pay great attention to their equipment, because in the mountains there is snow even during the summertime snd the temperature can get lower.

Helicopter tour to the Valley of Geysers starts in group up to 18 people.

Attention! Кamchatka Outdoors LLC have the right to change the order of excursions, but fully comlpelte the programme!