The wilderness of Kamchatka : bears, killer whales and volcanoes

This time is completely devoted to your adaptation and rest. Still, 8 hours from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is no joke. Volcanoes Avachinsky and Koryaksky will be the first to greet you. The escort will meet the arrivals at the airport and take them to the hotel. Settle in slowly, the journey will begin tomorrow.

• Night in a hotel

Our adventure in Kamchatka starts from the Mutnovsky plateau. It is in this area that one of the most interesting peaks from a tourist point of view, with a height of more than 1.8 km, is located. We will climb right here, to the Gorely volcano.

If you are traveling in June, be prepared for a long hike. For those who get here in the last month of summer, everything is somewhat simpler: the shift will be able to drive us close enough to the slope. Around noon, we organize a small snack - enough to satisfy morning hunger, but light, because it is quite difficult to go uphill on a full stomach after a hearty meal.

Climbing the slope of Gorely volcano will not be too steep. Basically, we will move along the once frozen lava and slag deposits. Our goal is to cover a path corresponding to a height difference of 0.9 km. This will take 3 to 4 hours. After that - the long-awaited bonus! A stunning panorama will open before you, and you will have the opportunity to take unique photographs. Next - 11 craters. Yes, that's how many of them Gorely has. And, of course, a small picnic, how could it be without it.

We strive to organize this ascent in such a way that all our travelers participating in a multi-day tour can climb to the crater. This is the fundamental difference between this program and the one-day trip, which is put forward from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There, the time interval allocated to reach the crater is seriously limited. And if for some reason the group is delayed on the way, the guide for safety reasons can turn it around before the planned point is reached. So the tourists can return on time. In our case, there is much more time and the goal becomes more real.

On 3 craters, we advise you to focus your attention :

• "Active", which strikes with a beautiful pattern of minerals on the slopes and an indescribable play of light;
• "Blue Lake" with real glacial water, which has a rare turquoise hue;
• "Bowl" with the famous acid reservoir, which until 2011 was a full-fledged and very dangerous lake, and now (after the eruption) the liquid is gone.

After you fully enjoy the greatness of the volcano and the beauty of the surroundings, we descend to its foot and move to the glamping for the night. Accommodation is multi-bed. Here, a hearty dinner prepared by the chef will already be waiting for us.

You probably don't want to go to sleep right away. The first night in nature, the bottomless starry sky with a clearly distinguishable Milky Way (in clear weather), conversations by the fire ... But fatigue from impressions and a whole day of physical activity will take its toll. And even taking into account the new unfamiliar place, all travelers will fall asleep in a deep and restful sleep.

• Night in a glamping

We wake up, have a snack, and move to the foot of the Mutnovsky volcano. Today it is planned to visit the Dacha springs and the waterfall of the Spit of Veronica. Dacha thermal springs are located in the east between Dvugorbovaya and the Rocky Mountains, on the northern slope of Mutnovsky.

Volcanic manifestations are scattered in a wide strip that stretches for more than a kilometer. There are 5 sources and steam emissions, the strongest of which is the Active Funnel. We can observe hot springs, boiling pots and steam jets on the walls of this basin.

Further, our journey will continue to the upper reaches of the Vilyuchinskaya valley, from where we will walk to the majestic waterfall of Veronika's Spit. This is one of the most beautiful waterfalls of the peninsula, located on the Spokoyny stream. It originates on the slope of Gorely volcano.

The height of the waterfall is 16 m, and the width of the falling stream is 5 m. The waterfall is framed by steep rocky banks covered with alder and stone birch bushes. We will spend the second night in the same glamping.

• Night in a glamping

After breakfast we move to the hotel complex. Here, in Apaches, we relax all day, enjoying swimming in thermal water (the pool is at our service). We are getting ready for tomorrow's move to the Kuril Lake, in the direction of the southern part of the peninsula.

Kurile Lake, according to most travelers, is one of the most beautiful places in Kamchatka. No wonder: after all, this is not just a reservoir, but a flooded caldera of an ancient, now dormant, volcano. The area of ​​the lake inspires respect: more than 76 sq. km of water surface. And almost in its center is an island with legends called the Heart of Alaid, where, according to local beliefs, mysterious and inexplicable things happen. The mystical atmosphere of this "place of power" is complemented by the surrounding three volcanoes.

The ideal interval for visiting this place is from the last days of July to the end of August. It was then that salmon species of fish migrate to spawning sites along rivers and streams, against the current. In the end, they get to the Kuril Lake, which is rightfully considered the largest spawning place here. And it is here that bears come for fish delicacies - families, hundreds of individuals at the same time.

If we are lucky, we will also see a huge bird of prey - the Steller's sea eagle, which also respects fresh oily fish. The local volcanic lake is perhaps the only place where you can freely observe a representative of this rare species listed in the Red Book. So you have a rare opportunity to observe "in concentration" the most interesting representatives of the Kamchatka fauna against the backdrop of the indescribable beauty of landscapes.

• Night in a hotel

Breakfast will be early, we will try to eat more heartily. The timing of this move is as tight as possible. It is related to the tides. So you can't have a full meal. We have to overcome 3 crossings. The first two rivers are quite full-flowing and make you be very careful in overcoming them. The third we will generally move to ford.

We are moving north from the Mutnovsky plateau. Then we turn west and move to the shore of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. It will shake (and long enough), the roads here are very conditional. This inconvenience is compensated by the amazing change of landscape. In a few hours, the area gradually turns from a volcanic desert into green meadows, a forest, and tundra will mark the approach to the seashore.

Well, here is the sea! Yes, Okhotsky has a special and rather severe character. The weather is changeable, the waves are cold and powerful. A bright sunny day can very quickly give way to chilly wind and dense fog. So keep warm clothes handy. We will drive along the coastline for about 150 km. Those who will travel with us in August will see live the work of fishermen who make the most of the spawning time of commercial fish.

The coast here is quite gentle. Therefore, seal rookeries, flocks of noisy seabirds and other coastal living creatures can only be seen from a respectful distance. In the evening we will reach Pauzhetka. A geothermal power plant (the first in Russia) was built in this village. We may pay attention to it tomorrow. And today we are located on the equipped territory. While camping and relaxing in the thermal pool, a delicious dinner is being prepared. Next is overnight.

• Night in a tent

The program of this day depends on the weather. The senior guide determines the order of further actions only after getting acquainted with the current weather forecast. After that, we either advance to the Pauzhetskaya GEOTES, or keep our way to the Stone Town.

Climbing the hill

We are brought to its foot by a car. Further up the steep slope on foot. We are waiting for bizarre stone formations, which, for their similarity with the ancient creations of human hands, were called the "town". Indeed, they are very reminiscent of an almost destroyed and long abandoned city. On our drive to Stone Town, we will pass through the intended location, during the Great Patriotic War (World War II), for an airfield, where military aircraft delivered by the United States to the USSR have landed. Few people know this historic place, now only rare fragments of planes that crashed there keep the memory of it.

This excursion will be an opportunity to stretch your legs by traversing a part of the path which is relatively steep and strewn with bushes, then to walk along the bed of a stream.

While ascending, we will have wide panoramas of the valley of steam columns rising above Pauzhetka, the forest below cut by the river bed, and on the horizon we can even see the goal of our journey south - Kuril Lake.

Excursion, swimming, fishing

If the weather does not allow climbing the Stone Town, we walk along Pauzhetka and go fishing. We will give you the most fishy spots, and Taras will teach you his signature tricks (they allow you to catch fish after the 3rd cast). You will definitely succeed! And we take the fish with us, they will cook it for us later.

Now we are waiting for an excursion to the local GEOTES. Being built back in 1966, it is still in operation and supplies electricity to the surrounding infrastructure. The facility specialist will explain to us where the electricity comes from here, how everything works and where the generated energy goes.

Before the tour, be sure to grab everything you need for swimming: you will have the opportunity to soak in the running water of the Hot River, which is also rich in minerals. Very strange feeling! At the end of the day, camping awaits us.

• Night in a tent

By car we reach the border of the reserve. It is here that the famous Kuril Lake is located. We meet a local inspector and cross the Ozernaya River on a suspension bridge. Then we move to the central cordon, passing a total of about 12 km. Why not by car? In the reserve, any motor transport is prohibited.

The road is normal, so walking will not be difficult. We will spend 3-4 hours on it, while our luggage will move on a motor boat and will be at the hospital before us. Therefore, take only the minimum necessary set of things for this walk. The bears are waiting for us! We guarantee it 100%.

For the safety of scientists and travelers, the cordon is protected from these charming predators by an electric fence. And behind it you will see bears of different ages frolicking in the wild, which periodically switch to catching fish. We dine here on site. We offer scarves. After that, the plans include an excursion along the fenced and protected bridge, which goes deep into the bear's possessions. There are always enough animals here, as the fish accumulate under the bridge and become easy prey for the shaggy ones.

Bears will be, indeed, very close to you. Therefore, it is necessary to exercise maximum caution and comply with all the requirements of the inspector. He will talk about the habits of animals, how the fish going through the gates under the bridge are taken into account, and will entertain with stories from his practice. In the evening we will have an interesting documentary film about the life of bears, which we admired live during the day. Please note that electricity will be available from 8 pm to 1 am. So take care of charging your equipment.

• Night in a tent

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Today, and according to the agreements with the forest guards of the reserve (which evolve each year according to the fauna and flora to be respected such as the natural habitats of the bears), we will visit the lake region with four possible routes :

• Severnaya Bay
• Domashnaya hill
• Khakytsin river
• Sypuchka river.

Under all conditions, one of these routes will be available.

For example, the excursion to Severnaya Bay is naturally interesting, the concentration of bears fishing there is impressive. They fish, have fun in the water, start looking for prey. Be sure to take pictures! You won't be able to take such pictures anywhere else in the world! And just enjoying the closeness to nature and marveling, like in childhood.

We will have an early lunch because 2 hours of walking are necessary to reach the bay, always accompanied by an armed reserve guard. There are no roads here, only bear trails, so once again we remind you of the safety rules and to have the required equipment and waterproof clothing with you in case of bad weather. We will go by the lake and close to the first or second river that flows into it. According to reserve rangers, some fish in the lake tend to go up even further. It is at the mouth of these rivers that the bears come to fish, sometimes with entire families.

The streams are not deep at all. Therefore, shoals of fish make their way there with great difficulty. But the reproductive instinct is stronger, so that, unable to overcome the obstacle, the fish sometimes simply throws itself on the ground. We will spend several hours in this place, we will have time to admire the landscapes, organize a breathtaking photo session and relax. The rest of the day, we will observe the bears from the sanatorium, or from observation platforms specially designed to protect us.

• Night in a tent

As usual, you will get up early. We will need to get to the most interesting point of our journey - to a unique pumice formation. It has a peculiar name Kutkhina bati. Like many interesting objects in Kamchatka, this one is also a product of volcanic activity. Pumice is formed as a result of the solidification of lava, has a porous structure and low density. And the local variety is also famous for its pleasant creamy shade.

For the indigenous people of this region, the sacred place of Kutkhina Baty still retains its mystical meaning. Falls often occur in the depths of the canyon, because pumice is a fragile rock. So it is forbidden to go too far for your own safety. But we will look around the surroundings, take a lot of incredible photographs, as well as a joint photo of all the participants of the tour. We leave the reserve the same way, and in the evening camping awaits us. Pauzhetka welcomes travelers! Here we will dine with appetite and spend our free time with benefit.

• Night in a tent

We're heading back. Our path again runs along the picturesque coast. Again, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk will present us with weather surprises and surprise with harsh landscapes. We will pass places where we have already visited. So this time the move will seem less time consuming. But everything will look a little different, so boredom is not expected.

At the end of the day, the Apachinsky hotel awaits us. Here we dine, relax, rest. And of course, we splash in the thermal springs so that the fatigue of the past days leaves us completely.

• Night in a hotel

Transfer Apache - Paratunka (arrival in the afternoon). We will cross the Kamchatka Peninsula from West to East and then heading South, we will be able to see the rough sea of ​​Okhotsk. A long journey awaits us, so get ready and remember the roads of Kamchatka.

• Free evening
• Night in a hotel

We will dedicate this day to a small sea tour. It will last approximately 10 hours and will be a real discovery for you. After all, it is here that you can see killer whales, sea lions and a variety of birds up close. It's worth it to fly here through all of Russia.

In the previous days, we passed and passed the Kamchatka Peninsula, first to the east, then turned towards the south. From the shore they looked at the harsh Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk. And now it's the turn of the most unpredictable and deepest ocean on the planet. We will sail on a yacht, and around, wherever you look, there will be boundless ocean waters.

We leave in the morning, we go along the Avacha Bay. We admire the sky and waves, listen to the voices of seagulls beckoning into the distance and head to the Three Brothers. It is they who, according to legend, protect the city. Now we have already left the bay and immediately found ourselves in the restless and powerful embrace of the ocean. On the horizon we have a view of the steep banks of the peninsula. And once again we are delighted with the incredible diversity of Kamchatka's landscapes.

We will drive along the east coast of Kamchatka and we will stop near Starichkov Island. This island, despite its small size, is a haven of peace for multiple colonies of birds, sea lions and seals. This territory is a protected area and landing on the island is prohibited. It is also a nesting ground for a rare species of birds - Steller's sea eagles.

Now our path lies in the Russian Bay. It is quite remote from civilization, so here you can most often see whales and elegant killer whales. The place is closed and fishy, ​​so they swim here with enviable regularity. So with a high degree of probability we expect them to be here.

• Night in a hotel

An exciting walk around Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky awaits us. A tour of historical places will be incredibly exciting. Our guide is just in love with his city and he has a lot to tell.

Petropavlovsk is a sea city. And he has seen a lot of sailors in his lifetime. Bering, La Perouse, Kruzenshtern, many other discoverers and heroes of sea battles visited it. We will definitely visit the monuments in the city center, which immortalized the achievements of the discoverers and world-famous sailors. Thanks to historical places, we will remember military victories and glorious times. Let's say about how in 1854 the few defenders of the city opposed the squadron of ships under the English and French flags, survived and won. The region, strategically important for the Empire, remained with Russia for centuries. This battle will be reminded to us by the "Maksutov Battery" - a monumental exposition located on the very shore.

The monument to the "Kuril landing force" is located in the city center, in a picturesque square. It will take us back to 1945, when there were battles for the liberation of the Kuriles. This monument glorifies the soldiers and officers who, not sparing themselves, defended our Motherland. It is here that flowers are solemnly laid on Victory Day, it is here that veterans are honored.

Our further path lies on the fish market. This is a unique place of its kind, where a variety of seafood is compactly collected in all possible edible variations. Be sure to buy delicious gifts for family, colleagues and friends. Under their indescribable taste, your story about the beauties of Kamchatka you have seen will be especially impressive !

• Night in a hotel

It's the last day of our trip. On the way to the airport, we will stop at the monument "Russia starts here" and take the final photo. We still have to exchange contacts with new friends, on the way to the airport, say goodbye and look forward to meeting you on one of our other treks.

After all, if you fell in love with Kamchatka, you might also like our other destinations! ...