Excursions in Kamchatka

The Valley of Geysers is a brand name of Kronotskiy Preserve.

It is hard-to-reach, because it’s situated 180 km away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and it is a part of protected area. The ecosystem of the Valley is unique for Russia, but quite fragile because of external stress, that is why the whole route is equipped with wooden broad walks for people to walk.

In 2008 the Valley of Geysers was included in the list of seven Russian wonders.

Have you ever imagined a human walking inside a volcano and meanwhile observing its activity? This human may be YOU!

The caldera of the Uzon volcano is a volcanic depression, which was formed in the result of the volcano top collapse 40 000 years ago. And now hundreds of steam columns shoot out from yellow fumarola fields heating the earth and even forests nearby.

Kamchatka is undoubtedly the Russian land of bears. And Kuril Lake is considered the Kamchatka land of bears.

This phenomenon is explained by salmon spawning concentrating in that area and attracting a number of bears. By the end of summer there are more than 200 brown bears on the coastline of the lake: they are trustful because they are protected by South-Kamchatka Sanctuary. This is why we can approach bears and stop just a couple of meters away from them.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy is an administrative city of kamchatskiy kray.

It was founded on October, 17 in 1740 by Vitus Bering, the head of the second Kamchatka expedition, who entered Avacha bay on board packet ships named “St. Peter” and “St. Paul”. However the settlement turned into the town only in 1822 when it got its name as Petropavlosk port.

The city is situated on the coastline of Avacha bay – the main transport gates of the peninsula. A lot of tourist companies offer sea journeys to explore the famous “Three brothers” rocks, colonies of sea birds and sea mammals and enjoy sea fishing in one of numerous bays of the coast.

Avachinsky is an active volcano situated about 30 km away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. The altitude is 2741 m. The view opening from helicopter’s windows of the city, Avacha bay, Nalychevo valley and neighboring volcanoes is just stunning!

Mutnovsky volcano is situated to the south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city, approximately 75-80 kilometers far away from the city. The locals and experienced travelers recognize it even if they are in the city, but it is difficult for other people to define it in the mountain range and easily confused with another mountain. Mutnovsky volcano has a height of 2322 meters above the sea level. This is one of the most active volcanoes in Kamchatka. If you look at it from the shore of Avacha Bay, to the left from Vilyuchinsky, you will be able to see constantly rising columns of steam in case of good weather. The volcanic manifestations are represented mainly by fumarole activity and escaping columns of steam into the air reaching the height of one kilometer above the mountain range.

The terrain of Mutnovsky is partially situated in the area of South Kamchatka Sanctuary (nature reserve) which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996 in the category "Volcanoes of Kamchatka". There are interesting volcanoes in the neighborhood, such as: Gorely, Vilyuchinsky, as well as Zhirovsky.

Starichkov island is an island situated on the south of Avachinsky gulf, 12 kilometers away from the mouth of Avachinskaya bay in the south direction.

The Starichkov island is presenting the unique conditions for habituating of living organisms. 44 breeding colonies of 11 species of the sea birds are recorded on the island. These are bering and red-faced cormorant, Pacific gull, kittiwake, Pacific and spectacled guillemots, thick-billed and common guilemots etc.

Only 7 km from the well-known Valley of Geysers, just at the foot of Kikhpinych volcano there’s a small area where animals regularly perish.

Death Valley is situated upwind of deep gas jets. It is no accident that there are sulfur deposits on the sides and bottom of the river. Large concentrations of gases accumulate in low areas, snow gullies and alcoves, especially when the sky is overcast and the weather is calm. In open and windswept areas, the concentration of gases is not dangerous.

ВThe contents of the poisonous cocktail in Kamchatka’s Death Valley, however, are much more complex, aggressive, and dangerous than those of other death valleys, and it is unlike any other in the world.

The largest freshwater lake of Kamchatka has no matches in its beauty!

Kronotskoye Lake is the largest freshwater lake (242 km2) and drainage basin (2,330 km2) on Kamchatka; it is the second largest in terms of water volume (12.4 km3) and the third deepest on Kamchatka.

To the east there is Kronotsky volcano, one of the most picturesque in Kamchatka.

The lake is also unique because of the natural ecosystems within its watershed. A population of kokanee (a freshwater form of the sockeye) with about 30 million fish evolved here from anadromous sockeye as a result of long-term isolation. For the same reason, a group of char with three different types also evolved; at least one of them is believed to be a separate species which diverged from the others due to adaptation and specialization. Mechanisms of speciation in this closed ecosystem warrant close attention of geneticists and fish biologists.

The indigenous people of Kamchatkaare represented by Koryaks, Itelmens, Evens, Aleutions and Chukchis. Their cultural traditions, history and way of life are very interesting to get known with.

In Kamchatka you are able to visit ethnic settlements to explore peoples’ culture, to taste national dishes and to try birch braiding, bone carving and beads braiding.