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Day 1: Arrival in Kamchatka (airport of Elizovo) in the morning at local time. Transfer to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski (about 30 minutes) A short sight-seeing tour round the city. A visit to the regional museum. Lunch in the city’s restaurant. Transfer to Paratunka, accommodation at the hotel “Virginia” or at the recreation centre “Blue Lagoon” (suites for 2 people, floor-based conveniences). Recreation, thermal pond bathing (there is a small water park at the hotel).
Day 2: Transfer by coach to the settlement of Ozernovsky (south of Kamchatka, about 250 km) that takes the whole day. We go through the city of Ust-Bolsheretsk and the settlement of Oktiabrsky, further the road runs along the western coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula washed by the sea of Okhotsk. We have to cross three rivers by a passage boat or barge. If the weather is good we’ll be able to see the chain of magnificent volcanoes of the southern group of the mountains. It’s possible to watch the salmon industrial fishing. We arrive at the settlement of Ozernovsky and take a short transfer to the settlement of Pauzhetka established on the basis of the first Russian geothermal station. We are accommodated for sleeping at the private houses where the local families live, and take a thermal pond bathing.
Day 3: Transfer by coach (10 km) to the border of Yuzho-Kamchatski nature reserve. We shall take a walk (about 12 km) and follow the lost road along the river Ozernaya towards the lake of Kurilskoe. It’s quite obvious that on the way you will see bears engaged in fishing. When we rich the place you will see the unique holystone rocks of Kutkhiny Baty located on the opposite side of the river Ozernaya. You can approach the lake of Kurilskoe. The lake Kurilskoeis second largest Kamchatka-based freshwater lake; it is situated within the area of the Yuzhno-Kamchatsky state nature reserve and is the salmon’s largest spawn place of the peninsula. Annually (from August till December) 2-5 million of the most valuable red salmon population reach the lake through the river Ozernaya for spawn purposes. The scientific ichthyologic station of Kamchat NIRO has been operating at the rise of the river Ozernayasince 1964. The scientists are engaged in registering and studying the salmon population. Watchinglarge-scale fish come for spawn will be of the certain interest of the naturalists and ecologists. Even for Kamchatka inhabitants it’s a telling sight! The red salmon is everywhere there – along the coast and in the numerous rivers and streams flowing into the lake. It attracts a great deal of raptorial and piscivorous birds (erne, merganser, and fish-hawk) and animals (otter, fox, ermine, carcajou, and bear). Within that period the animals eat only fish and salmon caviar. The surroundings and the sides of the lake Kurilskoe are known as the places of the maximum concentration of Kamchatka –basedbrown bears. The Kamchatka air register says that there are about 100 bears around. The excursionists have an opportunity to watch the natural behaviour of these large predators on the lake’s side or watch the bear’s fishing. In August 2004 it was possible to see 27 different animals in a 7-hour excursion! An excursion to the permanent establishment of the preserved area. A boat excursion along the lake together with the surveyors of the Yuzhno-Kanchatsky nature reserve, bear watching. Sleeping accommodation by the cease of the river Ozernaya at the tent camp surrounded by electric fence.
Day 4: An excursion across the lake of Kurilskoe for a whole day accompanied by the surveyors. There is a chance to see the bears’ behaviour from a close distance of the watch tower (usually within 2-3 hours of stay in the tower you can see some different animals including she-bears with their cubs. Sleeping accommodation surrounded by electric fence.
Day 5: We shall walk along the river of Ozernaya up to the boundaries of the nature reserve, then we take rafts or rubber boats along the river of Ozernaya. While floating you will admire the picturesque views of volcanoes and the salmon movement. In the evening we shall be transfered by duty vehicle to the settlement of Pauzhetka. Thermal pond bathing. Lunch and sleeping accommodation with the local families.
Day 6: A journey to the coast of Okhotskoe sea, where you can see seals and if you are lucky we would see the sea apes (“marine otter”). We shall walk towards mountains. In the evening we return to Pauzhetka, an excursion to the fist Russian geothermal station. Lunch and sleeping accommodation like the day before.
Day 7: Transfer by bus along the coast of Okhotskoe sea to the settlement of Oktiabrsky and later to Paratunka. Lunch and sleeping accommodation at the recreation centre with thermal pond.
Day 8: Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer by bus to the site between the volcanoes of Mutnovsky and Gorely (about 4 hours). The roads go along the volcano of Viluchinsky, famous mountain ski slope among the locals (there is snow even in July). Lunch on the route.
A pedestrian excursion to the chain of craters of the Gorely volcano.
The volcano of Gorely is the owner of the exceptional collection of craters. The chain begins with the Western crater which is dead and surrounded by the short rocky walls. The crater bottom is covered with glacier. Then goes the chain of different age craters. Major volcano activity is fixed in the Central crater. The fumaroles on the walls and bottom are in permanent activity. The crater walls are painted with deposits. The Blue Lake is the largest and the most beautiful crater. The bottom of that crater is covered with the turquoise lake on the surface of which are drifting ice blocks. The last crater in the chain is Cup. This crater is located on the top of the short cone of right form. On its bottom there’s a violet lake.
If the weather is good all those craters may be seen for a whole day. The length of the pedestrian route is about 20 km. An excursion takes about 8 hours. You can return to the camp earlier (upon request). Return to the base camp.
Lunch and sleeping accommodation at the tent camp.
Day 9: Breakfast. A pedestrian light trip to the volcano of Mutnovsky (about 40 minutes). You may go down into the crater of the Mutnovsky volcano.
The crater displays an weird and fantastic landscape: a flakier comes down from its eastern wall ending in the bluff which is melted by fumaroles, opposite an abrupt rock up rises; curling columns of water vapour emerge in several places.
The crater appearance is in permanent change state. There is a lake of bitter whitish water and twogroups of powerful fumaroles. One of them educes the smallest drops of melted sulphur, the other one powerful escape of sulphideand water fumes. There are large mud baths near the crater. The crater excursion takes about 4 hours. The volcano of Mutnovsky represents a group of the united craters, perhaps, one of the most remarkable volcanic phenomenons of Kamchatka. The view from its top amazes dramatically: abrupt walls around the huge, deep crater cavity where the cracked glacier sparkles are, and the torches of fumaroles through which you can see the landscape of the northern crater; the southern crater is covered with ice cap. That landscape is crowned by the column of vapour uprising out of the Active Hole crater surrounded by the toothed crest. Lunch on the route. Return to the base camp the same day (about 40 minutes). Total route length that dayis 18 km. Tent – based sleeping accommodation.
Day 10: A reserve day in case of bad weather. In the evening – transfer by coach to Paratunka, lunch and sleeping accommodation at the recreation centre “Blue Lagoon”.
Day 11: A trip to the foot of the Avachinsky volcano (transfer by duty vehicle about 2-2,5 hours, a pedestrian walk without mountain climbing, picturesque views of Avachinsky and Koriaksky volcanoes and rock “Camel”, by the evening return to Paratunka).
Day 12: Journey to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. A visit to the fish market, shopping. An excursion to the Museum of the volcano research institute or the Salmon Museum (up to you). There is an extra charged ship rent to sail along the gorgeous Avachinskaya bay with fishing and watching the sea birds (Lunda cirrhata, Fratercula corniculata, guillemots, cormorants etc.); sometimes you can see a couple of white-shouldered ernes and probably eared seal). Lunch in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski based restaurant or (if you order an excursion along the Avachinskaya bay) on board. Lunch and sleeping accommodation at the Paratunka –based recreation centre.
Day 13: Transfer to the airport, departure for Moscow.
The price includes: full range of services in Kamchatka – accommodation on the route, services of a guide and a cock, excursions, fee entrance to the specially protected natural areas, tent rent for two people, visa support, air tickets to Petropavlovsk and back, insurance.
Possible agenda to the program:
Without extra days:
A trip to the ethnographic complex in the settlement of Sosnovka.
Lunch in the tent of the local farmer-bard, tasting of the unique dishes cooked by the host by the original recipes of the different local herbs and salmon.
If you’d like to stay in Paratunka for a day, it can be also arranged.
There are should be minimum 14 people in a group.
The Moscow program is extra charged (transfer airport-hotel- airport, hotel accommodation 3*** DBL-standard/B & B, excursions round Moscow with a guide – a visit to the Red Square, the Kremlin and its cathedrals, the city sight-seeing tour.
Date: July 31 – August 12, 2005 |
