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The following itinerary is intended as a working guide only and it is a subject to variation as a result of local conditions, weather and governmental restrictions. We reserve the right to alter (lengthen or shorten) the trek at any time if necessary. Aeroflot domestic timetables are altered occasionally and it may be necessary to vary our itinerary to adapt to these changes.

 

Day 1. Departure from Moscow. Overnight flight to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski.

 

Day 2. in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. Transfer to Paratunka hotel heated by thermal springs (35km).

 

Day 3. Drive to Dachnye hot springs (4 hour 4WD vehicle) Walk over the Pioneersky Pass to near the Mutnovskaya Sopka Volcano (4 hours). Camp.

 

Day 4. Ascent of Mutnovskaya Sopka Volcano (2322 m). This active crater presents an amazing combination of magnificent hanging glaciers, lava rocks, pillars of steam, huge natural boiling lakes of mud, bubbling pots of sulphuric acid in small caves, bright yellow rocks of crystalline sulfur and much more. The 4 km. wide crater is filled by a glacier of glistening snows except for a small thermal site issuing billowing columns of gases and steam. A memorable sight. Mutnovskaya Sopka is one of the most active volcanoes of Kamchatka and on some days the steam column goes up to an altitude of 1 km.

 

Day 5. Walk to near Gorelaya Sopka Volcano, 6 km. Camp. Ascent of Gorelaya Sopka. Descent into the crater to Hot Lake. Return to the camp.

 

Day 6. Walk to the road (4 hours). Drive in 4WD vehicle to Paratunka hotel. Relax in a swimming pool.

 

Day 7. Helicopter flight to the Kronotsky nature reservation. Geysers' Valley. Back to PK. This helicopter excursion is weather dependant. We drive 30 min from Paratunka hotel to the helicopter landing pad near Yelizovo. The helicopter flight takes about 1 hour. We land near the National Reserve gate. From here we start for 3-4 hrs guided walk along the Geyzernaya River (3,5 km) where about 40 of the most impressive and famous geysers are concentrated. The biggest ones are: Velikan (the Giant) with the fountain height up to 30 m, Fountain up to 20 m, Zhemchuzhny (Pearl) 10-12 m, Troinoi (Triple), Malakhitivy (Malacite) and others. Lunch by the reserve gate and flight back to Yelizovo.

 

Day 8. Drive 570 km via town of Kozyrevsk to "Lunakhodchiki" campsite. The road is unsealed but generally not bad. From PK to Kozyrevsk takes ca. 8 hrs, from Kozyrevsk to "Lunakhodchiki" ca. 4 hrs (75 km). Lunch on the way on the banks of the Kamchatka River. "Lunakhodchiki" is a place where Soviet Aero-Space Agency tested the Soviet Lunakhod (Moon Walker) before launching it to the Moon. The testers supposed the terrain formed as a result of volcanic activity was very much like the Moon landscape, i.e. ideal to test the Moon Walker. Now only one hut left here from the Soviet era. It's called Moon Walkers' House.

 

Day 9. Walking excursion to the place of Northern Tolbachick's eruption (1976). Return to the camp. 5 km away from "Lunakhodchiki" there are cones of so called Northern Breakthrough formed during Great Crevasse Tolbachinski Eruption 1975-1976. The lava flowing from the crevasses created 4 slag cones: The First has the top crater at the altitude of 299m; the Second, 278 m, with a crater of a horse shoe shape. All cones are very colourful and have number of fumarolas. The ash-slag field created by the eruption covers the area of 1,000 sq. km. Many interesting frozen lava flows. A film of the eruption was made in 1976 by soviet scientists and was not copyright protected. Parts of the film are used in many American fantasy movies. Excursion takes 5-6 hrs.

 

Day 10. Ascent of Plosky Tolbachick Volcano, 3085 I, 1a. Descent to the camp Lunakhodchiki. The ascent is technically easy, no special equipment required. The volcano is active but the eruptions are quite rare. The last significant eruption was in 1976. Viewfrom the top of the Plosky Tolbachick Volcano is GREAT. 10-12 hrs. .

 

Day 11-13. Walk around Tolbachick volcano across the Tolud Pass and Tolbachinsky Pass to the Plotina volcanological station. Camp.

 

Day 14. From Lunakhodchiki campsite to Tolud Hut, 8 km, 4 hrs. The route is up slag fields over a little spur of Ploski Tolbachik. Then down to the green Tolud river valley. Camp on a glade near the hut.

 

Day 15. We ford the river in the morning when water level is low. Walk 7 km to the Tolud Pass along the river, through by alpine meadows between Tolbachik and Bolshaya Udina volcanoes. The Tolud Pass, 1370 NC (not classified) is grassy. Distance to the Tolbachinski Pass is 13 km. Camp below the Tolbachinski Pass.

 

Day 16. Walk up to the Tolbachinski Pass, 1500m NC. Its slopes are rocky and not steep. Then walk 7 km between Mars and Jupiter craters, then by a unique natural object - appearance of frozen basalt called Polennitsa (pile of logs for the fire), over the Bezymianny Pass to the Plotina Hut on the Sukhaya Khapitsa river. Camp at ca. 1000m on a glade near the hut.

 

Day 17. Ascent of the edge of Bezymianny volcano, 2900m, crater. Descent into the camp. 10-12 hrs. Bezymianny is one of the most active Kamchatka volcanoes. Its crater's size is 1300 x 2800 m, it is 700m deep. In the centre of the crater the Novy (New) volcanic cupola is located. Novy has a strong fumarole activity and rises above the edge of the old crater. Slopes of the volcano are covered by the lava flows of the catastrophical eruption of 1955-1956 which happened after 1000 years of calmness. Activity lasts till now. A strong eruption took place in 1985. It was accompanied by a directed explosion which destroyed the volcanologists' houses 3,5 km from the centre of the eruption. Also during the eruption the eastern slope of cupola fell. During the calm periods of the volcano the top part of the cupola emits much gases.

 

Day 18-20. About 30km walk around Kamen' Volcano to the Kopyto camp takes 3 days. The route is over the foothills of the Kamen' Volcano. Landscape - mountain tundra, stone fields, lava chaotic conglomerations of different shapes. Around are volcanoes of the Northern group. Excellent view of Tolbachik and Kliuchevskaya Sopka. Each day's walk very much depends on the water level in the rivers. Crossing the rivers takes much time. We will have a special equipment for crossing the rivers in case of very bad weather which makes the water level very high.

 

Day 21. Spare day in case of bad weather.

 

Day 22. Transfer to the hotel Paratunka. Relax.

 

Day 23. Tour of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. Visiting Bazaar, Museum and the Pacific coast, lunch by the coast or spare day to visit Kronotsky reserve. Overnight at Paratunka.

 

Day 24. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Moscow. Arrive in the evening.

 

 

PRICE:

 

Included: food, ground transport and accommodation as per program, helicopter excursion to the Geyser Valley, guides, cook, tents on trek, porters carrying communal equipment only.

 

Not included: service in Moscow, visa and insurance, flights, individual airport transfers, personal expenses such as drinks, tips etc.