Independent trip to Kamchatka. Send an application for participation in the tour "a great trip to Kamchatka"

Kamchatka is a picturesque peninsula on the edge of Russia, which attracts tourists with magnificent volcanoes, unusual nature and sights. To get to know this region better, many people go to Kamchatka by car. This makes it possible to visit every corner of the peninsula.

Travelling by car

Kamchatka is located on Far East and has enough large area. You can get to this region by land with your own car or go by ferry from different cities.

How to get to Kamchatka?

More recently, to get by car to Kamchatka it was not possible, since not a single road was laid from the large cities of Russia to this region.

The world knows some extreme heroes who tried to drive from Magadan, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk in specially equipped cars.

The travel time took at least 30 days, and the weather conditions forced us to take special equipment with us. At the same time, the distance between cities is quite large - about 4-5 thousand kilometers.

After a while, the situation has changed a little, but it is still enough to get from large cities to the peninsula difficult. It is for this reason that not many people decide on such a trip, choosing other ways of traveling to Kamchatka.

Before planning such a responsible and lengthy move, it is necessary to carefully think over every step. Region Far East has a unique climate. If you have to make a stop somewhere during the trip, it is better to mark it on the map in advance.

It is worth noting that for such a trip, not only the route is important, but also the season. According to the reviews of people who made routes by car from major Russian cities, the easiest way to get to Kamchatka is in winter time, especially if you follow from Magadan. From this large city to the capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, "wintering" is laid - roads that make it possible not only to travel by car, but also not to break it, following the impassability.

The downside of this trip is incredible cold climate characteristic of this region. In winter, the thermometer drops to a critical level of -40-50°C, so you should think about other ways to travel to Kamchatka on your own.

In summer and autumn, the road from Khabarovsk, Magadan is a hilly and mountainous landscape, so you can only get to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by SUV.

What seas wash the peninsula?

planning independent trip by car to Kamchatka, you should choose the best option for the trip - moving on ferries and other passenger ships coming from Vladivostok.

This region of Russia is washed by several water areas at once:

• Sea of ​​Okhotsk;
• Barencevo sea;
• Pacific Ocean.

Read about all the seas that wash the territory Russian Federation.

The main route on ships carrying cars runs through the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

From other cities of Russia, you can get to Vladivostok itself by trails fine quality. All of them are quite lightly loaded, and you can stop for the night or refuel on many sections of the road.

Upon arrival in Vladivostok, you should immediately go to the seaport, from where cargo ferries to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Before capital city followed by three sea lines. It is better to find out the schedule directly on the spot, since it is often changed due to weather conditions and season.

On average, the cost of such a trip on a ferry with a car is from 15 to 20 thousand rubles. For the price, this method is much cheaper than if you had to get to Kamchatka by car directly.

When is the best time to go on vacation?

Kamchatka is beautiful for tourists any time of the year, but it should be borne in mind that some of the attractions will not be available for acquaintance due to climatic conditions.

Rest in winter

During the winter season, the peninsula is transformed, especially its unique nature . snow covered volcanoes northern edge, as well as unique opportunities for winter adventures attract tourists from all over the world.

Interesting sights and entertainment are available for vacationers this season, but ski holidays are in the greatest demand.

For fans of descent from the slopes in Kamchatka, ideal conditions have been created for active and fun vacation. Snow in this region lies on the slopes of volcanoes from December to June, and numerous slopes are equipped with lifts and snow cannons.

For fans of extreme skiing in this region there are undeveloped slopes of volcanoes, and for others - well-established routes:

1. Avachinsky volcano;
2. Aane slope;
3. Mutnovsky volcano;
4. Burnt volcano;
5. Vilyuchinsky volcano.

From the mountains themselves open breathtaking views to the landscapes of Kamchatka, which you can finally see with your own eyes.

Great way to spend New Year in Kamchatka is to visit hot springs. There are only about two hundred springs on the peninsula, some of which flow calmly from the bowels of the earth, some rage and gush like a fountain, releasing puffs of steam at the same time.

Near the springs there are usually equipped mud boilers in which tourists can take health baths. The most popular place for recreational activities - hot springs Paratunka, and Nalychevo.

In winter, other entertainments are available for tourists in Kamchatka:

• riding on dog sledding;
• Landing on the slopes with helicopters(heli-ski);
• Freeride on the volcanic landscape;
• Winter fishing;
• Mini expeditions to the tops of the famous volcanoes;
• Acquaintance with the indigenous people of the region in the village of Kaynyran;
• visit sea ​​lion rookeries;
• Walk to ocean.

Due to such an extensive choice of entertainment, the Kamchatka Peninsula is often called the most popular center extreme tourism.

In order to enjoy the rest during such a cool period, you should take warm clothes and comfortable shoes with you.

The "Land of Fire and Ice" in winter will delight all vacationers with the unsurpassed beauty inherent in this region.

What should a tourist see in spring?

In the spring, Kamchatka is radically transformed - the cold weather recedes, and everything around begins to bloom. Thanks to such excellent conditions, this region is becoming even more more fun, and the surrounding nature contributes to an active holiday to be remembered for a long time. In addition, one of the advantages of visiting the bear region in the spring are low prices to rest with the same amount of entertainment available.

In the first month of spring in Kamchatka is still available ski tourism, so many go to this region to enjoy the last opportunity to ski down the mountains. In addition, snowmobile rides are available for vacationers. Dimchikan cordon or to volcanoes, as well as getting to know the local cuisine. Holidays in March are wonderful because during this period, winter conditions are still observed on the peninsula, but they are still a little milder.

If you plan a trip to Kamchatka in the spring by car, then in a fairly short period you can visit several popular attractions at once:

1. Avachinsky volcano;
2. Lake Azabachye;
3. Nalychevo Valley;
4. Mutnovsky volcano;
5. River Bystraya;
6. Valley of Geysers.

Kamchatka is famous exclusively for its natural attractions, which can be found at almost every step. Not a single photo can convey how beautiful and atmospheric it is in its open spaces. It is for this reason that a trip by car will provide an organized spring tour. But at the same time, it is worth remembering that the roads on the peninsula are of rather poor quality, so an SUV is the best option for a trip.

In April and May, when the nature of Kamchatka is completely transformed, you can leave the car on your own and go to hike. This period is also beautiful because, being in nature, you do not have to worry about the abundance of mosquitoes and midges.

All companies organize professional guides who are able to lead a group of tourists to the right places, ensuring a safe outdoor recreation.

Attractions in summer

In summer, tourists go to the open spaces of Kamchatka in large numbers. This is facilitated by the beautiful weather, as well as the largest selection of opportunities for a great holiday.

In addition to traditional hikes to volcanoes, relaxation in the Valley of Geysers and exciting excursions to local villages, sea walks and visiting beaches with black volcanic sand.

Journey on passenger ships Pacific Ocean makes it possible to see Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, its high slopes and hills from a completely different angle. During the walk, you can also get acquainted with bird colonies, seeing them in their natural habitat.

Volcanoes Kamchatka in the summer is especially charming, and getting to their peaks with a guide is a fairly easy task. The ascent is not hindered by bad weather or extreme temperatures.

Before those who reach the top of one of the most famous volcanoes in Russia, impressive unearthly species, more reminiscent of Mars or the Moon. Some craters are filled with sky-blue and crystal-clear lakes, while others are shattered cracks from which streams of steam and fumaroles escape.

In summer, many seek to relax at sea, read about the resorts of the Black Sea coast.

In the summer, tourists become available:

• Khalaktyrsky beach;
• Avacha Bay;
• Mutnovskaya group of volcanoes;
• Karymshinsky sources;
• Malkinsky thermal springs;
• Kronotsky Natural Biosphere Reserve.

It will be interesting to get acquainted with the capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. This city has both natural attractions that attract tourists, as well as museums, monuments and other equally interesting places.

trip in autumn

Many tourists note that Kamchatka is especially beautiful in autumn. Hiking trips during this period, especially in September, they become relevant again for fans of outdoor activities. At the same time, it is not necessary to take all the necessary ammunition for the trip, such as tents, sleeping bags and cats, with you on a trip. Everything you need can be rented from local shops.

Hiking ( tracking) through the wild places of Kamchatka provide an opportunity to touch the unique Kamchatka nature, see rare landscapes that will be available only along certain routes. At the same time, difficulties must be overcome mountain passes, fords of icy rivers with a heavy backpack.

The best reward in such a trip will be the romance of an evening fire, the starry sky and new friends.

Popular walking routes:

1. Through the volcanoes Nalychevskaya valley;
2. By volcanoes north and south of Kamchatka;
3. Travel around Tolbachik;
4. Climbing to peaks volcanoes.

In October and November, hunting and fishing, picking mushrooms and berries, as well as many other outdoor activities are available for tourists in Kamchatka. It should be noted that this period is especially popular due to lack of mosquitoes and other nasty insects.

When planning a trip to Kamchatka, many rush to volcanoes and geysers, forgetting that the island has one unique attraction - locals who inhabited the islands even before the arrival of Russian expeditions. A visit to the Itelmen village promises to be incredibly interesting, where performances with food, music, dances and drinks are arranged for guests.

Travelers will be interested in some facts about the peninsula:

• On its territory, only about 29 active And 300 sleepers volcanoes;
• If it weren’t for modern modes of transportation that bring travelers to Kamchatka, one would have to get from Moscow to the peninsula about a year;
• The territory of Kamchatka is so vast that it could fit France And Belgium;
• The peninsula is incredibly rich bears, and each of them weighs about 150-200 kilograms;
• Almost all rivers here originate from glaciers, and the water in them is so pure that you can drink it without worrying about your health;
• origin of name"Kamchatka" is still being investigated by scientists - there are several versions, but so far it has not been possible to confirm exactly.

Kamchatka is wonderful to visit at any time of the year, and if you have your own car, this trip promises to be even more interesting And fascinating.

Watch a video clip about traveling around Kamchatka by car:

This is interesting:

In contact with

We all know that when it is 15.00 in Moscow, midnight comes in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which indicates that Kamchatka is very far from the capital.

This is the land of hills, geysers, erupting volcanoes, sandwiches with red caviar and brown bears stealing fish. An expedition to Kamchatka is an expensive and responsible business.

In this article, with all our desire, we will not be able to cover all the subtleties of Kamchatka tourism. But we will try to give a capacious overview of "interesting things", talk about independent travels, helicopter and automobile expeditions, and also flavor the dry narrative with video material. Let's hit the road!

Excursion to Kamchatka

Before planning a trip and laying routes to this harsh land, you need to decide on the time of travel.

The peninsula has a rather peculiar climate, which is formed by the mountainous terrain and the proximity of the Pacific Ocean.

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the climate is maritime and quite mild for the local latitudes: + 15 ° C in summer and around -10 ° C in winter.

Tourists most often come to these parts in spring and summer. Consider the benefits of each season.

• Spring. In March and April reign here:
  • ski fun;
  • snowmobile expeditions;
  • other winter activities.

  It is best to go to the north of the region.

• Summer. This season also partially captures September.
  During this period, you can admire the beauty of Kamchatka, its original nature. And there is something to see here:
  • volcanoes,
  • lakes,
  • hills,
  • forests,
  • well-preserved fauna.

When going to the north of Kamchatka in winter, get ready for frosts: the mercury column at the beginning of the year is at -22°C.

Only inquisitive minds are able to fully appreciate.

Learn as much as you can about the region before you travel.

Video travel around Kamchatka

After watching the video, you will understand a lot - you will be immersed in an isolated corner of the planet, which until recently was banned.

Travel by car

You can arrange a safari in Kamchatka on your own, or resort to the help of tour operators who organize multi-day auto expeditions.

The local landscape is predominantly mountainous and hilly, so in the summer, an off-road vehicle will be the best transport.

From Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, tours to the Bystrinsky district are regularly arranged. Often the end point of the trip is one of the villages located there.

Here is an approximate scheme of a forced march to the village of Esse (600 km from the capital of the region):

• Day 1. Arrival at the bus station of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Transfer to Esso with an intermediate stop in Milkovo.
  Arrival and accommodation in a private hotel.
• Day 2. Sightseeing tour around the village with a mandatory visit to the local museum.
  Snowmobile safari to Dimchikan cordon.
  Return to the hotel.
• Day 3. Snowmobiling to the volcanoes.
• Day 4. Breakfast and return transfer.

It is clear that snowmobiles are typical for winter recreation.

In the summer, off-road vehicles travel on the same routes. No less popular automotive destinations are:

• Klyuchevskaya Sopka;
• lake Azabachye;
• Tolbachik volcano;
• Khodutkinskiye sources;
• Kuril lake;
• Avachinsky volcano;
• Nalychevskaya valley;
• Uzon volcano caldera;
• Mutnovsky volcano;
• river Fast;
• Valley of Geysers.

If your trip is not within organized tour(you have planned a vacation as a savage), then keep in mind that an SUV will not do.

The list of necessary tourist equipment should be compiled in advance.

Traveling on our own

Airfare prices can fluctuate significantly depending on the season.. Therefore, it is better to purchase them in advance.

In February, for example, it is quite possible to fly from Moscow and back for 21 thousand rubles, but in August, get ready to pay 60-70 thousand for the same tickets.

You can stay with private traders or in a hotel in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, but you should also worry about this in advance.

What to take on the road:

1. Proper clothing. The choice depends on the season.
   It is cold in Kamchatka in winter, but in summer they go heavy rains which sometimes drag on for weeks or months.
   Conclusion - clothes should be:
   • waterproof,
   • light,
   • durable.

   This includes self-dumping pants, a storm jacket (preferably with a fleece lining), thermal underwear.

   In winter, it is worth focusing on warm pants and a waterproof down jacket.

2. Hiking boots. Shoes must be durable, waterproof and at the same time light. Ankle - closed. Buying such boots on the peninsula will cost a pretty penny.
   In winter, give preference to studded boots (useful in case of climbing a volcano).
3. Standard travel stuff:
   • salt,
   • matches,
   • dry fuel.

   All this is packed in polyethylene, which must be tightly sealed.

4. Basic equipment:
   • tents,
   • ropes,
   • cats,
   • sleeping bags.

   It is not necessary to take these things with you on the plane - they can be rented in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

5. Weapon. It sounds crazy, but if you have a hunting license, you should take a shotgun with you.
   The population of brown bears in Kamchatka is growing steadily. Cases of the theft of fish and food from the inhabitants of the villages by "bears" have become more frequent.
   It comes to the ridiculous - the inhabitants of the villages come out with mallets to ward off the clubfoot from their farmsteads. Sometimes bears bathe in thermal springs.
   If you don't have a license, buy an air gun or pepper spray.
6. GPS navigator. This essential tool may one day save your life.
   It is worth buying it in advance, since expensive and outdated models are sold on the peninsula. No cards. Download all software on the mainland, because there is sadness on the peninsula with the Internet.
7. Spare batteries. Needed in the phone and navigator.

To survive in Kamchatka and keep more good impressions please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Don't disturb wild animals. Watch the fauna from afar, without fanaticism.
• Feel free to drink water. Water in Kamchatka is almost the cleanest in the world. You can drink it:
  • from the tap,
  • from the rivers
  • lakes.
• Register a route. If your path leads to a natural park, fix the route in the Kamchatka Directorate of Natural Parks.
• Travel in a group. Solitude is good, but Kamchatka eats singles for breakfast and immediately forgets about it.
• Take geographical maps. They can be obtained in souvenir and bookstores.
• Dress warmly. Especially it rocks walks along the coast Avacha bay.
• Cash problems. Kamchatka is a wild land with a minimum of ATMs. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Yelizovo - that, perhaps, is all.
  Credit cards are not in use in Kamchatka, so stock up on cash in advance.

What to look at

Since we went to Kamchatka on our own, it’s worth calculating in advance the places that represent the greatest interest. About volcanoes and others natural objects we have already written, now let's look at the centers of civilization.

• Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Imagine that a time machine took you to the 60s.
  You have arrived in the capital of Kamchatka:
  • lack of intrusive advertising;
  • fishing boats in the port;
  • monuments to pioneers;
  • antediluvian "Khrushchev".

  The city is especially beautiful in autumn.

  The rhythm of life here is unhurried, people live at the expense of poachers and sailors.

• Paratunka. A tiny resort town, the main attraction of which is thermal springs.
  Sometimes a trickle of steam can escape from under the asphalt - here it is in the order of things.
  The wind brings volcanic ash from Klyuchevskaya Sopka.
  There is a public thermal complex and several sanatoriums.
• Yelizovo. From here you have a superb view of the business card» Kamchatka - Klyuchevskaya Sopka. By the way, this is a high-altitude champion among active Eurasian volcanoes.
  The infrastructure of the town is poor:
  • cafe,
  • hotel,
  • club,
  • dining room.

  Good communication with Petropavlovsk - buses run hourly.

• Esso. The best solution for a transfer between Petropavlovsk Esso and Yelizovo is a plane.
  If you are a supporter of extreme sports and SUVs, get ready for terrifying roads, which cannot be found in Russia.
  Near the village flows a fast and shallow river. Very clean.
  It is not necessary to look for a hotel in Esso - for 100-200 rubles you will get a room in any local dwelling.
• Vilyuchinsk. The Americans on their "NATO" maps designated this closed city as "The Wasp's Nest". Everywhere security (double cordon), a bunch of unemployed, abandoned apartments. It looks like the largest abode of combat submarines on the planet.
  Submarines moored in the local bay look like a gigantic whale cemetery - an unforgettable sight.

Rest in winter

Snow-white Kamchatka especially fascinates travelers, providing a lot of opportunities for extreme recreation.

It is better to order seven-day trips from a tour operator - so you will enjoy all the delights of this wild land.

With the onset of winter, the price of air tickets drops sharply. This is disturbing to many. There are also tourists who are sure that there is nothing to do in Kamchatka in winter.
This is not true - the peninsula is not in vain called the center of Russian extreme tourism.

Winter holidays can be diversified by the following entertainment:

• dog sledding expeditions;
• heli-skiing (landing from a helicopter on the mountain slopes);
• freeride on the volcanic landscape;
• snowmobile outings;
• :
  • Avache,
  • Paratunka,
  • Fast.
• mini-expedition (an elite type of vacation, because it drags on for a long time, and travelers rarely let “random” people into their circle);
• winter sport.

Kamchatka weather is unpredictable and severe. Cyclones can originate in the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, but forecasters cannot predict the speed of their movement. If you observe the sun in the morning, this does not mean that there will be no fog in the evening.

Dirt roads are covered with high snow in winter.

Kamchatka excursions

Helicopter excursions are one of the most expensive pleasures of Kamchatka - their cost starts from 32,000 rubles. Impressions, however, you will gain for many years to come.

You can fly to the following places:

• surroundings of Uzyan volcano;
• volcanoes Maly Semyonchik and Krymsky;
• Valley of Geysers;
• Kuril lake (to the bears);
• lake Dvuhyurtochnoe;
• hot lake Khodutka;
• Zhirovsky hot springs (with subsequent bathing);
• volcano craters (Gorely, Mutnovsky, Vilyuchinsky);
• the highest Eurasian volcanoes (Bezymyanny, Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Tolbachik, Kamen).

Hiking and car trips are much cheaper.

The championship here is held by excursions to the Valley of Geysers - traditionally the most popular tourist destination. Tour operators try to include in the program of such trips:

• bathing in thermal springs;
• climbing the hills;
• visiting caves.

Of greatest interest here is the Polennitsa rock, whose caves are of lava origin.

In the vicinity of Vilyuchinsk there is not only a volcano (this is already difficult to surprise), but also a waterfall, to which walking and car excursions are arranged.

Boiling eggs and potatoes in hot springs, visiting dog kennels and aboriginal camps - your hands get tired of typing a list of Kamchatka attractions, to which experienced guides will lead you.

Summarize:

It is cheaper to contemplate the beauty of the Far East in prefabricated tourist groups.

Even the presence of an instructor does not give a 100% guarantee of your safety - bears and volcano slopes are unpredictable. From time to time, there are reports of the death of extreme tourists, so we advise you to arm yourself with endurance, attentiveness and a faithful shotgun.

Let the bear and the fog bypass you!

I'll start with an analysis of that tour, the link to which you sent me. In general, this tour is balanced and technically feasible. There are some flaws in the general and technical writings of the route, but not particularly critical. For example, the time of climbing Plosky Tolbachik, if we count from Leningradskaya station with the return back to the camp, is underestimated, there is a mention of a crater lake in the crater of the Mutnovsky volcano, although the lake has not been there for about seven years, and so on. But, I repeat, in general, it is quite realistic to be guided by this description.

Further, about the technical component and the real opportunity to bring your plans to life.
Firstly, I would not plan a boat trip on the first day for the simple reason that when you arrive on the peninsula, you simply run the risk of not meeting the same day during daylight hours. There are flights that arrive in Kamchatka in the afternoon. Also, the weather can get in the way. But even if you are lucky with the time of arrival and the weather, all the same, you will technically only have a three-hour excursion, since you will need not only to get your luggage, drive with it to the rendezvous point with the boat, take a walk on it, but also have time during daylight hours to get to the place of the future camp and set up camp. And limiting yourself to a three-hour walk is not very advisable.

Second: with the planned size of the group, it is, of course, possible to hire a boat to make such a boat trip, but the price of such a trip, per each, will be higher than when participating in a standard excursion in a combined group from a travel agency, since the cost of renting a boat, divided for all members of the group will be higher than the price of a standard voucher. But here, of course, there are still options, everything will depend on the exact size of the group. It may well be that it will work out and hire a separate boat at about the same price, per person, as when buying a standard tour.

The cost of renting a ten-seater boat last season averaged 6,000 rubles per hour. 6 hour program big ship cost about 3500-4000 rubles per person for the entire program.

Third: If on the first day I didn’t go for a boat trip, then I would immediately go to the area of ​​Mutnovsky volcano. It is also good that on the very first day to look for a place for base camp will not be necessary and will facilitate further crossings along the route.

Fourth: I would not use the same car for the entire trip. It is really necessary to use GAZ66 and similar equipment, only on the segment Kozyrevsk - Leningradskaya - Kozyrevsk. A 4WD minibus will be enough for the segment Petropavlovsk - Mutnovsky - Gorely - Petropavlovsk, provided that the size of the group does not exceed 7 people. If this group size is exceeded, you can either hire a second car or a larger car. Everything will depend on the size of the group and on the specific prices that the owners of vehicles will set for the next year.

The services of one minibus for three days of the program in the area of ​​Mutnovsky volcano last season cost 22,000 rubles per group. Two minibuses can be found at once for approximately 35-38 thousand per group.

It is quite realistic to count on public transport for the segment Petropavlovsk - Kozyrevsk. But, it is quite possible that it will turn out for reasonable money to negotiate with a hired car, for example, the same minibus. Moreover, there is no scheduled service between Esso and Kozyrevsk. This option will eliminate the need to dock two different regular buses, although if you want to save as much as possible, this option is quite real. It is also possible to leave Esso public transport.

The only "but" when using regular buses: you need to take care of purchasing all the necessary tickets for the group and the guide in advance.

I can find a car for the Kozyrevsk - Leningradskaya - Kozyrevsk section quite easily. The cost of services of such a car according to the program you have chosen last season was about 45,000 rubles per group.

Fifth: I would not spend the night in the Esso area just in the forest near the village for the following reasons: 1) Bears (I think everything is clear here). 2) Alas, in that area there are cases of theft from tents left unattended. It's just that the proximity of the settlement allows random people who are far from tourism and do not think about moral standards to get to the camp area. In places relatively remote from settlements, everything is much simpler in this regard. 3) But, since your program is tied to a swimming pool, a museum and other infrastructure of the village, it would be logical to agree with some private hotel or in general with local resident about setting up tents in their yard for free or for a small amount.

Sixth: Flight to the Valley of Geysers - a standard excursion. It now costs 27,000 rubles per person for a seven-hour program. Cheaper to find the same flight is unlikely. This flight must be booked in advance, as you cannot just arrive at the heliport and simply buy tickets for the departing aircraft. Departure lists are agreed in advance. Only a small group of 1-3 people can take off spontaneously if there are empty seats on board, which is far from guaranteed.

Seventh: Overnight stays in tents can be organized both right within the boundaries of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and in its nearest suburbs or in the forest in the direction towards the next segment of the program, taking into account what kind of transport you use. Although, if there is a person in Kamchatka who would undertake booking excursions, arrangements with transport, a boat, hotels, and so on, you can try to agree that you will have tickets in your hands, and you will take the bus not at a bus stop, but in a convenient a place for you along the route of the bus.

Eighth: The services of a guide per group this season cost 4,000 rubles per day per group.

Ninth: You need to take into account that part of the route passes through the territories natural park"Volcanoes of Kamchatka". Visiting these territories is subject to the presence of a permit to visit, as well as the payment of a recreational fee for part of the route. The recreational fee this year is 300 rubles per person at a time.

Of course, it is worth considering the need to purchase products for travel. It is also better to do this in advance, rather than allocate time for the purchase on the first or other days of the trip.

If you need, I am ready to help you in solving all the issues I have described in terms of preparing the route, as well as in finding a guide, transport, and so on.

Route: St. Petersburg - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - St. Petersburg

Hey, in Kamchatka!

Overture

The first day,
or
The adventure begins

The flight Khabarovsk - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky turned out to be the shortest and took about three hours. As soon as we dived under the clouds during the landing approach, a landscape of unprecedented beauty opened up before me. Directly in front of the porthole was a snow-covered cone of a volcano. The snow shimmered in the rays of the blinding sun, and the picture turned out to be completely unearthly.
- Mom, look, there is Avachinsky! - a boy sitting nearby said to my mother, and this is how the name of this volcano was revealed to me.
Hearing a fuss behind me, I turned around and saw how, spitting on all the safety rules during landing, climbing on top of each other and clinging to the window with open mouths, foreigners were looking at this beauty. This part of the Motherland was still alien to me, but at that moment I felt a strong surge of pride!
I was met by Kirill, who arrived here a day earlier. While we were waiting for the arrival of my luggage, he unfolded in front of me a map of the Kamchatka region, which he had already bought here, and initiated me into our immediate plans. It turns out that his grandmother, who had acquaintances throughout Russia, also had connections in Kamchatka. Having established contacts, she agreed that we would be received at some fishing base, where the fish were visible and invisible. They allegedly even promised to put us on allowance.
“The shift is already waiting,” Kirill winked. - Get your luggage and let's go.
The shift was waiting for us in Petropavlovsk. So after getting my backpack, we went to the bus stop. The fact is that the Petropavlovsk airport is administratively located on the territory of another city - Yelizovo - and it is separated from Petropavlovsk itself by 20 kilometers.
At the bus station in Petropavlovsk, where the bus brought us, the first thing I bought was Kamchatskoye beer, the only beer produced in Kamchatka. I read a lot of positive reviews about it on the Internet and could not help but try it. In fact, the beer was actually quite high quality.

... Another half an hour later we were driving a ZIL-131 towards the fishing base. The driver turned out to be a gloomy grandfather, whom we did not manage to talk to. He answered all questions in monosyllables, and on some he gave incomprehensible answers. When we asked him his name, he unexpectedly replied:
- So how should it be?
- Well, as in the passport, - we were confused.
- In the passport - Stanislav Artemovich, - said the grandfather and fell silent again.
However, we managed to extract from him that the base is 300 kilometers away, that it is located on the Opala River (we immediately found a place on the map - really, not close), that the road there is completely killed and that 60 kilometers from the base there is ferry crossing across the Bolshaya River, which does not work at night. The crossing opens at 7 o'clock, and we, according to grandfather, should drive there at 2 o'clock in the morning.
I looked at the clock - it was 18.30. M-yes!

An hour later we drove into the village of Sokoch, where Stanislav Artemovich went to have dinner at a dumplings shop. We had a bite of sandwiches with pate, after which I could not resist and bought half a liter of Kamchatsky for dessert.
While I was savoring the beer, my grandfather returned, but he did not turn on the ignition.
“Drink it up,” he told me. - Then we'll go.
I waved my hand, they say, let's go, I'll finish my drink on the way.
“Well, look, it’s up to you,” grandfather grinned slyly, and we drove on.
Behind Sokoch was the village of Dalniy, and behind it - the asphalt broke off and the ground began, and far from best quality. I was shaking so much that I was even out of breath. Only now I understand the meaning of the grandfather's grin! Of the remaining 300 grams of beer, I spilled about 250 on myself. As they say, it was running down his mustache ... It’s good that he didn’t take a bottle, otherwise he would have clicked all his teeth!
Another hour and a half later, we passed the fork in Milkovo and left the so-called Transkamchatskoye Highway. Around this time it began to rain, which did not stop all night.
The further we moved and the more it got dark, the more we wanted to sleep. Still, the flight through nine time zones could not but affect the performance of the body. But there was no way to sleep. As soon as I began to pass out, as a relaxed head began to dangle from side to side, like a scatter ball, and regularly knock against the back wall of the cab. Shock absorbers on ZIL, of course, did not smell.

...After some considerable number of hours, we reached Ust-Bolsheretsk - the administrative center of the Ust-Bolsheretsk region.

Second day,
or
Something about the caviar business

We arrived at the crossing at the beginning of the sixth morning. The rain had already stopped by this time, but it was damp and cold outside. We climbed into the kung to sleep, but there was no way to take a comfortable position there, since the entire kung was packed with plastic containers (for caviar, as we found out later). Having nothing to do, I pulled out a player from my backpack and turned on my favorite song that accompanies me on all my travels. I can guess her melody from one note, and in any state. This is "Voyage, Voyage" by Desireless.
The ferry was a motorized barge that delivered passengers to the other side of the Bolshoy River in about five minutes. Most of all in this whole crossing I was struck by the price for transportation vehicle, which was 4000 rubles one way! And there was no other way to be on the other side. So, if you need to cross, whether you want it or not, pay.
Then we moved strictly to the south, still along the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. It was beginning to get light, and on the right side of us a majestic seascape. To the left is a yellow-green ocean of fields.

At some point, Stanislav Artemovich slammed on the brakes and, pointing his hand into the field, calmly said:
- There he is!
We looked where he was pointing, and the dream vanished in an instant! About a hundred meters from us parallel to the road, gracefully striding, a bear was walking. His brown carcass stood out against the yellow background like a fly in milk. In a fraction of a second, I put the video camera on alert and captured unique footage. Yes, the plot is what you need! I saw a bear in the wild for the first time. We shouted in unison, but the clubfoot decided not to honor us with attention.
Stanislav Artemovich said that this year it was forbidden to shoot bears, and they got divorced here, apparently, invisibly. In confirmation of his words, after a few kilometers, we spotted another clubfoot. True, he was far away, and with my short-sighted vision I could hardly distinguish him.

... At about 9 o'clock in the morning we arrived at the final destination, having spent more than 14 hours to overcome three hundred Kamchatka kilometers. The base was located on a spit 300 meters wide, which occupied the space between the Opala River and the sea coast. It consisted of about ten residential barracks, several adjacent barracks-shops for harvesting caviar, a dining room, a bathhouse and two single-pointed wooden toilets located on different sides of this mini-town.
We were met by Sergei Petrovich - CEO this caviar company, who was an acquaintance of Kirill's grandmother. Correctly assuming that we were tired from the road, he led us to the dining room, where we, pretty hungry, had a hearty and tasty breakfast. What was especially unusual among the dishes local cuisine, this is a huge bowl standing in the middle of the table, with a slide filled with the freshest red caviar. I have not only never eaten such a quantity of caviar, but I have never seen it at all! After we had breakfast, Sergei Petrovich placed us in one of the residential barracks and offered to rest. I switched off as soon as I took a horizontal position ...

Waking up about six hours later, we first of all proceeded again to the dining room, where again, in literally of this word, ate red caviar.
Then Sergei Petrovich (“Petrovich” - as he was respectfully called at the base) drove us on his jeep for three kilometers down the Opala, where the river flowed into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. At the mouth, we took pictures and filmed the heads of seals sticking out of the water. Petrovich explained that despite the fact that the skin of a seal is highly valued, no one hunts for it here - there is no time, since all forces are thrown into catching fish.
Back at the base, we went to see its sights. The first of those that we discovered was an iron container about 5x5 meters in size and 1 meter deep, which was almost completely filled with freshly caught fish. Chum salmon, pink salmon, salmon, char... After taking various pictures against the background of this fish pile, we went to the cutting shop. The fish was fed here from the container along two chutes. Six people, three per chute, cut open the belly of each fish, removed the eggs, and the fish itself was sent further, where six more people stored it and sent it to the refrigerator for freezing.
Having admired the operations of opening fish carcasses, we went to the adjacent workshop, where we were engaged in the preparation of caviar. In the most in general terms this caviar preparation process looks like this. First, caviar is manually rubbed on a special wooden unit through two layers of sieves, where its grains are separated from the slimy film and completely cleaned. Then the caviar is served for salting, after which its preparation, in fact, ends. This shop has a shift of five people. One of them, a salting master, a guy named Dima surprised us with the story of his appearance in Kamchatka. Eight years ago, he flew here from Perm to ride for a week on skiing, and since then I have not left Kamchatka anywhere ...
We asked the guys if there were bears in the vicinity, and we were told that there are plenty of this stuff here. They said that often at night, attracted by the fishy smell, they enter the base, wander between the barracks, scare people and dogs, after which they go home in peace. And a couple of days ago, the fishermen went out to catch in the sea. As soon as they, having returned, unloaded the catch on the shore, they saw a bear approaching. People, of course, fled, and the clubfoot, growling with pleasure, ate all the fish ... And there were many such cases here, according to stories.

Day three
or
Catch a fish, big and... even bigger!

... As soon as the fishermen nailed the marks to the shore, the water along it literally boiled!

Looking at my wet pants and listening to the water squishing in my boots, the seasoned Kamchatka fisherman Yura said:
- You should have some vodka.
Said - done. Before we had reached our barracks, he had already brought an aluminum mug, one-third filled with a clear liquid. Actually, I can’t even stand vodka, but now, since my health was at risk, I decided to drink it. As soon as I gathered my strength and drained the mug in two gulps, it immediately became clear that something was wrong with the vodka. The liquid severely burned my throat and seemed to get stuck somewhere in the chest area. Tears gushed from his eyes.
- Well, how? Yura smiled.
- What the hell is this vodka? I mumbled, gasping for air and straining my will not to turn inside out.
- And this is not vodka, - Yura smiled even wider. “It's pure alcohol, eighty-seven degrees. Well done! Beautifully hit!
Everything that could be seen at this base was seen by us during these two days, so we made a firm decision not to waste any more time here and to set sail from here tomorrow. Our evening plans for tomorrow already included swimming in the hot springs of Malkin. Sergei Petrovich was just about to go to Petropavlovsk and promised to let us down.

Day four,
or
Sannikov Land exists!

Two hours later we reached a fork. On the left, the road went north, to such large settlements of Kamchatka as Milkovo, Esso, Klyuchi, Kozyrevo and Ust-Kamchatsk. On the other side, about twenty kilometers from the fork, was the village of Malki. In the opposite direction, the road led to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yelizovo. Petrovich was going to Petropavlovsk, it was not on the way for us, and we offered to drop us off at the fork.
- Are you going on foot? Petrovich asked.
“No,” we answered. - Let's stop someone.
- It's hard to catch a ride here. Hardly anyone will stop. We must go to Sokoč, where I will put you.
But Sokoch looked exactly the same during the day as at night: dumplings, stalls with beer on tap, several shops ... While we were stocking food in stores, Petrovich went straight to the police shift and talked about something with three policemen standing nearby . Seeing us, he waved his hand, saying, come here.
“The guys are going to Malki on duty, so they will drop you right there,” Petrovich said and shook hands with us in parting. We sincerely thanked him for the excellent time spent at the base, after which we reloaded our massive backpacks into the kung "sixty-sixth". This kung turned out to be equipped according to all the rules of escort: two capacious cells and even a punishment cell. There are no handles on the doors, only holes for a four-sided handle. There was only one window, on the front door, however, with half missing glass. We remembered Petrovich's words, not without a smile: "We must go to Sokoch, there I will imprison you." Planted, damn it!
As soon as the door slammed shut behind us, the car started moving. On the way, we saw nothing but trees flickering very close. Soon even charged in the eyes.
At first the car was going smoothly, then shaking began. It became clear that the asphalt was over. About half an hour later, the GAZ-66 stopped. The handle turned on the door, and we were free.

The resort area in Malki occupies, in fact, not a very large territory and consists of a couple of dozen natural puddles shrouded in clouds of steam. In the same place, nearby, in a clearing, a tent city was set up and a parking lot is located (the fee for daily parking of a car on the territory of the recreation center is 140 rubles). The air above the tents is also hazy. But this is not steam, but smoke coming from kebabs roasting everywhere. All this (except for the shish kebabs) was very similar to the fantastic land of Sannikov.
Having chosen a place for a tent (away from the rest of the tents, but right among the puddles) and setting it up, we took off our extra clothes and hurried to plunge into the atmosphere of high and relaxation reigning around.

Day five
or
Snow in the middle of summer

Our future plans for today included lunch in the town of Yelizovo and dinner with an overnight stay at tourist base at the foot of the Avachinsky volcano. Having unloaded on the Transkamchatskoye highway, we began to stop transport to Elizovo. The road was a fairly beaten ground, on which, at best, one car passed in three minutes. Several cars loaded with passengers drove by without stopping. The driver in each of them shrugged his shoulders: sorry, guys, I would give a lift, but I can’t.
After about 10 minutes, a minibus left the side road, which turned in the opposite direction from Yelizovo, but slowed down next to us. Easily recognizing us as tourists, the man sitting behind the wheel advised us, instead of being bored here on the side of the road, to take a walk to the factory where the Malkinskaya mineral water, known throughout Kamchatka, is produced.
“It’s not far here,” he pointed with his hand in the direction of the road from which he came, “three hundred meters. Soda pops right out of the ground there. Come down and have a drink. When else will you see this!
Having agreed that it is a mortal sin not to drink mineral carbonated water spouting from the ground, we set off in the indicated direction. After 300 meters, modern factory buildings really began, among which we, with some difficulty, found a hose sticking out of the ground. There was actually sparkling water flowing out of it. Having drunk this water much more than we wanted, we headed back to the highway. After 15 minutes we managed to stop the Land Cruiser, the driver of which immediately agreed to take us to Yelizovo. He turned out to be a fisherman returning from night fishing, so he treated our bulky backpacks with understanding.
- From Saint-Petersburg? Traveling with a tent? - he was surprised when we, talking on the road, told him the story of our appearance in Kamchatka. - Well done! And where have you already been?
After listening to the story of our adventures, he once again shook his head admiringly.
- You guys are desperate! I have never met such travelers here. Do you have anything against bears?
“Only legs,” we honestly admitted.
At this, a peasant, very simple and pleasant in communication, laughed and gave us a whole lecture, which in general terms boiled down to the following.
- Legs are not a tool. Running away from a bear is the last thing. If he ran, then he put it in his pants. As soon as the bear feels your fear, you are no longer an enemy to be feared for him, but a victim. You can’t run away from him anyway - he will catch up. In general, it is necessary to give a tear only in one case: when you see cubs. They are still stupid creatures, they do not sense danger, they will jump around you, play. And next to the bear cub is always a bear. Who is playing with whom, she will not understand - she will break everything.
Are there any rules on how to behave when meeting a bear? Kirill asked.
There are no universal rules, of course. For example, I have about seven flares constantly lying around in the trunk. Usually they are afraid of fire. But a beast is a beast. You never know what's on his mind. One will get scared and run away, while the other, on the contrary, will become interested in who you are and why you walk around his possessions with torches. If there are no special means, then the easiest way is to raise your hand up. The bear has a primitive mind. He evaluates strength by height - the higher you are, the stronger it means. And one more thing: you should never get close to a bear. It is better to slowly, looking into his eyes, bypass. In recent years, the forest is full of food, so they usually do not attack people. Only if you meet a madman, or a wounded one. And most dangerous is a she-bear whose cub was killed. She will not rest until she takes revenge.
Slowing down at our request at the market, he helped us unload things from the trunk.
“There is a hunting shop nearby, but today is Sunday, they have a day off. Therefore, hold on, - and handed us a flare. - It will be quieter.
I knew that each such thing costs no less than 150 rubles, but this man did not want to hear anything about money. At the mere mention of them, he waved his hand so carelessly that we did not dare to insist, so as not to offend him.
- Rest, guys! He shook hands with us and went about his business.
All this happened so unexpectedly, on the one hand, and casually simple, on the other, that my heart was filled with some special warmth. For only an hour we talked with a complete stranger, but there was a feeling that it was an old and very good acquaintance. I realized (and subsequently became convinced of this more than once) that everyone in Kamchatka is one big and friendly family. The wolf laws of the large metropolitan cities of central Russia do not apply here, here their own norms and customs are human.

Having bought food that did not require cooking in the market and in stores, we had a nice lunch on a bench in some park and began to ask passers-by how to get to the Avachinsky volcano. Despite the fact that, judging by the map, it was not so far from Yelizovo to the volcano, none of the local residents could give us any intelligible explanation. It got to the point that some councils mutually excluded each other and people pointed in opposite directions. Somehow we figured out that we need to go to some holiday villages, where the bed of the Dry River begins, which leads directly to the Avachinsky volcano.
Now, after the lapse of time, it is not even so easy for me to recall our path to this Dry River in my memory. I remember that at first we drove a couple of bus stops from the Elizovskaya bus station. Then we walked about one and a half kilometers on foot, crossed the bridges over the Mutnaya and Mutnaya II rivers, and then stopped a minibus (locally - mikrik). While we were riding on this minikrik, to the right of the road, a fabulous view of three volcanoes opened - Avachinsky, Koryaksky and Kozelsky. It seemed that they were within reach, but we understood that this was far from being the case.
- Having driven us about 10 kilometers, the mikrik stopped in some village, where they explained to us that we need to go further by minibus. After waiting for the minibus, we drove to another village. Here, where, it would seem, the volcano is very close to us, too, no one was able to say anything specific. The saleswoman in the roadside shop assured us that we had to go in one direction, while the driver of the minibus that brought us assured us that it was completely opposite. By the way, both of them were sincerely horrified when they found out that we had come to them from St. Petersburg and were going to go to the volcano on foot through the forest, and at the same time alone.
As a result, we moved in the direction indicated by the minibus. His arguments looked more convincing: he assured that he had taken tourists to the volcano more than once and therefore knew the way for sure.
After about a kilometer we came across a cyclist, who was also interrogated by us about the location of the bed of the Dry River.
“You are on the right track,” said the cyclist, looking around at our massive packs. “But it’s a long way to get there, five more kilometers. There you will see columns and a steep lapel to the left. Turn there and turn. Are you guys going to the volcano?
- On him.
The cyclist grunted mysteriously (just like Comrade Sukhov) and, wishing us good luck, pedaled in the direction we had come from.
Five kilometers on foot to the riverbed, plus it is still unknown how much along the riverbed to the volcano - such a prospect did not appeal to us, therefore, having settled down on the side of the road, we began to stop.
Lucky! Almost immediately, a mini-truck stopped, the driver of which told us that he would take us to the Dry River without any problems, and nodded at the body.
- Get in!

Having rushed with a breeze to the necessary turn to the left, we met there a whole group of tourists, apparently, who were waiting for transport here. From their tired look, one could easily guess that they had come from the direction of the volcano.
The guide of the group told us that it was not close to the volcano, but, in general, not far - about 15 kilometers. His group reached four and a half hours, making stops at the same time. At the foot of the volcano there is indeed a camp site where you can spend the night. Shifters often go along the channel to the base, but they are usually crowded with tourists, so they are not always taken on board. He also said that there are no bears there and never happen, because in those places they have absolutely nothing to eat.
We looked at the clock - the time had barely passed seventeen, and therefore it was quite possible to reach the base by sunset. The first kilometers were easily conquered. Several times we met tourists. We asked all of them the same question - is it still far to the base? And they all gave the same answer - still far away.

About five kilometers later we made a halt, dropping backpacks under a branchy bush. During these five kilometers, not a single car overtook us. But as soon as we sat down to rest, as with opposite side the motor roared and the ZIL shift appeared. Having passed by, she stopped about thirty meters from us, and tourists poured out of her in order to stretch her bones and relieve herself. After watching them for a bit, Cyril came up with a way to have fun. We crouched lower to the ground, hiding behind a bush, and Kirill let out a growl very similar to a bear's. It was very funny to watch how the tourists immediately crowded around the car, called the driver and began to say something to him, pointing in our direction. He, apparently, was a local resident and, knowing that bears are not found here, did not want to believe them. Having laughed enough, we, to the relief of the tourists, rose to our full height and waved to them. They also laughed good-naturedly, gave us a thumbs up, plunged into the ZIL and left.
After four hours of travel, we came to a place where the channel was especially wide. To the left, about a hundred meters away, snow lay, however, so dirty that it was not immediately believed that it was snow, and not some kind of moss. In the same place, desperately slipping, the shift team that overtook us stormed the barrier of wet snow.
It was August 7, and I saw snow at this time of the year for the first time.

Then I went on autopilot ... It's hard to remember when else I had to freeze and get tired like that! The thought that, apparently, it was not far from the base was not reassuring either. It was scary to think that there would be nowhere to warm up, and I would have to spend the night in a tent that had not yet dried out from the rain that watered it all last night in Malki ... The only thing I dreamed about during these hours was that my sleeping bag and spare sports pants would not get wet through with a t-shirt. Otherwise, everything is kabzdets! Even then, most likely, it would not have been possible to get rid of pneumonia ...
After some time, the long-awaited lights loomed far ahead. There were still two kilometers to the base, and, without going into details, I will say that these were the most difficult kilometers ...
The base, like the bed of the Dry River, I also imagined in a completely different way.

Day six
or
Over the white ocean

At the very foot of the volcano in a clearing, we found three monuments. The inscription on the memorial plaque next to them said that these monuments were erected to three tourists who, in different years, left this place upstairs and did not return. There was also inscribed a warning about the need to be extremely careful and careful. The view of the monuments and the thought that it turns out that it is possible not to return back did not add optimism to us. But, by the way, they did not diminish.
It was relieved by the fact that from the first meters of the ascent, yesterday's fatigue immediately began to affect. As soon as I managed to take a few steps up, my back began to ache, and I had to sit down on the stones to rest. After suffering for half an hour, I realized that today will not be any easier than yesterday. But the day was just beginning… It was necessary to climb 2741 meters – this is how much vertically separated the sea level and the top of the Avachinsky volcano.
Kirill, who endured yesterday's cataclysms much easier, encouraged me, they say, let's go quickly, we'll rest upstairs. But if my legs were ready to drag my mortal body forward, then after a hundred steps my back began to hurt unbearably. As a result, Cyril waved his hand - "Catch up!" and went upstairs on his own. Soon he disappeared from view behind one of the bends of the ridge.
I gritted my teeth and moved on...

Coming out on the next section of the trail, I saw a group of eight people resting among the stones. Cyril was also there. This group turned out to be the one that left half an hour before us. Even though I was sitting more than walking, we managed to catch up with her. It pleased! Tourists in this group were equipped from head to toe - in special shoes, overalls, goggles, and some even had ski poles in their hands. From individual phrases, I was able to understand that the group was led by a guide named Vladimir. When I got to them, they were just finishing their vacation. As a result, they almost immediately went on, and I sat in their place. However, Cyril forced me to get up. He said that the group is moving very slowly, at a calm pace, so you need to nail it.
Then we went up with this group. It was felt that the guide is quite experienced. The group, lined up in a chain, one after another, really walked very measuredly. Closing this column, I caught the pace set by the conductor, and fatigue receded. Walking became extremely easy.
For about three hours we walked through the clouds, slowly but surely moving higher and higher along the Avacha Ranges. All this time there was nothing to be seen. Only occasionally opened on the right great view to the top of the neighboring Koryaksky volcano. At the end of the fourth hour of the ascent, we reached the seismologists' hut lined with stones, and the guide Vladimir announced a big halt. Kirill, who had arrived here much earlier, was already walking around the hut stripped to the waist and sunbathing.

The landscape of the surroundings, which opened from this place, was truly unique! Directly below us and all around us stretched as far as the eye could see a white ocean of clouds. Above us, where there was no longer a single cloud, the sun was burning hot. In places above the snowy sheet of clouds, like islands above the depths of the sea, distant peaks hung in triangular spurs. Kamchatka volcanoes- Zhupanovsky and Gorely. And very close, in the neighborhood, is the Koryaksky volcano. The snow on its top shimmered fabulously in the golden rays of the sun. In some places, through the milky cover, the earth, which remained deep below, was visible in dark brown spots.
On the other side of the stone hut of seismologists is the cone of the Avachinsky volcano. From here I first saw its peak - the goal of our ascent. The summit smoked profusely, as the volcano (and we knew it) was active. Among the snowfields, a dark thread ran the path along which we had to climb further.
“Three hours more, and we are there,” Vladimir said cheerfully. “The hardest part is over.
The brightly shining sun and the top of the volcano, which lies in the palm of your hand, made the mood rise, and only later I realized that the guide, to put it mildly, was lying about the difficulties left behind. But now, looking at the final goal of the journey, which seemed almost achieved, I wanted to go ahead and didn’t want to remember the words of the base director, who warned us that it was on the cone that we would have the hardest time.

And so we got to the cone ... It was a slope that ascended boundlessly upward at an angle of 50 degrees. Before that, the path alternately led uphill, then passed in a plane parallel to the earth, and it was thus possible to take a breath. Now we had to move steadily upwards. After resting at the base of the cone, we again lined up one after another and began the last stage of the ascent.
…The path zigzag along the cone, therefore, despite the long distance, our movement relative to the starting and ending points increased much more slowly. The rocky surface of the cone impeded movement incredibly. I took a step in my urban sneakers, and my foot slipped half a step, or even a whole step back along the slag. The feet slid so hard that it was not uncommon to have four points of contact with the surface, putting out the hands in front to keep from falling. At the same time, I tore my palms pretty badly. The guys from the group were wearing boots with special soles, so they did not experience such problems. Realizing that with my clumsy gait I was knocking out the rhythm of those walking behind, I let everyone go ahead and went last.
The guide warned us to be especially careful on this section, since all accidents occurred here.
- Be careful! Did you see the three monuments below? People stumbled on this path, rolled down, and there they broke, hitting their heads on the stones.
I assessed the situation and came to the conclusion that, even having fallen off the path, there is more chance of staying alive than crashing. The slope is not so steep, so that, having started to roll down, it is quite possible to stop if you wish, although you will get severely scratched. Those three seem to be very unlucky...

At the very end of the ascent, almost at the top, about fifty meters before it, a rope stretched along the path, holding on to which, it was much easier to climb. And it is easier, rather, not physically, but mentally, as it became clear that the finish line is already very close.
And finally, we have reached the top! The fog there was so thick that visibility was limited to seven to ten meters. The guide said we were unlucky today. When he climbed here a few days ago, the weather was clear and almost half of Kamchatka could be seen from this place.

In about an hour we covered the 17 kilometers that we had covered in five and a half hours on foot the day before. And another 40 minutes later the shift stopped at the gates of the Lesnaya recreation center in Paratunka. Here the group had lodges booked for the night.
And then an inexplicable discord broke out in our previously friendly team ... Quite unexpectedly, Kirill expressed confidence that he must definitely visit some Upper Paratunsky springs, the way to which he, of course, did not know, but assumed that, judging by the name, this somewhere nearby. I, having lived a day and a half dreaming of a warm pool and a sweet dream in a dry tent, told Kirill that I strongly disagree with his idea.
“Well, as you wish,” he said, “but I went. - And headed towards the road to stop the car in the direction of the sources.
I cursed mentally and followed him, leaving no hope of dissuading him from this unreasonable, in my opinion, undertaking.
Coming out on the road, we stood under the sign "Solnechnaya" and began to stop. As before, a car stopped soon enough with two cheerful men, who explained that they were in a hurry and even late for an important meeting in Paratunka, and therefore they were not on the way with us, since the turnaround to the Verkhne-Paratunsky springs is further, in the village Thermal. But, after conferring with each other for about ten seconds, they decided that for the sake of two brave travelers from St. Petersburg, the meeting could wait (it was already late anyway), and drove a few kilometers further, to Termalny, where they stopped at the exit to a deaf side road.
- We've arrived! Then you are on your own. On this road, without turning anywhere, you will pass about twelve kilometers, there will be springs. Happy to stay!
As soon as I heard about the number of kilometers, I immediately realized that I definitely wouldn’t go to the springs, which I told Kirill about. To this he replied that in that case he would go alone, even without a tent. Desperate to convince him, I spat and waved my hand:
– Go! - and he turned around and went in the direction from which we had just arrived. I decided to go back to Paratunka, find a comfortable place for a tent, get enough sleep, swim in the pool in the morning and go to see the capital of Kamchatka - Petropavlovsk.
I glanced at my watch. It was 23.40 - in 20 minutes the last full day of our stay in Kamchatka was to begin ...
Having set up a tent in a clearing among the bushes about 30 meters from the checkpoint, I wrapped myself in a sleeping bag, and I don’t remember anything else about that day ...

In September 2012, I and two other stuntmen from Nizhnevartovsk flew from Kamchatka to the mainland. Getting on the plane, I knew that I would come back here, because the topic of Kamchatka was not fully disclosed by me and I did not see much beauty. For 18 days, we managed to visit only the Nalychevo park and Khalaktyrsky beach.

And now, 2 years later, I again went to Kamchatka, from August 10 to September 1, 2014. The action plan was as follows:

• Arrival, accommodation, sleep off after the flight, buy: gas, food, funds from bears.
• Three-day visit to southern Kamchatka:
  • Thermal GeoCHP
  • Dacha hot springs
  • Mini valley of geysers
  • Volcano Mutnovsky
  • Volcano Gorely
• Twelve-day hike in Central Kamchatka:
  • Volcano Plosky Tolbachik
  • Dead forest, cones of the northern breach, lava caves
  • lava flows
  • Go around the Plosky Tolbachik volcano alone, look at the entire Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes and get to the natural monument - Mount Polennitsa.

Initially, the trip was designed for two, but six months before the trip I found out that my partner would not be able to go, and at the same time I read Marina Galkina’s book “Alone at the End of the World” - about her solo, two-month trip to Chukotka. Inspired by her story, I decided to take a solo trip. Therefore, the search for a new partner disappeared by itself.

In general, public transport is quite difficult in Kamchatka, and therefore it is very difficult to get to many places, and travelers have to either hire a jeep (expensive) or hitchhike (free of charge). But I solved the problem with transport (dropping on routes) in a rather interesting way by writing to the local tourist club, which is also engaged in commercial tourism, saying that, they say, I’m from the mainland, but I don’t want to buy a tour, they say, I’m a tourist myself and therefore asked me to just throw on the route, and take the money only for fuel. And the tourist club agreed, unlike the usual travel agencies.

Start. First day in Kamchatka

The moment of the beginning of the journey is difficult to determine, as one trip spilled over into another. On the first of August, I hitchhiked to St. Petersburg, after living there for 3 days, I went to Yekaterinburg to change a small backpack for camping equipment and a backpack of one hundred and twenty liters. On the same day, August 6, I left for Nizhnevartovsk, from where I had a flight to Novosibirsk on August 9.

In Novosibirsk, I stayed with Igor Korotaev, my old friend. That day I was shown Akademgorodok, the Ob Sea, and also told a lot of interesting things about the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong. In general, I was inspired Southeast Asia and took note of it. On August 10, there was a flight to Khabarovsk, I ended up in Khabarovsk at 7 am on the 11th (such a good jump in time). Three hours of waiting, and I start in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

But stop! The adventures began in the Novosibirsk bus, on the way from railway station to the airport. It's about forty minutes to go, and so I decided to talk with a neighbor, whose name was Svetlana, it turned out that she was flying on the same flight to Kamchatka, and she herself was from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. After the flight to Kamchatka, she offered to go with her and her friends on a two-day rafting trip, but if there was no rafting, then it would be possible to walk to the Blue Lakes, for me it just fit in between South and Central Kamchatka, and I agreed.

When leaving the plane, home volcanoes - Avachinskaya and Koryakskaya Sopki - immediately catch your eye, and you understand what a beautiful land you have flown into. At the airport, Sveta was met, and at the same time I was taken to the city. I note that in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky I did not live in a hotel or hostel, but again with couchsurfers. My couchsurfers worked until 8pm and had to wait. Since we arrived at two in the afternoon, it was necessary to put ourselves somewhere for these six hours of free time. It was decided to leave the heavy backpack with Sveta. In the meantime, I wanted to go and buy gas, but because of the long flights and the time difference, I was wildly sleepy (when flying to the Far East, you should always take this into account), and therefore I overslept on Sveta's kitchen sofa while she herself went to to their affairs. That's how I was extremely lucky to sleep off in a calm environment, and not suffer 6 hours of idleness and a wild desire to close my eyes and fall asleep somewhere on the lawn in the city, thanks to a chance meeting on the bus.

It is worth noting that Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is a city stretched out in a thread 10 kilometers long along the Avacha Bay, and moving around the city can be quite difficult and long. In the evenings, Sveta agreed to give me a lift to the other end of the city to my couchsurfers - again, lucky.

Second day in Kamchatka

Tuesday, August 12 - according to the plan, on this day I had to buy food (the Shamsa supermarket chain is best for this), gas (Alpindustria or the Kvartal shopping center), funds from bears.

There were no problems with food. There was no gas in Alpukha, but it was found in the Kvartal shopping center. But with funds from bears, everything turned out to be much more complicated, flares were not available anywhere, so it’s better to buy them in advance on the mainland.

Bear remedies:

• The simplest whistle (bears are afraid of sharp sounds)
• Flares - it is better to buy in a plastic shell, and not in paper. Effective when meeting with a bear nose to nose. Very heavy, better to buy one piece
• Hunter signal lights, good for scaring away bears at a long distance, reusable, and also very light.

It is worth having all three with you. But at that time I only had a whistle, and I didn’t manage to buy everything else. I needed all these funds only in Central Kamchatka, it was possible to go to the South without them. Therefore, I called Svetlana and asked my friends to look for flares until Saturday (while I was in southern Kamchatka), by that time we decided that on Saturday-Sunday we would go to the Blue Lakes.

I also didn’t have a GPS - and in Kamchatka it is extremely necessary, since the weather changes very quickly, and fogs can come for a long time.

Summary of the day: bought gas and groceries, noGPS and flares.

Day 3 Departure to South Kamchatka

Wednesday, August 13 In the morning I arrived at the tourist club. Gleba Travina (it was with him that I negotiated about transport), met the guide of the tour group Alexander, the cook Nina and the driver Alexei. By agreement, I was supposed to just be taken to the Mutnovsky volcano, but along the way I made friends with the guide and the cook, and thus for the next three days in Kamchatka I lived with the group, moved and ate with everyone - in this I was lucky (in which times already).

Then it became known that Alexander (guide) would also go with me to Central Kamchatka (which means that I will be fed there for about three days until the group leaves.). And when he found out that I was going to bypass Tolbachik alone, and even without GPS, he called me desperate (as many will call me in the future) and said that he could borrow my GPS completely disinterestedly, so thanks to another chance and luck Navigation issue resolved.

On this day, I also got acquainted with a tour group, among which it is worth highlighting two Muscovites of about 40 years old (Vitya and Sasha), they gave me important information on the state of the road and the flow of vehicles from Skovordino to Yakutsk and on to Magadan. Three years ago they flew to Vladivostok, bought a minibus and drove through Yakutsk to Magadan. And since I plan to hitchhike next year along the route Ekb - Novosib - Irkutsk - Yakutsk - Magadan, then their information about roads in Yakutia and Magadan region was extremely interesting to me.

Of the sights, we looked at the thermal GeoCHP, bathed in hot springs (Dachnye) and saw a mini-valley of geysers (really Kamchatka is a land of fire and ice!).

Day 4 The incident with the bear and Mutnovsky volcano

Thursday, August 14 In the morning I woke up at 6 in the morning from loud voices, looking at the clock I was surprised that everyone got up so early, then I heard 3 claps and thought that someone was firing fireworks (yeah, at 6 in the morning something). Then I realized that these were shots and decided to get out of the tent. It turned out that's what happened. A breeding bear (a young 2-3 year old bear that was recently chased away by his mother) came to our camp in the early morning in search of food, he was somehow seen by a Korean photographer from a neighboring camp. While the bear was behaving well, the Korean just filmed it with a camera, while the bear, having eaten the found flatbread, decided to look for food in one of the tents (it turned out to be the tent of our guide Alexander). The bear left a mark of five claws on the awning of the tent, but did not climb further, because the Korean shouted “Tika! Tika!” (Korean like “Don’t! Don’t!”) and banged the spoon on the plate that was lying next to him. The bear was frightened by sharp sounds, besides, everyone began to get out of the tents, then, out of nowhere, the huntsman appeared and drove the bear away with three shots. Since we were in the park, only the huntsman can kill bears, and since it was known that the bear in the vicinity began to pester people, the huntsman was called a couple of days ago. This is such a cheerful morning. The rest of the day was devoted to climbing the Mutnovsky volcano, which consists of three craters, with many sulfuric outcrops, fumaroles, mini geysers, boiling mud pots.

Day 5 Bear again, climbing Gorely volcano

At six o'clock in the morning three shots were fired again. Knowing that this was definitely not a salute, I quickly left the tent to look at the fate of the bear. But this time the huntsman hit for sure - the bear was killed. It is worth adding that over the past two years, the population of bears in Kamchatka has greatly increased, and therefore all the bears do not have enough food, as a result, hungry bears climb into settlements and the number of people bullied by them has increased significantly this summer. And this bear was very thin in mid-August - he did not overweight at all during the summer, and therefore, most likely, he would not have survived the next winter.

The rest of the day was devoted to moving under the Gorely volcano and climbing it. Both ascents (to Mutnovsky and Gorely) are not difficult, both volcanoes are trodden good trails(hard to get lost). Gorely has 12 craters, but we examined the 3 most interesting ones. During the descent, I came across a 72-year-old Japanese man, who, despite his age, nevertheless climbed the volcano, but began to descend earlier than his group (so as not to delay them later), he was accompanied by a second guide from their group. And when I passed by, the knife that I carried in my backpack for 3 days came in handy just in case. The Japanese had a cramped leg and needed something sharp, I borrowed my knife, the cramp was relieved. A couple of phrases in Japanese that I learned a couple of years ago also came in handy. After talking with the guide and the Japanese, I left them a pen, just in case, suddenly the cramp recurs, and I ran to catch up with my group.

At the end of the day we drove back to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, on the way stopping for a swim in the Upper Paratunsky hot springs. On the way, it turned out that in the city for the next three days (Saturday-Monday) the hot and cold water! Thus, I lost the opportunity to wash my things and wash properly (but I bought in hot springs).

6-7 days. Blue lakes and new acquaintances

Saturday-Sunday, August 16-17. On the night from Friday (day 5) to Saturday (day 6) I spent the night with couchsurfers. On Saturday, at 12 o'clock, a certain Alexander arrived, a guy of about 27 years old, a candidate of agricultural sciences, from Orenburg. He returned just from Plosky Tolbachik (Central Kamchatka), where I was going to go in a couple of days, so, after sharing his impressions a little, he said that he had good weather and he really liked it there. At 14 o'clock Sveta picked me up and in her jeep we went to Yelizovo, for her friend Nadya, and from there immediately to the Blue Lakes. What is Blue Lakes? This is a 16 km path through the forest to the sources of the Polovinka River, and at the end you will find three very beautiful, blue lakes, from which the river flows and a beautiful array of mountains called the "circus". On the first day we walked only 8 km, we decided to spend the night not in tents, but in houses (free of charge), since in this area people constantly stumble upon bears. For dinner, they cooked an ear.

On the 7th day (Sunday) we got up early and went light to the lakes, leaving our things at the camp. In the evening we were at home in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, we never met a bear on the trail.

In the evening, Alexander from Orenburg gave me the hunter's signals, so something more significant was added to my whistle.

While I was in southern Kamchatka, Svetlana found 2 flares in a plastic shell, so the issue with them was also successfully resolved.

Day 8 Departure to Kozyrevsk (Central Kamchatka)

Monday, 18 August. Met a new group. It is 500 km to Kozyrevsk, and it takes ten hours to go on a shift. Why? Yes, because the roads in Kamchatka are gravel, and there is very little asphalt (it is only from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Milkovo, and even then not everywhere). Since the hotel in Kozyrevsk was not paid for me (I pay only for the shift), I spent the night in the shift itself (I remembered Kyrgyzstan). On the way, by the way, we made a stop in Sokochi and ate giant pies for 70-80 rubles.

Day 9 Road from Kozyrevsk to Plosky Tolbachik volcano

We went to the BTTI slag fields () of 1975-1976 (south of Plosky Tolbachik) and new lava flows (2012-2013 eruption). The road from Kozyrevsk is about 70 km long. Off-road. We drove for about 6 hours. Gradually, the forest was replaced by slag fields. The last part of the journey was along the cooled lava of 2013.

The remaining half of the day was devoted to setting up the camp (under conditions strong wind we lined the tents with stones so that they would not be blown away by this very wind) and inspecting the lava flows. An important note, there is practically no water in this place. One of the few sources is melting snowfields and glaciers on Tolbachiki, but it is far to go to them, because all the water here is imported. And with you you need to have containers for water, in the amount of about 4 liters.

Upon arrival, I had only one question left to solve: how to leave from here to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, since the group with which I arrived was leaving in two days, and I stayed for another week. Therefore, immediately after setting up the camp, I went to explore the surroundings and came across a camp of geophysicists who said that they would only leave on August 31 (I have a plane on September 1). I quickly got to know them and became friends. I thought that when I returned here on the 29th, if I did not find anyone (other tour groups) before 31, then I would leave with geophysicists and calmed down about my departure from the area.

Day 10 Climbing Plosky Tolbachik

The height of the volcano is only 3000 m. No special acclimatization is required, equipment is also required. The path leads up. The only thing is that it is cold at the top and warm below, so you need to take warm clothes and something windproof with you. And sunglasses. And a thermos of tea. And cookies.) The climb to the top takes about 4 hours. That day I spoke more English than bus tour across Norway. In general, the impression was that foreign tourists there are more Russians in Kamchatka. Mostly Europeans, less often Koreans, Japanese, Chinese. Almost all Europeans are pensioners, but they climb volcanoes very cheerfully. I met a German who lived in the GDR and studied in Kyiv, he even remembers Russian quite well.

We returned to the camp at six o'clock. It is worth talking separately about lava fields. Outside, they have cooled down, but inside the temperature can remain at the level of 1000 degrees, and therefore hot air and various gas vapors can come from lava faults, I watched how four geophysicists sat at the lava fault and dried their boots there, plus they warmed themselves. By the way, MTS catches quite well on the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes.

Day 11 Dead forest, lava caves, group departure

In the morning we gathered the camp, except for my tent, which remained in splendid isolation. Here I was called desperate a couple of times, but I'm already used to it. All together in a shift went to the Dead Forest. Dead forest - these are trees covered half their height with volcanic slag in 1975-1976. But in forty years, the old trees turned into dry wood and died, and first moss and lichen appeared on the slag, then grass. Now, after forty years, there are places where new trees grow.

We visited the Zvezda crater with lava caves. Incidentally, it should be noted that among the group was Natalya Medvedeva, director of the Nizhny Novgorod newspaper "Studio NN". It turned out that we have a mutual friend - Rufina (I met her while traveling around Norway) - not a small world, but a thin layer.

Then there was an interesting scene, before turning to Kozyrevsk, the shift stopped, the door opened, and a small backpack flew out of it and landed softly on volcanic slag, then I jumped out. The whole crew waved their hands at me, and they left, and I was left alone in the middle of the slag desert, six kilometers from the camp. I reached the tent in an hour and a half, meeting several tourist camps with shift workers along the way (they gave me hope that in a week, when I return, there will be as many of them).

From this moment, my seven days of solo travel begin.

I spent the rest of the day drying my wet clothes in the sun and enjoying the sun. Imagine: the slope of the hill, at the foot of the lava flows spreading into the distance, from above the blue sky, the warm sun, white clouds collide directly overhead, changing their shape, for about an hour I just lay on the slope of the hill.

Spent the night at the old place.