Kamchatka Phototour 2012
July 30
Arrive in Kamchatka. Accommodation in hotel. Welcome lunch in a restaurant. Free time. Prepare for the trip.
Night at the Hotel Petropavlovsk***.
July 31
Drive by 6WD bus to the Gorely Volcano caldera at the base of Mutnovsky Volcano. This caldera is an otherworldly landscape of dry ash and scattered volcanic rocks from the many eruptions of Mutnovsky and Gorely Volcanoes. Here base camp is made between the two volcanoes. Take short walks up the encircling ridge lines to see the large mountain marmots that inhabit the area. See the Kamchatka rhododendrons and variety of other mountain flowers.
Night in tents at the base camp. Double sleeping tents and big restaurant tent.
August 01
Day trip to Mutnovsky volcano (2323m). The Mutnovsky Volcano's nest of merged craters is perhaps the most beautiful volcanic phenomenon of Kamchatka. The view from its top is a magnificent: steep walls surrounding the vast and deep crater cavity, glittering and sparkling glaciers split by cracks, torches of fumaroles oscillating far below and drawing a translucent veil over the northern crater, the southern crater under its armour of ice and above all this a column of vapor rising from the surrounded by cogged crest Active Funnel crater.
Night in tents at the base camp. Double sleeping tents and big restaurant tent.
August 02
Day trip to ascend Gorely Volcano (1829m). A chain of 11 craters across its peak make for a unique sight. This volcano is active and at the moment one of the craters is erupting. A unique sight is the blue acid lake inside one of the craters.
Transfer by 6WD back to Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky
Night at the Hotel Petropavlovsk***.
August 03
Transfer to the airport Avachinsky, board the helicopter and flight 1 hour to Ksudach Volcano. Make an excursion to the crater lake Schtubelya , situated inside Ksudach Volcano, and to a lovely waterfall where water cascades out of the crater. Visit hot springs that create a "hot beach" on the lake's shore.
Short flight to Kamchatka's famed Kurilskoye Lake. Accommodation in a small cozy wooden lodge at Grassy Point. In the lodge there are two levels, 2 bunk rooms of 5 people each are on the second floor and a 5 person bunk room and the dining room are situated on the first floor. A "wrap around" deck affords a gorgeous view of Kurilskoye Lake and surrounding mountains. Often it is possible to watch bears fishing along the lake shore without even leaving the territory of the lodge. Make an excursions along the lake's pumice rock beach.
Night at the lodge.
August 04-05
Observation of Kamchatka Brown Bears, Stellar Sea Eagles, Golden Eagles and Salmon spawning places. Take motor boat excursion and walking excursions with local wardens to a nearby bear view platform (250 meters from the lodge) that is located at the mouth of the many rivers that drain into Kurilskoye Lake. Here you'll have a good chance of taking great, close-up shots of bears fishing spawning salmons. The salmons pause briefly in the lake and then make their way from the lake into the streams where they spawn. Take longer walking excursions to a large meadow where bears feed on wild berries and visit other spawning streams farther from the lodge. Along these streams you'll see spawning salmon and many signs of the large number of bears in the area. There's a good chance you'll see bears fishing just a few yards away as you walk along the banks of streams.
Nights at the lodge.
August 06
Take walking excursions with local wardens to a nearby bear view platform (250 meters from the lodge). Evening helicopter MI-8 flight to stop for a bath in the thermal hot water of the Khodutka River. This is the largest wild hot springs on Kamchatka. The water bubbles out on a section of tundra located just under Khodutka Volcano and forms a small stream. Farther from the source the water slowly cools and you can find the location where the temperature is right for you to take a swim.
Night at the Hotel Petropavlovsk***.
August 07
Start sea cruise. We shall sail from Petropavlovsk on a small newly refurbished ocean-going cutter and explore the Avacha Bay. We will have the possibily of observing breeding seabirds including Tufted and Horned Puffins, Guillemots, Pigeon Guillemots, Kamchatka Gulls, Kittiwakes. We will sail out of the bay to Starichkov Island covered by birds and home of a small colony of Largha Seals and Steller Sea Eagle. Whilst sailing we may see Orcas. If the weather condition will allow we will try to reach cape Kekurny whereSteller Sea Lions haul out and Sea Otters swim around.
Night at the Hotel Petropavlovsk***.
August 08
Fish market visit looking for Salmon and Caviar.
Transfer to the airport in time for our flight to Moscow.
Included in the price:
- Accommodation double room breakfast included.
- All the meals excluded.
- All the activities as for the program.
