A big hike in Kamchatka: Tolbachik and volcanoes of the South

Our adventure begins!

First of all, we will stop at the Target Hill, which offers a magnificent panorama of the city, Avachinsky Bay and the home volcanoes Koryaksky, Avachinsky and Kozelsky.

We'll take a short walk around the city center and have lunch at a local bistro. 

If necessary, we will buy more groceries and go to the ocean – to the famous Khalaktyrsky beach with its black volcanic sand. 

You step barefoot on the sand, and the cold water brought by another wave makes goosebumps run all over your body. 

At this moment, looking into the endless water distance to the horizon, you feel the full power and grandeur of the elements. 

The Pacific Ocean is fascinating and peaceful. 

Here we will put up tents, and there will be plenty of time to walk along the beach, retire to the sounds of the surf, and the bravest will be able to carry out a must–do on a trip to Kamchatka - swim in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. 

Car: 30 km.

Accommodation: tents.

Walking distance: 1-5 km.

Meals: dinner. Breakfast and lunch are paid for independently.

Today we will spend the whole day on the road – we are going north. 

The journey will take about 12 hours. 

On the way, we will make several stops to have a snack at a cafe and stretch out. 

Next, we will be dropped off from Kozyrevsk to the Hoof parking lot on shift. 

This is the starting point of our autonomous route.

Car: 540 km.         

Accommodation: tents.

Meals: breakfast, dinner. Lunch is paid for independently.

A short walk of 11 kilometers will give us an excellent opportunity to get involved in the rhythm of hiking under backpacks. 

On the way, we will make a stop at a picturesque lake, from where you can see the majestic Tolbachik volcano. 

We will reach our overnight stay today, parking in the Edelweiss glade, where a cozy wooden canopy and absolutely fearless European cars are waiting for us. 

Next to the clearing, you can often see bears grazing on the neighboring slope, appetizingly eating blueberries. 

In the evening, we will walk to a picturesque place called Ram Rocks.

From our parking lot there is a stunning view of the Sharp and Flat Tolbachik. 

This view is especially beautiful at dusk and at night, when the moon rises from behind the volcano.

Walking distance: 11 km with backpacks.

Height range: 1020-1410 m.

Height difference: ascent – 380 m, descent – 70 m.

Accommodation: tents.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

A busy day, during which we will cover almost 18 km. 

Picturesque glades strewn with blueberries and shikshas are constantly trying to lure us to a halt. 

We will visit a small but very interesting canyon of the Studenaya River with a bizarre relief of vertical walls that have been slowly but surely ground by water for thousands of years. 

Next, we will ford the Studenaya River. 

The availability of water in the river depends on the abundance of precipitation. 

There may be knee-deep water, or there may not be at all. 

After a lunch snack, our path continues along an unexpressed path along the channels of the Studenaya River and the Lower Washout. 

On the way, we admire the panorama of the Tolbachik volcano on the right, and the Ushkovsky volcano on the left.

These grandiose giants are impressive and inspiring at the same time.

Before reaching a couple of kilometers to our parking lot, we will stop for a rest at the Woodpile rock.

The woodpile is a rock protruding from the hill with a remarkable layered formation, which really looks like stacked firewood.

Overnight at the Champ de Mars parking lot with a wooden canopy.

Walking distance: 15 km with a backpack.

Height range: 1100-1430 m.

Height difference: ascent – 330 m, descent – 10m.

Accommodation: tents.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

It's a day off today. 

We'll get some sleep and take a walk through the surrounding Martian landscapes. 

Let's go up to the Jupiter crater, which offers very beautiful panoramas.

On foot: 4-5 km light.

Accommodation: tents.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

A good day's work. 

We will overcome 2 passes: Tolbachinsky and Tolud – with a slight height difference. 

Today we have to walk 22 km. 

Parking at the Tolud base with a good wooden canopy at the foot of the picturesque volcano of regular conical shape Bolshaya Udina. 

In general, we will be accompanied by magnificent views of the Ovalnaya Zimina, Bolshaya Udina and Tolbachik volcanoes throughout today's transition.

Walking distance: 22 km with a backpack.

Height range: 930-1570 m.

Elevation difference: ascent – 170 m, descent – 620 m.

Accommodation: tents.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

A short walk 12 km to the parking lot of the Spring (Claw). 

Let's walk through a lava field with bizarre shapes of frozen lava, similar either to tree trunks or chocolate. 

On the way, we will visit unique lava caves, the dimensions of the tunnels in which reach up to 5 meters high and 8 meters wide. 

Walking distance: 12 km with a backpack.

Height range: 980-1580 m.

Height difference: ascent – 635 m, descent – 300 m.

Accommodation: tents.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Epic light ascent of the Plosky Tolbachik volcano (3140 m)! 

At the top, a giant crater about 2 km in diameter awaits us, from the walls of which rockfalls are falling every minute, a beautiful view to the south – the entire “lunar” volcanic desert with numerous slag cones. 

The ascent is quite grueling. 

We have to walk about 26 km in both directions, it will be difficult, but it's worth it, believe me.

On foot: 26 km light.

Height range: 1310-3020 m.

Elevation difference: ascent – 1880 m, descent – 1880 m.

Accommodation: tents.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Let's get up early. 

Today we need to have time to see the famous "Dead Forest" and climb the Northern Breakthrough formed during the Large Fractured Tolbachinsky eruption. 

We will cover a few hours of the way to the iconic place – the village of Esso, on the way we will make a stop at a cafe in Kozyrevsk. 

In Esso, we will check into a campsite.

Car: 150 km.

Walking distance: 2 km with backpacks.

Accommodation: camp site.

Meals: breakfast, dinner. Lunch is paid for independently.

In Esso, we will have plenty of hot springs and wash off fatigue after an autonomous route. 

We will also visit the magnificent ethnographic museum. 

Those who wish can go rafting on the Bystraya mountain river on rafts (not included in the price).

Accommodation: camp site.

Meals: breakfast, dinner. Lunch is paid for independently.

Almost all day we drive south to the epic volcanoes Mutnovsky and Gorely. 

On the way, we will make a stop for lunch at a cafe and in a store to replenish food.

Car: 580 km.

Accommodation: tents.

Meals: breakfast, dinner. Lunch is paid for independently.

After a short shift trip, we will climb the Mutnovsky volcano (the ascent takes place according to the permitted scheme: the group goes up to the point where a panorama of the crater opens and the glacier and fumaroles can be seen from afar) with its amazing geothermal zones, fumaroles and colored slopes, from where sulfur gas with water vapor makes its way through the thickness of the earth's crust. 

This is one of the grandest places in Kamchatka. 

We will also see the legendary Dangerous Canyon, which is not inferior in beauty to the Grand Canyon in the USA, and a waterfall almost as high as a 30-storey building, which plunges to the bottom of the canyon. 

It is the tallest in the whole of Kamchatka – an amazing sight!

In the area of the geothermal power plant, we will visit the small valley of geysers, and in the evening we will return to the foot of the Gorely volcano.

Car: 30 km.

On foot: 10 km light.

Height range: 1000-1470 m.

Height difference: ascent – 330 m, descent – 330 m.

Accommodation: tents.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

The ascent to Gorely volcano, which takes about 4 hours. 

From the edge of the crater we will see a magnificent view of the Vilyuchinsky volcano. 

A huge crater with a lake at the bottom opens up under your feet, dropping down hundreds of meters.

This epic spectacle will impress even the most sophisticated travelers. 

After stopping at a cafe on the way to the PC, we will visit a Large lava cave with an ice bottom, where Yuri Bashmet himself gave a concert at one time. 

In the evening, check-in at the guest house / hostel, rest.

Car: 100 km.

On foot: 10 km light.

Height range: 1000- 750 m.

Height difference: ascent – 750 m, descent – 750 m.

Accommodation: guest house / hostel.

Meals: breakfast.

We will spend the whole day visiting fish markets and shops, buying souvenirs and just walking around the city. 

We also recommend booking a boat tour and going on a unique ocean voyage to Russian Bay and Starichkov Island (for almost the whole day). 

If you do not go on a boat trip, we recommend visiting the volcanarium. 

In the evening, we will jointly arrange a farewell festive dinner.

Accommodation: guest house / hostel.

In the morning before departure, you can run through the shops and markets for those who did not have time to do so.

Farewell to Tierra del Fuego and the participants who have already become very close.