Kamchatka is somewhere far away on the edge of Russia. And in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky it seems to always be midnight. Well, that was what I heard on the radio early every morning in my childhood. I dreamed of jokingly saying this phrase as soon as I stepped out onto the land of volcanoes. But when I landed, it was still far from midnight. The Kamchatka Peninsula, which could fit both Benelux and Germany inside it, is dominated by volcanoes. They 'write chronicles' here, they are responsible for geographical boundaries. Almost 30 active volcanoes change the local landscape from time to time, and at the same time change the statistics in volcanologists’, climatologists’ and meteorologists’ reports. Living next to a volcano can be very nerve-racking, but the locals have long been accustomed to it. Every resident of Kamchatka has seen a powerful eruption at least once in their life, each Kamchadal (a citizen of Kamchatka) has a story to tell to a traveler: about volcanoes, bears, and strong snowstorms. The locals even came up with the term “to blizzard," meaning to sit at home until a strong blizzard ends. I suspect that Kamchatka is beautiful at any time of the year, but most tourists fly to the end of the world during the summer, when they can experience many adventures. I am telling you what you can do on the Kamchatka Peninsula and what you need to know taking a trip there.
The weather will be very different, as well as the activities. It will be both hot and cold.
Almost all mobile operators work within Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The worst of them all, traditionally, is Beeline. As soon as you leave the city, the "bee" waves to you and says "see you tomorrow". MTS and Tele2 work best of them all. Many hotels have Wi-Fi, the connection quality is usually average. Well, until recently they used only satellite Internet in the Kamchatka region, it was expensive and very slow.
Things are good. Breakfasts in the hotels, however, are pretty monotonous with very few fruits and vegetables due to their high cost. There are not many good restaurants in the city, but a few are excellent. Restaurant prices in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are close to Moscow prices, and sometimes higher. Check current menus before the trip, especially in peak season. For seafood and local cuisine in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, check "Dva Morya, Okean" on Ozernovskaya Kosa. It is close to the waterfront and works well for dinner after a walk along the bay. Another option is "Kamchatka Local Kitchen", but check its current address before booking.
Due to its remote location, a trip from the country’s capital, Moscow (let’s take that as the starting point), will be expensive. Let's start with the ticket prices. Thrifty tourists can buy tickets far in advance — in February or March. A good price for an economy-class ticket is 22,000-24,000 rubles one way. During the peak season, July and August, the national airline sells tickets for 100,000, or even more, for a direct flight in economy-class. I flew with a stopover in Novosibirsk and paid about 40 thousand rubles. Where to stay is up to you. You can spend your vacation in a tent or you can rent a great house on the ocean. Prices for a comfortable hotel in peak season start from 10 000 rubles per night. The most expensive excursions in Kamchatka are to the Valley of Geysers and Lake Kuril about 105,000–120,000 rubles per person. The high price is easily explained — it is a helicopter tour.
Here are a few more examples of prices in the area:
Day 1: Arrive in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatky, rest. It's a 10-hours flight, the time difference with Moscow is 9 hours. It's a lot. Acclimatisation will happen only on the third day.
Day 2: Walk around the city, Khalaktyrsky Beach. Relax in the hot springs.
Day 3: Boat trip to the Russian Bay.
Day 4: Climb one of the volcanoes — Avachinsky, Mutnovsky, or Gorely.
Day 5: Helicopter tour to the Valley of Geysers. (Alternatives: Dachnye Springs and the Small Valley of Geysers or a helicopter flight to Lake Kuril)
Day 6: Trek through Vachkazhets Mountain Range.
Days 7-10: Travel to Tolbachik volcano.
Day 11: Depart for home.
In Kamchatka they say, feed a bear — kill a bear. Bears crawl into the trash looking for food and this is a real problem in the region. The locals tried to solve it. In the wild, you can easily see bears nose to nose. There is a chance that a bear will prefer to get out of your way; it is also shy. But there are times when an animal is irritated or aggressive for some reason, for example, a bear that has not slept enough and has woken up early from hibernation. If the beast feels threatened, it will defend itself. Encounters with bears protecting their cubs are dangerous or with a hungry bear that has just found food. And then you appear. And here you are. The fact that a bear is aggressive can be understood by the following signs: the bear stares at the victim, opens its mouth, and drools, the beast lowers its head, its hair rises, stamps its paws on the ground, it growls and rushes. However, identifying a threat will be quick and, most importantly, intuitive.
A set of simple rules to avoid a bear attack:
1. Do not ride or cycle along bear paths. These are with big animal footprints or holes similar to them.
2. Do not go into the forest alone, not even with a dog.
3. If you see a bear in the distance — yell, make loud noises, swear loudly, knock on bowls with spoons, blow into a stadium horn.
4. Do not get close to bear, even if it looks quite friendly. All this is a cock-and-bull story. Remember that even a 50-kg teenage bear can kill an adult male.
5. Do not climb into the bushes and cedar.
6. Do not hide food in the tent.
7. Incinerate food waste.
8. If you stumble upon cute cubs, leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, you’ll get it in the neck if the mother sees you.
9. If a bear catches you fishing, do not pull the caught fish out of the water. Do not fish where bears do.
10. Do not wake a sweet sleeping bear. Trouble is guaranteed.
What to do when you meet a bear?
The Four Seasons of Russia project is supported by the Russian Geographical Society www.rgo.ru
A trip to the Valley of Geysers is recommended by the Russian Geographical Society.
You can buy a tour to Kamchatka on the website "Russia Discovery" www.russiadiscovery.ru
More about Kamchatka:
Kuril Lake: something about the life of bears and humans
The Valley of Geysers
Avacha Bay
Volcanoes of Kamchatka
Climbing Mount Camel
The Small Valley of Geysers
Trekking to Vachkazhets Mountain range
Translation: Irina Romanova, Instagram: @astrabella1
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