NALYCHEVO VALLEY AND KAMCHATKA VOLCANOES

Type: Combo (car-trekking)
Duration: 14 days / 13 nights
Difficulty: No special physical training necessary
Dates of tour in 2015: 04.08, 18.08.
Cost 925 Eur per  person
Extra payment for single room accommodation: 102 Eur.
Programm:
Day 1: Arrival to Kamchatka. Meeting at the airport. Transfer into Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (40 min). Accommodations in a hotel. Rest.

Day 2: Departure into Naluchevo Valley on the truck (9-10 hours) to the central base of Nalychevo nature park. Accommodation in cabins 6-8 persons each. Bathing in hot springs.

Day 3: Rest. Walk in Bear Tundra to Goryacherechensky and Zheltorechensky hot springs, Kotel thermal group. Thermal springs deposits have created a travertine shield of 150X200 meters for many years. Having moved from the shield center, a low cone of 2.5 meters high with cup-shaped crater – pot – is rising. Observing the exposition of the Ecology Education and Tourism Center. Bathing in hot springs.

Day 4: Light radial hike to Aagsky (Chistinsky) mineral springs (24 km). Back to the base.

Day 5: Hike to Talovsky hot springs. (12 km, 4 hours). The path lies in the valleys of the Zheltaya and Shaibnaya rivers and over a small pass Malysh (500 m). On your way you will see bright-orange travertine cones of Kraevedcheskie springs. Bathing in Talovsky hot springs. Overnight in a cabin for the group.

Day 6: Ascending fumarole field in the crater of Dzenzur volcano and to Sorosa pass (ascent from 600 to 1485 meters), 26 km, 10 hours. The path lies in a picturesque crevice of Zhelob brook, running in a hardened lava flow. Numerous outlets, eddies, small waterfalls. Then, on the crest of the lava flow, the path goes to the fumarole site located under the wall of the caldera. At the northern edge of the site, from boulders fumarole jets with a loud sound and forms a fountain of 1-2 meters high. Lavas of Dzenzur are of very rare rope shape. From fumarole site we follow the path in the northern direction to the saddle of Sorosa pass. There is a wonderful view from the saddle to the north where there is Karymsky volcano and Zhupanova river valley.

Day 7: Return from Talovsky springs to Nalychevo central base, 11 km. (4 hours). Rest. Bathing in hot springs.

Day 8: Departure to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (9-10 hours). Accommodation in a hotel.

Day 9: Departure to the moorage. Sea trip in the Avacha bay (5-6 hours). Observing of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the Avacha Bay, the Avacha Gulf. The rout is along the Tikhaya Bay, Babushkin Kamen Island, Stanitskogo cape, Three Brothers Rocks to Starichkov Island named after murrelet birds pronounced in Russian as «Starik», which nest there. Observing bird colonies, mixed with guillemot, kittiwake and cormorant. Sea calf and antur island seal rookeries are located on the coastal reef surrounding the island. One can fish greenling, lenok, flat fish during the trip. Lunch on board. Back to the mooring.
Drive to Verkhne-Paratunsky hot springs area (3 hours). Setting up a tent camp. A walk to the hot springs and bathing. Dinner.

Day 10: Drive to Gorely volcano (2 hours). Ascending Gorely volcano (1829 m). Ascend on the volcano is not difficult. The path lies on old lava flows and slag fields. Kekurniks – hardened lava remains of various shapes are very interesting. Ascend takes 3 hours. Level difference is about 900 meters. Snacks on the top. Observation of main craters of the volcano. (1-1.5 hours). Ascend takes 6-7 hours. Return to the camp at the same way. Overnight in tents.

Day 11: Drive to Mutnovsky volcano (10 km, 1 hour). Foot excursion to the crater of Mutnovsky volcano. The deep crater is surrounded with cliffs. From the eastern side to the very bottom of the crater a glacier descends from the top. Mighty jets of steam and gas are released through glacier cracks. There is a lot of boiling mud pots, fumaroles, and beautiful deposits of burnstone on the crater bottom. Hiking to the crater (6 km, 3 hours). Level difference is about 800 meters. Observation of the crater. (2 hours). Snack (packed lunch). Duration 7-8 hours. Return to the camp at the same way. Departure to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Accommodation in a hotel.

Day 12: If weather is good, for those who wish, heli excursion to the Valley of Geysers and Uzon volcano caldera (6 hours total) with fly around active Karymsky volcano and Maly Semyachik. Hiking excursion in the Valley of Geysers (2 hours), fly to Uzon volcano caldera, hiking excursion in the caldera (1 hour). Lunch during excursion. Coming back, transfer into the recreation center. (Excursion is carried out depending on fine weather and is paid additionally).
After the excursion, drive to Avacha volcano in volcanic plateau area, between Avacha and Koryaksky volcanoes, located on 900 meters about sea level. Time driving 2,5-3 hours. Accommodation in a tourists’ shelter. Dinner. Overnight in a house (4-6 persons in a room).

Day 13: Ascent of Avacha volcano (2751 m). Ascent of the western slope of the volcano and range like crest of the ancient strato volcano. The remains of the ancient volcano round the young cone as «a collar». Angle of the slope in pre-top part is up to 30°. A fine view opens from the top to Zhupanova group of volcanoes, Kozelsky volcano, spaciousness of the Pacific Ocean, Koryaksky volcano massive cone. Snacks on the top, observation of the crater. Return to the camp at the same way. Ascent distance – 8 km. Duration of ascent 6-8 hours; descent takes 3-4 hours. Dinner. Departure to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Accommodation in a hotel.

Day 14: Transfer into the airport. Departure.

Included:

• Transfer
• accommodation
• transportation
• guide’s service, cook’s service, full pension meal on route
• group equipment (tents, kitchen equipment, etc.).

Not Included:
— Excursions in Day 12 (the cost of the helicopter excursion to the Valley of Geysers and the caldera of volcano Uzon is about 550 Eur per persons).
— Meals in the city.