Back to Uzon – for the first time in the autumn. | Nota Bene: Eugene Kaspersky’s Official Blog

Of late – been really busy. No surprises there. But the best bit regarding recent weeks: what I’ve been up to has been very varied: just as I like it…

I had birthday celebrations in distant lands, I had a record-breaking air route (both in duration and distance), I finally got myself to Easter Island, and I revisited an old favorite – Iguazu Falls. But most of that needs some time to settle, sink in, marinate for a bit. So for now, I’m turning back to our trip to Kamchatka in the fall; specifically – the Uzon Caldera.

By my count, I’d been here a full five (5!) times before, but I never get tired of the place – and probably never will. This time though was a little different. Up until this trip I’d only ever visited at the height of summer – July or August. But I’d heard many times that the autumn colors here are something else: bright, magical, totally different. So this year (as already mentioned), we decided to visit in September – right at the tail end of the tourist season. And we were so right to do so. See for yourself:

Unfortunately, the sky was a bit too gray – dulling the scene somewhat. With bright sunshine this would have looked absolutely fantastic:

Nevertheless, the views were incredible!

The autumn leaves on Kamchatka stone birch are simply picture-perfect:

But don’t just take my word for it – take a look at these places at different times of the year. Here are some photo comparisons: September 2025 and late July 2024. Exactly the same locations:

It’s a pity we only got a sliver of blue sky that day – it would have been nice to compare the two seasons on equal terms. Clear weather would have made the fall colors even more vivid…

Summer:

Fall:

I think these speak for themselves:

Now let’s take a stroll around the stunning Uzon Caldera – surrounded by the fantastical colors of autumn:

The well-laid-out elevated walkways here make strolls comfortable; they’re also… mandatory! Yes, best not step off them – not with all the bubbling and steaming going on around here…

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: the vivid reds you see in September come from several plants: blueberry bushes, Swedish cornelian cherry (both the berries and leaves), and alpine bearberry (Arctous alpina) – the one with the large black berries and red leaves:

All the time here you hear hissing sounds, see steam everywhere, and smell the unmistakable volcanic scent. We met some volcanologists – here to collect chemical samples from the volcanisms:

We didn’t wait for the eruption of the only geyser here ->

But we’d already seen it in action last year:

And some more photos for your viewing pleasure. The ground is bare here – likely because the sulfur concentration is too high for anything to grow. In the stream though there’s bright green algae thriving…