Tag Archives: kamchatka

Though Krasheninnikov volcano is one of the most meditative-contemplative volcanoes in Kamchatka, helicopter tours usually fly right past it. Even on my own travels around Kamchatka, we always skipped it too. And that’s such a shame, since it’s a truly fascinating sight! So – why’s it normally passed by? Because it’s practically always hidden beneath ever-present pesky clouds. Just like on this day: in the foreground is Krasheninnikov; behind it is Kronotsky ->

So, why even mention Krasheninnikov if it’s just one of the hundreds of Kamchatkan volcanoes? Because it’s been in the news…

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Uzon – done.

Valley of Geysers – done.

The Valley of Death – done, but that was last year, and in the summer. So why not head back there to see it painted in autumnal colors? Why not indeed…

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Kamchatka is full of absolutely magical – even fairytale-like – places. There’s the Klyuchevsky volcano group, and Tolbachik and its surroundings; in the south there’s Ksudach, Kurile Lake, and the Kambalny and Koshelevsky volcanoes. The Uzon Caldera and the Valley of Geysers, however, belong to a special category of volcanic beauty. And just like last time, after an hour-and-a-half’s stroll around Uzon, we were taken over by a powerful urge to walk to the Valley of Geysers…

It’s not even that far, really. “Just 10 kilometers!” our guide, Denis, a man with years of experience, announced cheerfully. But we know he always measures distances in a straight line. Sure enough, it’s exactly 10km from Uzon to the Valley of Geysers as the crow flies. As the Kamchatka adventure-tourist walks, however, it’s closer to 15km since you have to follow the contours of the landscape. And it’s soooo worth it. There’s a trail, too – you can just about make it out here in the middle:

Alright, let’s go! We kept looking around, left and right, soaking in these magnificent views:

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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:

Read on: Back to Uzon – for the first time in autumn.

Kamchatka truly abounds in natural beauty, and here’s another precious gem in its impressive crown: the Maly Semyachik volcano, whose main feature is its rather sizeable crater (~800x900m), which cradles a stunningly colorful lake:

From the side the volcano looks rather unremarkable; you’d never guess such a marvel is hiding inside ->

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// In case you’re wondering… I’ll be flip-flopping to-and-fro between Easter Island and Kamchatka-2025 posts in the coming weeks: just so things don’t get samey :-) //

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Kamchatka’s main city), my fellow travelers opined thus: “Where else can you walk out onto your balcony of a morning with a cup of coffee, and see three volcanoes right in front of you?” And I have to agree: three stratovolcanoes from one balcony of an apartment/hotel – probably only in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka. Two volcanoes: maybe on the outskirts of Seattle; but three at once? I’ve never seen that except here. But wait… on a clear day you might just manage to see four volcanoes (each one: massive)!

These three four volcanoes are:

1. The perfectly shaped cone of Koryaksky. Its height is so easy to remember: 3456 meters above sea-level. Yes – Mother Nature having a little fun there )
2. Avachinsky (aka Avacha – not to be confused with the river). Its height is ~2741 meters (the precise figure differs depending on the source)
3. Kozelsky, just over two kilometers tall. It makes up the view the people of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky get to enjoy daily
4. Aag Volcano, but it’s normally invisible (too far)

Well, well. After those rapturous words about these three or four volcanos, I’ve actually… zero photos taken from a balcony to back the rapture up with! Why? This year we didn’t spend even a single day in “the City” (how locals refer to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky) – nor did we plan to. But we did still manage to check out these “home volcanoes” – only, like this ->

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Hi folks!

I’ve said it many times before, but it bears repeating: to me, Kamchatka is the most beautiful place on Earth!

It’s a truly magical world of volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, bears, and so much more. Aside from the region’s famously unpredictable (and rarely friendly) weather, every trip here is just awesome. Awesome – yes, but the elements can quickly turn your plans on their head: even I – normally the most upbeat of optimists – this year had my spirits (and clothes) dampened almost to the point of being completely… dissolved! But more on all that later…

…Not that the rain came later; it started right from the get-go: relentless rain, with Kamchatka’s masterpiece-views hidden behind the dense clouds whence the rain came. But as the days went on, the bad weather finally gave way and, in the end, we were rewarded with a few solidly sunny days and all in all the trip turned out just great! Not everything went to plan (does it ever in Kamchatka?), and we didn’t see everything we wanted to – but what we did was just wonderful. See for yourself in the following pics…

At the summit of Avachinsky, with the neighboring Koryaksky volcano behind it:

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A moment comes when memories of even the most powerful and almost-perfect trip to Kamchatka in the summer of 2024 begin to fade. That went for me recently. So I needed to refresh my memory…

But why was this trip only almost perfect, and not entirely? Simply because one week out of the three was spoiled by dreadful weather! Still, any experienced Kamchatka traveler will tell you that you should allocate at least 50% of your time for cyclones, rain, or just view-spoiling low cloud cover. Or a bigger percentage; or a much bigger percentage. Just ask Vitus Bering. So, as it turned out – we were lucky with just 33%.

In good weather, you see things here that you won’t see in everyday life. Well, except perhaps in Indonesia or New Zealand – though, even there, you won’t find such vivid phenomena as those in Kamchatka. For example, there’s the hot Khodutka lake, the hot beaches of Ksudach, the bright colors of the Koshelev volcano, and bears everywhere – Kamchatka exclusives.

In short, it’s simple: Kamchatka is the most magical place in the world for contemplation-meditation. It only just beat its nearest competitor (New Zealand), but it’s so much more interesting – than everything else on this planet!

As our trip was coming to a close, we took a final helicopter ride around the some of the peninsula’s hotspots (pun not intended!).

Farewell glimpses of southern Kamchatka – of bright colors and snow cover…

…And of the “greenery” of the volcanic ridges:

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Toward the end of our nearly three-week summer trip to Kamchatka, after already countless splendid days and endless incredible, breathtaking views that we were so fortunate to experience, we finally encountered the single most magnificent day of all. This day became unforgettable thanks to a walk around the peaks of Koshelev. This remote volcano, far from the main tourist routes, isn’t all that well-known, and it doesn’t always greet its rare visitors with good weather. We, however, were lucky: it treated us to an endless riot of shapes and a kaleidoscope of color:

The volcano itself is a complex structure formed by the merging of five (!) different volcanoes.

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Having had to sit out the bad weather the previous day, we woke the next morning to clear blue, sunny skies – a rare but actually possible climatic phenomenon in Kamchatka. So after a quick breakfast (the weather could turn later in the day, so we had to look sharp), we all hopped into the chopper and flew up to the peak of Kambalny volcano!…

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