Kamchatka Photo Expedition – Bears and Volcanoes

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Kamchatka Photo Expedition – Bears and Volcanoes

Day 1: Welcome to Kamchatka

Our Kamchatka Photo Expedition begins with a meet-and-greet at the airport close to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

This small city is nestled on scenic Avacha Bay, the people here live beneath the shadow of five majestic volcanoes. From the airport, you'll be transferred to a cozy hotel in Paratunka village. Meet a team on the group dinner at the hotel, where you will be able to ask questions to prepare yourself and your equipment for the epic photographic journey ahead.

Day 2: 6WD journey to Pauzhetka village

Today's expedition begins with a full day's off-road drive by a Russian Kamaz (6wd vehicle) to the tiny settlement of Pauzhetka, located between Okhotskoye Sea and Kurilskoye (Kuril) Lake. We'll cover a total distance of 450km, the drive is on unsealed roads and takes roughly 10 to 12 hours. The road runs along the western coast of Kamchatka and includes 3 river crossing. In the evening, accommodation for the night in a basic guest house.

Day 3: Welcome to Kuril Lake

In the morning, the vehicle will take us to the ferry on the river Ozernaya. The main cargo will be delivered to Kuril Lake by a boat, the group (with photography equipment-backpacks only) will walk 12 km to the cordon on Kuril Lake.

Brown bears photo-shooting starts after lunch. We will stay on the shores of Lake Kuril for the next few days in a base camp, with daily boat trips to the different lake's locations in search of the perfect shots of the majestic Brown Bears. This evening we will spend strolling along the shores and get acquaintance with the area. We will visit the «bridge», where we take our first photos of these mighty animals, the Kamchatka Brown bears.

Day 4-5: Brown Bears Photoshooting

Kurilskoye Lake is without a doubt one of the best places on earth to spot and photograph brown bears in their natural habitat, so the next two days are devoted to observing these mighty mammals as they hunt the salmon that gather here in their millions during the summer months.

The Kamchatkan brown bear is one of the largest subspecies of brown bears, rivalling the famous Kodiak bears of Alaska in size. In summer, large numbers of brown bears make their way to Kurilskoye Lake, where the water teems with millions of spawning Pacific salmon. Watching these incredible animals in their natural environment is one of the world's great wildlife experiences. The bears are totally preoccupied with fishing, allowing for tantalisingly up-close viewing and amazing photo ops, bear-watchers are accompanied by an experienced armed ranger for safety.

Day 6-7: Way back to the city

After 2 and a half days of photo shooting of these incredible creatures, we jump into the Kamaz for a long transfer back to the city, the same way we arrived at Kuril Lake. On the evening of day 7, we arrive at the hotel in Paratunka village. Sort your pictures and rest in the thermal pool, get ready for your next days of adventure.

Day 8: Mutnovsky volcano

Astonishingly, the population of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky live less than 30km from five volcanoes, but the locals consider these ominous figures to be friendly giants. One of them is Mutnovsky (2323m, 70 km away from the city).

After breakfast in the hotel, we jump into our Kamaz and heading towards this beautiful giant (appx 6h en route). The base camp here is our resting place for the next 2 nights. As our tour leader says: «Mutnovsky volcano is the heart of Kamchatka. This heart is literally beating and you can feel it, while the earth is slightly moving under your feet». This giant is calm but showed its power 15 times in the century. The entire massif comprises four cones of the volcanoes. On top of this mountain, you can see a big snow-white glacier, a little sulphur sandy river and the biggest femoral field in the world.

Day 9: Crater of Mutnovsky volcano

Today we hike from our base camp to the crater of Mutnovsky (2,322m). Near Mutnovsky's summit is a nest of merged craters, among the most beautiful volcanic phenomenon in Kamchatka.

We hike to the rim of the craters via a crack in the volcano's side. With a bit of courage, you can climb to the crest of the craters. Standing at the top, at the edge of the deep cavity, you feel as though you're witnessing the earth's creation, gazing down upon glittering glaciers, the torches of sulphur spewing fumaroles far below and the columns of vapour rising from the active funnel crater. Reaching the craters involves a moderate hike (appx10 km, 5-6h, with an elevation of 500m).

At the foot of the mountain, sculpted by eruptions and shifting glaciers is one of Kamchatka's hidden jewels – the Mutnovsky ice caves. Our guide will lead you deep inside an extraordinarily beautiful and rarely seen ice cave, where dazzling, Disneyesque rainbow hues appear to light up the walls, created by reflections from an underground river. Only discovered in 2012, this ethereal place is the scene of some of the most mesmerising images of volcanic landscapes ever captured.

We'll also visit a waterfall in Opasny (Dangerous) Canyon. In the evening we head to the next base camp on the slope of nearby Gorely volcano.

Day 10-11: Gorely volcano

Today’s destination to explore is Gorely (1,829m), one of the most active volcanoes in Kamchatka. From our campsite, the 6WD heads north around the edge of a large lake that lies in the unfilled eastern crescent of the Gorely caldera. From the lake flats, the walk up the huge shield volcano is about 5km, with a steady 750m height gain. We’ll cross a mix of grassy tundra with dwarf willows and bare strips of basaltic lava and lava flow formations. The magnificent panoramic view in front of us looks out over a sudden, vertical descent into the active crater. Over 100m down, a hot acidic lake has active fumaroles around its margin and beneath the surface, thanks to Gorely’s recent steam eruptions.

Day 12: Back to the civilisation

On this day, we re-join our vehicle and hit the road, rambling south back to Paratunka. Check into the hotel and enjoy a relaxing evening and swim in a pool filled with thermal hot water.

Day 13: Departure hugs

Today marks our final day in Kamchatka. After breakfast in the hotel, transfer to the airport and head home to admire an award-worthy treasure trove of images that capture the strange, savage beauty of the land at the end of the earth – Kamchatka. Please note, the hotel check-out is at 12 pm, so have it mind when planning your flights. Private transfer, as well as late check-out, can be organised, if needed, upon booking your tour.

Included