Kamchatka, 2003
We flew 4 hours southwest from Anchorage over the Bering Sea to the Kamchatka Peninsula of Siberia in the far Eastern part of Russia. Kamchatka is a beautiful and remote land of tundra and volcanoes. We spent about 2 weeks there in July and August, 2003 exploring the area, looking for bears, marmots, and ground squirrels. We visited the Central Group where the highest volcanoes top out at around 15,000 feet. While we didn't climb the tallest volcanoes, Kamen & Klyuchevskay, we did climb Bezymyanny and Zimina to just under 10,000 feet. Klyuchevskay and Bezymyanny were active during our visit, causing rocks to tumble and ash to fall from the sky.
Central Group
Welcome to Kamchatka!
Fort at Milkovo
Tiger Lily
Road to Camp 1
First camp
Tolbachik
Kamen & Klyuchevskay
Tolbachik
Lunch stop
Kamen & Klyuchevskay
1st bear sighting
Studenaya River Crossing
Studenaya River Crossing
2nd bear sighting
Ground squirrels
Ovalnaya Zimina
Morning hike
Up to Zimina
View to Bezymyanny
Saxifrage
Galena, Valentine, Peggy
Zimina snow field
3rd bear sighting
Bezymyanny burp
Zimina & Tolbachik
Bezymyanny central cone
Bezymyanny crater rim
Inside Bezymyanny
Plotina Base Camp
Plotina Camp kitchen
Plotina Base Camp
Basalt tubes
Central Group
Bolshaya Udina
Near Tolud Pass
Bear tracks!
Siesta...
Inside Tolud Hut
Tolbachik
Crossing lava beds
Poppies & hare bells
Trek's End!
Our great staff!
Live volcano
Lava cone
Lunochodchikov Base
Last photos
Group photo
Goodbye Kamchatka!
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