Far to the Far-East of Russia a large peninsula, connected with Asia only by a narrow piece of land and covered with glaciers and marshes, geysers and smoking volcanoes, crystal clear rivers and mud cauldrons is situated. The name for this wonderful land is KAMCHATKA. It has total area of about 470,000 sq. km. and stretches from the North to the South for about 1 500 km. It is washed by the Pacific ocean waters from the East and by the Okhotsk sea waters from the West. For a long period Kamchatka was closed for visitors, but since 1991 the doors of this exotic land are opened for tourists, scientists and all people who would like to visit and admire this one of the few pristine wild areas of the world.

GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY. Kamchatka's line of volcanoes is a part of the Great Pacific “ring of fire”. It continues southwards along the Pacific margin, through the Kuril Islands and into Japan. The Kamchatka volcanic province was created as a result of the Pacific plate movement. There are more than 160 volcanoes on the peninsula (29 of them are active). In the central part of Kamchatka there are two mountain ranges - Sredinny and Vostochny. Between them there is the Central Kamchatka lowland where Kamchatka river (758 km) runs. Kamchatka is famed for its about 200 thermal springs, numerous active and extinct volcanoes, scenic calderas and fumaroles, rapid mountain creeks with chains of waterfalls, abundant wildlife and plant life, Alpine meadows and mountain lakes, lava streams and creeping glaciers. Here the Valley of Geysers presents a fantastically magnificent panorama.

CLIMATE: The Kamchatka climate is very diverse. Volcanoes and volcanic peaks, cyclones and underground heat created here a mixture of several climate zones. You will find a moderate maritime zone on either coast, a continental zone in the central valley or an arctic zone in the northern reaches of the peninsula. The average temperature in February is –13^oC and +22⁰C in July.

FLORA AND FAUNA Such diverse climatic conditions as well as absence of people and large manufactures stipulated here in great variance of wild nature. Enormous reserves of fresh water including numerous rivers and lakes provide perfect spawning grounds for 5 species of Pacific salmon, several species of trout, as well as East Siberian char, grayling and others. Tundra and taiga, giant grasses and abundance of wild berries, different species of trees would amaze any lover of wild plants. The coastal areas and spawning grounds are unique feeding areas for numerous birds such as eagles, cormorants, puffins, ducks, gulls, swans, gooses. Travelling through Kamchatka you have a real opportunity to watch the brown bear, moose, wolfs, caribou, snow sheep, foxes and other animals in their native habitant.

The main SETTLEMENT of the peninsula and its capital is the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. It was founded in 1740 and was called so in honour of the ships “Saint Paul” and “Saint Peter” of Vitas Bering, who had chosen the Avacha Bay as a base for sailing across the Pacific Ocean to the shores of future Russian America. From that time, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was the main base for all subsequent round-the-world expeditions. The ships of Captain James Cook, La Perouse, I.F.Krusenstern, Captain Clark and others visited Kamchatka. Nowadays Petropavlovsk is a modern city with the population of over 240 000 people. It is an important port as well as a centre of industry, science and adventure tourism.

ACCESS. You can get to Petropavlovsk in two ways:

BY AIRPLANE, flights from Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Magadan, direct regular flights from Seattle (via Anchorage); charters from Japan are available in summer.

BY SEA, freight or cruise vessels, no regular lines.

Things you might need by your visit to Kamchatka Peninsula: clothes to be dressed in layers, regular boots (shoes), anorak, washing items, sleeping bag (for outdoor overnights), mosquito repellent, sunglasses, camera and lots of film.