Kliutchevskaya Sopka (now 4880 m) is the highest active volcano of Eurasia. It presents a rare type of volcano often eruptive not only at the top crater but as well through numerous lateral cones.

Kliutchevskaya Sopka is situated at the north edge of a vast volcanic chain, which really consists of 8 separate volcanic constructions. One of them - Bezymyanny (2841 m), the enormous eruption of which in March, 1956 is considered as one of the most powerful explosions of the century gone.

Ascent to Kliutchevskaya Sopka is always a sportive adventure - it is necessary to gain 3,5 km up. Conditions of snow on the slopes depend on the mean winter temperature: usually there are lots of icy parts higher than 3500 m, and crampons are necessary. Slopes lower than 3000 m are appropriated for skiing, but smooth snow is rare (except April) as the region is often very windy. Skiing from the top is possible but surely a very extreme task.

From the slopes of Kliutchevskaya Sopka lots of volcanoes are perfectly visible: extinct Kamen (4579 m) and Zimina (3080 m), the massif of Ploskaya (4080 m), and the pair of Plosky - Ostry Tolbachik (3082-3682 m) which was responsible for very long ash eruption in 1975-76. The most active volcano of Kamchatka now - Shiveluch (3307 m) is as well visible to the north.

Ascent to Bezymyanny is not reaching the top which is dead dangerous because of continual gas explosions, but climbing to the rim of an old crater destroyed in 1956 (elevation gain 900 m) as far as the point of tete-a-tete observation with a minimum of danger. Just before every tour we are taking an information from the volcanological service concerning current activity to avoid a risk