Ascent of Avachinsky volcano in 2 days

General information
Detailed program
Necessary equipment
Tour cost

Tour period:

July - September

Tour duration:

2 days

Number of people in the group:

4 - 20

Difficulty of the route:

1/5

Short description

Route: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Camel Rock - Avachinsky volcano - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

A two-days’ tour to Avachinsky volcano is not so intensive as a one-day route but no less saturated with events. A walking tour to the extrusion Camel on the first day will help you to prepare to the ascent of the next day and to estimate your climbing ability. This tour is supposed for people of different ages and different physical fitness (even children can take part in it). For summer climbing neither special skill nor equipment is required. Nevertheless you will need the whole day to accomplish the program. The ascent and descent to the camp take usually about 10 hours. The altitude difference makes 1900 m. The most difficult part of the climbing are the last 100 meters.

By favorable weather you will certainly be delighted by the perfect panorama from the volcano summit. To the north you will see the valley of Nalycheva river, Zhupanovsky volcanic massif, Dzendzur volcano; to the east – The Pacific ocean and Kozelsky volcano, to the south – Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Elizovo, three volcanoes: Mutnovsky, Vilyuchinsky, Gorely, the valley of the Avacha river and the bay; to the west Koryaksky volcano is located.

Additional information:

Volcanoes Avachinskaya Sopka & Koryakskaya Sopka

Avachinsky volcano (2741 m) - (or Avachinskaya Sopka) is one of the most active and most visited volcanoes of Kamchatka. It is located 25 km NE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Kamchatka's largest city, in southern Kamchatka. It is a stratovolcano that consists of a younger cone inside the rim of an older caldera and belongs to the Somma-Vesuvius type with the height of the somma 2317 m. The volcano contains a 4 km wide base and a summit crater 360 m wide and 250 m deep. The crater's appearance changed in width and depth from eruption to eruption.
It continues to experience frequent earthquakes, and many fumaroles exist near the summit. The temperature of gases emitted at fumaroles on the slope has been measured at over 150°C, and at the crater fumaroles – over 700°C.
Avachinsky volcano has erupted at least 18 times in recorded history, since 1737. The eruption of 15-16 June 1779 was witnessed by Captain Cook's expedition was one of the largest at the volcano. Ash fell on Cook's ships in Avacha bay. A large (VEI=4) explosive eruption occurred at Avachinsky in 1945, when about 0.25 km³ of magma was ejected. The most recent eruption in 1991 lasted from 13-30 January and was observed well from Petropavlovsk.

Koryaksky volcano (3456 m) - (or Koryakskaya Sopka) is a typical conical stratovolcano located 30 km NW of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – the administrative center of Kamchatka peninsula. It lies on the "Pacific Fire Ring", at a point where the Pacific Plate is sliding underneath the Eurasian Plate at about 80 mm per year.
The volcano is considered one of the most beautiful in Kamchatka. It can be climbed by experienced in mountaineers equipped by crampons and ice axes. There are two glaciers on the eastern slope; 4.2 and 1 km in length. Koryaksky volcano is grooved by deep radial ravines. The slope of the lower cone is 15 – 20^o rising to a maximum of 30-35^o in the upper cone. The volcano has probably been active for tens of thousands of years. Geological records indicate that there have been three major eruptions in the last 10 000 years, at 5 500 BC, 1 950 BC and 1 550 BC. These three eruptions seem to have been mainly effusive, generating extensive lava flows. One more moderately explosive eruption occurred in 1926, after which the volcano lay dormant until 1956. The 1956 eruption was more explosive than the previous known eruptions, with VEI=3, and generated pyroclastic flows and lahars.

Kozelsky volcano (2190 m) is considered to be extinct. It is a part of the Avachinsky-Koryaksky volcano group and is located 25 kilometers westwards of the Pacific coast. Only two large Holocene eruptions of Kozelsky volcano are known, both of them took place in early Holocene.
There have been found grains of the rarest and hardest mineral - black diamond (carbonado). This unique formation may be met in some areas of the world and in small proportion. There is a summer camp for mountain skiers training on the volcano slope at the altitude of 850 m asl.

Ground squirrels

Flora and fauna at the foot of Avachinsky volcano there are numerous holes of blackheaded marmots. One of a main species of mountain tundra are arctic ground squirrels – the beloved animals by all Kamchatka people. These small animals will greet you at the altitude of 600 to 1500 m.

The lower volcano slopes are covered by the thickets of mountain pine (Pinus Pumila), shruby alder (Alnus fruticosa), stone birch. There grow two kinds of rhododendrons: goldish rhododendron (Rhododendron aureum) and the red one – Kamchatka rhododendron (Rhododendron camtschaticum); the plants of the heather family: crowberry (Empetrum sibiricum), cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum); blue mountainheath (Phyllodoce aleutica) and plenty of other flowers.

As the snow melts differently at the foot of the volcano, you can observe the plants of the same family at different stages of their growth.

Attention! All the animal species and plants at the foot of Avachinsky volcano are under protection! It is allowed to collect plants for personal botanical collections only with permission of the Direction of Nalychevo Nature Park!

Hints: try to plan the ascent to a sunny and serene day. Pay some time to studying weather sites before booking the tour!

: Created: 23 July 2020; Last Updated: 16 May 2022