Bryn Mawr College

Depart the USA on individual flights bound for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. We recommend flying from New York to Moscow and connecting all the way to the Kamchatka peninsula.

Meals: In flight

Change planes in Moscow and continue onward to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at the tip of the Kamchatka peninsula.

Meals: In flight

Arrive today in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. A beautiful sight greets arriving flights: mountainous terrain highlighted by three snow-capped volcanoes. The peninsula is home to some 150 volcanoes, 28 of which are active, including those closest to the city of Petropavlovsk, Avachinsky and Koryaksky.

On arrival transfer to the hotel. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore Petropavlovsk. Founded by Vitus Bering, the city is named after the two ships he sailed into Avachinsky Bay in 1740, the St. Peter and the St. Paul. Prominent explorers including Bering, La Peruse and Charles Clark all played a role in local history. A city of more than 250,000 people, Petropavlovsk is home to fishermen, shipbuilders and repairmen, traders, geologistsand students. It serves as the capital of the Kamchatka Peninsula, a total area of 472,000 square kilometers. Dinner this evening is at a local restaurant.

Accommodations: Avacha Hotel or similar
Meals: in flight, D

Today embark on a helicopter excursion to the fantastic Valley of the Geysers. The helicopter flight takes approximately 90 minutes over one of the more active regions of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Admire the beauty and grandeur of active volcanoes and the mountain ranges, taiga, rivers and lakes of Kamchatka during the flight to the preserve. The Valley of the Geysers is located in a hidden canyon deep in the territory of the Kronotsky Biosphere Preserve about 200 kilometers from Petropavlovsk. Geysers, mud pots, thermal springs and steam vents erupt from the valley floor, and boardwalks thread their way through the extraordinary landscape. Since its discovery in 1941 by scientist Tatyana Ustinova, the valley has attracted researchers and visitors from all over the world. It is a centerpiece of the Volcanoes of Kamchatka World Heritage Site.

Lunch will be served picnic style today by the heliport. After the return flight from the valley, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Please note: Helicopter flights are weather dependent. Other groups will join the flight to the Valley of the Geysers.

Meals: B, L, D

Enjoy another day in the capital of Kamchatka, beginning with a visit to the Museum of Volcanology, the exhibits made all the more real from witnessing the Valley of the Geysers’ geothermal activity yesterday. The museum houses a collection of minerals from the Ring of Fire, and screens video footage of some of the latest eruptions on Kamchatka.After lunch this afternoon, set out to explore Avacha Bay by boat (weather permitting). Avacha Bay is, considered to be one of the worlds biggest. Admire the boats and ships that arrive and depart year round. Further from town, colonies of sea birds nest on the cliffs and rocks, the cone of Avacha volcano steams above the green hills and the sheer sea stacks called the Three Brothers stand guard against tsunamis. Also cruise around Starichkov Island where you may perhaps spot some of the bay's sea otters, seals, and other sea mammals.

Meals: B, L, D

This morning depart by overland vehicle for Esso. The day will be quite long, but the route offers fantastic scenery. Make stops along the way at small settlements such as Milkovo (Malki), known for its natural thermal hot springs, and enjoy the forested hillsides of central Kamchatka. This is a route few travelers have taken, as Kamchatka remained off-limits to Soviets and foreigners alike until 1993. During that time it was one of the most secret and restricted parts of the Soviet Union due to its military installations (Petropavlovsk harbors the Russian Pacific submarine fleet and a major naval base).

The lunch stop will be at Milkovo, an old Cossack village situated on the banks of the Kamchatka River, the largest river on the peninsula. Notice how the climate differs markedly from Petropavlovsk: in the summer, Milkovo is the warmest place on the peninsula. Time permitting, visit a replica of an old Cossack fort, before continuing to Esso. Esso is a town of approximately 2,300 people, two thirds of whom are Russian and one third of whom are indigenous peoples.

Spend the next three days visiting and learning about the two major indigenous peoples of Kamchatka, the Koryak and the Even. By current estimates, there are approximately 7,200 Koryaks in Kamchatka, most living in the Koryaksky Autonomous Okrug. The name Koryak originated in the 18th century as a general term used to describe the scattered ethnic groups that inhabited northern and northeastern Siberia. The Cossacks, who came to Kamchatka in the 17th century, frequently heard the local people use the word khora, which means reindeer. They took this word to refer to the people in general, thereby calling them "the men of reindeer."

Koryak people are divided into subgroups: nymylany (settled) and chavchuveny (nomadic).The nymylany-Koryaks were originally hunters and fishermen. Today, most of them live a modern life-style in wooden homes with electricity. The chavchuveny-Koryaks engage primarily in reindeer breeding. They rely on the reindeer for their food, clothing, shelter and transportation. Originally they lived in yaranga, round dwellings covered in reindeer hides. Towards the end of the 19th century, however, they began to use tents made from a dense type of fabric instead. The chavchuveny-Koryak have retained much of the original nomadic culture of the Koryak people, primarily because they continue to spend the better part of the year traveling with their herds. Since they return to their settlements only periodically, there is much less opportunity for foreign cultural elements to have an impact on their way of life.

The Evens came to the Kamchatka peninsula relatively late from the Okhotsk region. Originally they engaged in fishing and hunting, but towards the end of the 19th century their major occupation became reindeer breeding. The first Even arrived in Kamchatka with a small number of reindeer, but upon arrival in Kamchatka, under the influence of the Koryak, they began to breed reindeer for fur and meat. For shelter, they constructed conical tents called chums (similar to the Koryak yaranga and to the Native American teepee). They used reindeer for transportation and made clothes of the hides. Today, almost half of the approximately 1,500 Even in Kamchatka live in the Bystrinsky area, to which Esso and the nearby Anavgay Settlement belong.

The indigenous people of Kamchatka have their own mythology. They believe that the universe is divided into upper, middle and lower worlds. The upper world, or Land of Clouds, is inhabited by the Creator, Dawn, Noon, Zenith, Polar Star, and the Picket, to which stars and constellations, like reindeer, are tethered. They believe that stars and constellations are like people. The dwellings of indigenous people represent the mythological model of the world, particularly the pole-ladder, which stands in the middle of the dwelling and symbolizes the connection between the lower and upper worlds. When someone dies, they believe the person ascends to the upper world and, simultaneously, someone descends to the lower world in their place.

Dinner tonight is at the hotel.

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast today, transfer again by helicopter, this time to a region where reindeer breeders live. Fly in a helicopter over the dramatic landscape of Kamchatka to where the nomadic population of Even reindeer herders still practice traditional methods of hunting and fishing. Visit their chums, the cone shaped, portable tents they call home, and experience a way of life that is now in danger of completely dying out.

After the visit, make the return flight to Esso for dinner.

Please note: The precise schedule for the next few days is subject to change, as helicopter flights are weather dependent.

Meals: B, L, D

Spend the day today in and around Esso. The alpine village of Esso is situated in the middle of the Kamchatka peninsula and has been called the “Switzerland” of eastern Russia because of its dramatic mountains and relatively mild climate. Esso has a vibrant indigenous culture which inhabitants have fought to preserve. An ethnographic museum dedicated to the people who originally called this place home is considered one of the best of its kind in Russia and offers visitors a glimpse of their way of life.

This afternoon travel to the nearby Anavgay Settlement, a village of 700 people inhabited mostly by indigenous peoples of the Even and Koryak groups. This settlement, about 15 miles from Esso, is an example of how the native populations have integrated into modern, settled life in Russia’s Far East while maintaining a link to their past and sharing that history with visitors. Enjoy a cultural performance of Koryak song and dance. Have dinner on return to Esso and overnight at the guesthouse.

Meals: B, L, D

Today transfer overland back to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The evening is yours to explore the city. Dinner at a local restaurant.

Accommodations: Hotel Avacha
Meals: B, L, D

The final day in this rugged country includes a trip to Avacha Volcano. Hop aboard a sixwheel truck for the drive to the foot of Avacha. The first 18km is on the main road, but the next 25 km is on a rugged track that climbs upward to the base camp where climbers begin ascending the volcano. After a picnic lunch at the volcano’s foot, set off for a walk to the top of Camel Mountain (1150 meters). All types of indigenous plants and flowers grow here along the 20-30 degree angle slope. Spectacular views of Zhupanovsky, Vilyuchinsky and Koryaksky Volcanoes are the reward for reaching the apex of Camel Mountain.

Return to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to bid farewell to the Kamchatka peninsula with a festive dinner.

Meals: B, L, D

Following breakfast, the tour concludes with a transfer to the airport.