Expedition to Mutnovsky

Even when the Kamchatka weather is not so hospitable for tourists, and once popular routes become empty, we go on the road in search of interesting beautiful places. After all, it always happens, you seem to know these places by heart, but there is always something for discoveries! Early departure from Paratunka. Now eight o'clock in the morning is only dawn, and in the summer, when the Mutnovskaya road is busy, at this time SUVs and shifts are already flashing in full swing.

On the Vilyuchinsky pass, a thin layer of snow had already fallen, and the wind was lonely passing through between the branches of the cedar stlanik. The air was so transparent that it seemed that Gorely and Mutnovsky volcanoes could be reached on foot. By this allegory I meant to walk quickly, because of course, many hiking tourists pass this route:

Having reached the Mutnovskaya Geoelectric Power Plant, we went along the geological road up along the Skalisto hill, where stunning views opened from the very first steps. We met an interesting place along the way. Wind, snow, heat from stones, created unique barchans. A similar phenomenon occurs in sandy deserts.

The sounds of roaring wells, once abandoned here to their fate, became closer and closer. When in the 80s, the potential of the Mutnovsky geothermal field was actively explored here, drilling one after another wells into the depths of the volcano. Now the once boiling geological life here resembles the equipment left by the workers, bags with drilling mixture, tools, various devices and even a drilling platform assembled. Of course, years and climate take their toll, corrosion destroys man-made creation. Locks on many wells miss the steam-water mixture, some locks are generally torn down, the fasteners of the drilling platform are rotten through.

In the decay, on the slope of the Mutnovsky volcano, we came across a fumarole platform like a small valley of geysers. It is different from the one located near the territory of Mutnovskaya Geoelectric Power Plant. The man here is a rare guest. Traces on gray-hydrogenous clay are almost not found. In the center of the fumarole field is a real mud volcano. Its dimensions are not large at all for a volcano, rather it is a mud pot, but its shape can be found in any large strata volcano.

This valley really resembles the land of Sannikov, because it is on the lifeless slope of the Mutnovsky volcano, where there are no trees, and generally vegetation in general. Infinite cold expanses, among which lies a corner of heat. Away from the fumarole field, we also found an amazing yield of water with an extremely high iron content. Around this lake a huge amount of iron deposits, and the taste of water instantly knits in the mouth.

We were getting higher and the snow was getting bigger. In some places we fell into some traps left by nature, covered with fresh snow.

Having entered the open area, the wind took command in its hands. It seemed to penetrate all the hidden places of the body, even those that were well sheltered under the branded tourist clothes. Even if it did not seem so, an hour ago we were basking in a fumarole field without a single breath, and now snow and cold piercing wind. A volcanologist's house appeared on the horizon. It was there that we decided to finish today’s route and come back. But the sad truth was that we never found the keys to the big house.

In the end, we were satisfied with the view from the windows, of course, from the opposite side. The little house that stood on the side was open to uninvited guests like us.

The journey back took no more than two hours. The wind drove us in the back, we didn’t stop to take a photo. And our journey was accelerated by the moment we accidentally stumbled upon a fresh lair, thinking it had been abandoned. Swimming in thermal springs, a perfect completion of day trekking! We are waiting for everyone on our excursions next season, it will be unforgettable!