The Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka is called one of the wonders of Russia. This is a unique place in Eurasia where geysers (gushing hot springs) accumulate. UNESCO has included the Kamchatka Valley in the list of natural heritage.
The unique Kamchatka Valley of Geysers was discovered relatively recently. In 1941, the geologist Tatyana Ivanovna Ustinova, while exploring the reserve, noticed that the water temperature in one of the rivers was much higher. She sat down to rest, and then a fountain of boiling water and steam burst out of a barely noticeable thawed patch nearby. This geyser was later called the "Firstborn". This is how the Kamchatka Valley of Geysers was discovered.
In the world, in addition to Kamchatka, there are geysers in three other places: Iceland, New Zealand and the USA. But the Kamchatka valley is special - here, in a small area (only about 2 sq. Km), most of the types of thermal springs known to science (thermal platforms, mud boilers, hot springs, waterfalls, etc.) are collected.
The valley is located in a stone canyon of volcanic origin on the territory of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve. At the confluence of the two rivers Shumnaya and Geysernaya, there are more than 20 large springs and many small ones, which from time to time gush out and throw out almost boiling (about 95 ° C) water and clouds of steam.
Tourists flocked to the unique valley in Kamchatka, and in the 60-70s of the last century, due to the barbaric attitude of people, it began to gradually perish. Therefore, in the late 70s, the tourist route to the Valley of Geysers was closed. However, in the 90s, the infrastructure of the valley was put in order. Tourists from all over the world again have the opportunity to admire the unique nature reserve.
In 2007, a natural disaster struck in the Valley of Geysers. Mudflows and landslides of snow, water, boulders and smaller debris literally buried the Valley under them. There were geysers, thermal platforms, waterfalls under the sediments. The media reported on the death of a unique natural object.
But gradually, under the influence of the sun, moisture and wind, clay and volcanic tuff began to disintegrate, the collapsed masses began to overgrow, and the springs find new exits to the surface. The Valley of Geysers has begun to recover.
As a result of the disaster, the bed of the Geysernaya River changed and a new lake with a constant temperature of turquoise water was formed. All this made it possible to conduct ecological excursions, which tell about the causes of natural disasters, as well as the close relationship between man and wildlife.
You can get to the Valley of Geysers only by helicopter, which is ordered when recruiting a group and is not cheap. The flight takes about 2 hours (round trip). During the flight, there is an opportunity to see the taiga, mountain rivers and lakes, mountains and volcanoes. A helicopter lands in the Valley of Geysers at a special site, from where a walking tour to the springs is made. The hiking trail runs through the central part of the valley, where you can observe active and pulsating geysers, steam jets, hot lakes and other forms of hydrothermal springs. After the walk, a picnic is usually arranged.
