The Valley of Geysers is located in the Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve in Kamchatka, in one of the gorges. You can visit it only by helicopter, flying over the tundra and mountain ranges for about 200 kilometers.
Discovery history
The Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve is included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List, and the valley is considered one of the largest geysers in the world.
Nobody knows about the real age of the valley; according to geologists, it is more than one thousand years. Surprisingly, the valley of geysers was discovered quite recently. Neither the indigenous inhabitants of Kamchatka - the Itilmen, nor the members of the Bering expedition, nor the explorer-traveler Karl Ditmar were able to find the entrance to the amazing valley, although their routes passed relatively close.
An amazing discovery was made only in April 1941, when the scientists of the Kronotsky Reserve: hydrologist Tatyana Ustinova and guide Anisifor Krupenin made an ascent along the Shumnaya River. They stopped at the mouth of a mountain tributary when a stream of hot water burst out of a thawed patch nearby. The gushing ended abruptly, and Tatyana realized that this was the first geyser discovered in Kamchatka. Subsequently, she named him so - the Firstborn. In the summer, the expedition continued when it became possible to go up the channel, and the river itself was later named Geysernaya. As a result, more than 20 large geysers were discovered, some were given their names.
Tests by nature
After the publication of reports from the Valley, towards the end of the 50s, a tourist boom began. Many Soviet citizens came to the valley of geysers, thereby polluting the unique place. As souvenirs, pieces of the geyserite mineral, painted in different unusual colors, were taken back. Over time, the colors faded as the many bright hues were created by bacteria and thermal algae unique to the area. In 1977, tourism was banned and by the beginning of the 90s, an infrastructure was being created suitable for short-term helicopter excursions.
On October 4, 1981, typhoon Elsa sweeps over the valley, after which stones and a stream of mud have blocked many springs. But time passed, and the geysers came to life again. Another tragedy struck in the summer of 2007 when salt streams destroyed the existing landscape. A new lake was formed, absorbing several geysers, including one of the largest geysers - "Bolshoi". A few months later, despite the thickness of the water, the Bolshoi comes to life and continues to work almost unchanged.
In 2013, another event occurs - a new mudflow wave destroys the old dam. Thus, the Valley of Geysers is self-healing, and new springs are opening up on its territory.
