Trip to Vachkazhets: waterfalls of Kamchatka

Mountain Lake Tahkoloch

The group meets in the morning at the Petropavlovsk Hotel in the city. The usual time of gathering is 8.00. When everyone is at the place, we will get into the transport and head towards Vachkazhts. The length of the road journey is about 80 kilometres. The road is mostly surrounded by low-growth forests and rounds mountain ranges from the north.

Vachkazhets is one of the most picturesque places in Kamchatka with living untouched nature. Once it was a single ancient volcano, but a strong explosive eruption divided it into three parts: Vachkazhets itself, Letnyaya Poperechnaya and Vachkazhtsy. Its territory is not so deserted as at the volcanoes Gorely, Mutnovsky, Tolbachik. There is lush vegetation, many flowers, berries and animals. At the same time, there is clean fresh air and silence - you can relax from the crowds of tourists.

We will walk through the forest, cross small streams, come out into the open and soon we will be at a small picturesque lake Tahkoloch. It is surrounded by mountain ridges and fed by melting glaciers, so its water is always cold and calm. In spring it is still hidden under the snow, but by the end of June it comes down and green slopes and white mountain peaks are reflected in the mirror of the lake. Here we will have a break: we will have a rest and take memorable photos.

Vachkazhets waterfalls

The trail will lead us higher and higher, and on the way we will see Lake Tahkoloch from above. In this area, the birch-bark forest is already replaced by alpine tundra. Flowers bloom here in summer, and in autumn the slopes are covered with a colourful carpet of green, red and orange shrubs. A stream with clean and tasty water flows along the slopes of the mountain massif. We can make a stop at it to drink it and take a supply with us on our way.

The master of these places, the brown bear, sometimes appears here. There is no need to be afraid of such encounters, but it is important to listen to the guide and observe safety precautions. A reliable way to let wild animals know about you is to make a lot of noise. That's why we often sing cheerful songs on the way.

There are also many gophers on Vachkazhets. Perhaps we will be able to see and photograph them. These animals often let people get close to them.

On the way to the waterfall we will have to cross a small river. Here you can test your agility and cross to the other side by jumping over rocks. Our guides will take rubber boots with them and cross the participants. Proper equipment is half of the success of a trip in Kamchatka.

After the river, we will have to walk just 100 metres and we will find ourselves at the waterfall. The stream here runs down the rocks in foamy cascades and hits from a height of 6 metres. If you get close to it, you will be hit by small splashes. In early June and late autumn, when there is a thick layer of snow in the gorge, the water cuts bizarre caves and passages in it and runs further down the slope. In summer, the snowpack melts and you can walk right up to the foot of the waterfall. There is also an upper waterfall up the riverbed, but tourists are rarely taken to it.

Vachkazhets Mountain Circus

The culmination of the trip is the ascent to the ancient Vachkazhets Circus. It is a huge circular basin with half-destroyed walls. On the way to it there will be the steepest section in the whole route, but it is easy even for unprepared tourists. But at the top we will find ourselves at the main viewpoint, which offers a panoramic view of the valley with the familiar lake.

At the circus we will take a rest and have a look around. The brownish-red walls of the basin remind us of the volcanic past of Vachkazhets: once there was a bowl of the crater itself. If you look around, in some places you can see opal, quartz and other minerals in the rocky outcrops.

After exploring the circus we will start descending back into the valley, but in a different way so you will see new scenery. The route runs along a small tinkling creek that also forms a chain of waterfalls, so the trek will be interesting.

Thermal complex «Zelenovskie Ozeki»

On the way to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky we will stop to relax in radon and hydrogen sulphide baths of the health resort «Zelenovskie Ozeki». There is a large swimming pool and several open well-appointed baths of different temperatures, which are filled from local hot springs. Bathing in such water is a good way to relieve fatigue after a rich walk in nature.