If you want to laugh Kamchatka, tell about you plans.
We’ve been on Kamchatka 5 times during the last six years and used to all surprises. Kamchatka is one of the most beautiful place in our country there is no the direct road which connects the peninsula with another part of the country. It’s known as a land of volcanoes, geysers and bears. All our expedition were very unexpected. Once we spent 5 days waiting for good weather to fly to the hunt, next time we waited even more to leave that area. From the one side it’s washed by the Okhotsk sea and by the Pacific Ocean from another.
The fifth trip was very strange. I’d caught the virus in a couple days before the departure and was going to stay at home but changed my minds in the last moment. I took all pills, I had and decided to fly.
I didn’t drink any alcohol and became the team leader, took the responsibility for the physical condition and spirit of our group. Telling the truth, I wasn’t brilliant in that role.
The group consisted of my old friends Anton and Vadim, who hunted together for a long time and my grown-up nephew Nikita. And one more group member was our Chumuntik.
The first evening we accommodated in one of the rest houses and spent time relaxing in the hot springs. Time difference between home and Kamchatka was eight hours. The weather forecast did not Bode well- rains. Kamchatka aviation couldn’t fly in bad weather and we prepared to wait for a few days.
Don't trust weather forecasts in your phones. We just came into the airport when the boarding started. To the plane! It was too easy. The passengers loaded their luggage into Yak-40, there was no steward and the toilet on board, and the plane flew to Tigil.
Tigil - is a village on the western coast of Kamchatka. There we should have to change the plane to the helicopter Mi-8 and flew to Palana.
Tigil met us by real summer + 28C. There was no any cloud on the sky. We loaded our luggage to the chopper and flew further. It took our two hour more.
So easy! I didn’t believe it. The locals confirmed my thoughts that it was a very rare situation.
We couldn't believe it too. They say, the climate changes. As as the confirmation to those words, later the weather had surprised us so much that even natives didn’t remember such weather.
So easy... Chumutchik looked very thoughtful all the way.
The rest of the first day we spent sightseeing Palana, having rest and made a short ride around surroundings. The local outfitter Konstantin suggested to drive to the sea shore and we agreed. It was sunset and several groups of anglers were finishing their work. We drove closer and saw what they did. They'd casted the net for 20 meters from the shore and then pulled it back. Each operation took about half of an hour, and gave them about 30 kg of salmon.
- It's the beginning of the spawning and fish stay on the bottom near the shore - Kostya explained.
Thus all fish, caught here, are exported to China, not to Russian cities.
The second stop we did near the dump to watch bears there. For educational purposes only. Bears appeared just behind the village. We accounted more than dozen of Paddington, which came to have fresh fish dinner. Some of them were young but there were several middle size individuals. They are not afraid of people. The hunters kill about ten bears each year, which enter the village and represent danger to people. Just in case.
We were surprised by the presence of fish and bears at the beginning of hunting.
The next day met us with summer warm. There was no wind at all but there were lots of mosquitoes. What could we do in such weather on the seaside? We went for fishing.
We boated to the bay where found the big cargo ship. It stood on the land not in the sea. I’m not mistaken, it was on the land. There was about 100 meters to the sea. The ship was new and fresh colored. The reason of that phenomena was in high ebbs and flows. We forgot about it from the last visit. The ship sailed into the harbor When the water level is high. Then water left and the ship left on the land. It gave time to unload it. In two- three days water would come back and the ship went to the sea. It looked funny. Chumuntik liked it.
In an hour the locals packed all necessary equipment and we went for fishing. Our goal was the most expensive local fish. It was halibut.
The highest salmon concentration is usually near the bay exit and all seals prefer to stay there. Those animals are about 2,5 meter length with the weight to 250 kg. The natives used to hunt for them in all other periods but not at that time and seals swam near the boats.
We reached the place, drank a traditional glass of vodka to appease Neptune, kissed Chumunta, listened the instruction how to fish and prepared the rods. The main secret is to feel the difference between the bite and the impact of the pilker (sinker) on the bottom, - said our guide MIsha. Fishing was very interesting and unpredictable. Sometimes Anton and I caught small halibuts ( 3-4 kg), sometimes out loot was a flounder. Few times I caught ugly gobies. Vadim and Nikita were fishing from the next boat and had caught several hair crabs ( with unshaven legs). Vadim didn’t like fishing but had caught a lot.
The surprise waited for me when we were going to boat home. The bite was so strong that I had almost fell from the boat. It took me five minutes to pulled out the huge halibut! It was about 10 kg but it was the record catch for me.
We returned back to the bank and talked with the local anglers, most of them were women.
Next day we should be going to the hunting that's why spent the rest of the day buying food and cooking our catch. I enjoyed the soft meat of halibut and crabs, Japanese beer Asahi and Chinese beer Kharbin. The celestial is famous not only by it’s gadgets and manufacture of clothing.
I didn’t try it but my fellows said about the divine taste of the Chinese beer.
The only thing caused our concerns was that the last two day weather was beautiful. According our previous experience we knew that the hard beginning meant successful finish and were worried. Everything was too good...
The beginning.
But the next day everything began to change. The morning met us with the deep fog and the typical musson rain. Hurray! Kamchatka!
We used 30 years old ATV to drive to the hunting area. It was one of the last survived ATV in the village. It's not clear what people will use when the last ones will be broken because there are not a real replacement for these machines on our North.
We sat on the roof of the machine under the rain and left the village. The plan was to reach the Base of Kostya in 50 km to the north, it was about 4 hours’ drive. The Base consisted of 6 wooden cabins and a shower cabin. There was a generator, horses and guides who waited for us. They didn’t keep vodka on the base after one very strange case. Once Kostya left some vodka on the base not to deliver it each time. When their group arrived to the base next time, they found boar's tracks but that animals didn't habitat on Kamchatka. The boars visited the Base, destroyed supplies and disappeared. The Koryaks who told them about it looked very convincingly and sincerely. After that they decided not to leave alcohol not to destroy the landscape.
The views around us had changed to the hills, cedar woods and tundra rivers but the endless rain didn’t allow to enjoy the trip in the full measure. One time we stopped for an hour because of the broken caterpillar (it often happened with those machines) and the mosquitoes could eat their fill.
We watched about dozen bears while moving.
At last we arrived, hanged up our clothes to dry and went to the bathhouse.. After we tested guns!
Kostya organized everything very well. He put targets on 100, 200 and 300 meters beforehand, gave radios to guides and put the table. The test took just 30 minutes and we all, including Vadim could get an acceptable results. I used just 20 cartridges for my very capricious HS, then we had dinner in the real canteen with the fireplace and went to bed. The plan for the next day was to drive about 170 km to the north.
Sorry, I lie!
NIkita and I managed to run to the nearest river and to catch a couple of chars. Vadim who is indifferent to the fishing stood near us with the gun. Nobody risked to leave the camp without the rifle because that area was crawling with the bears who killed dogs, horses and could attack people.
The sunstroke
The next morning met us with the sun! It was incredible. Were we on Kamchatka? There was just one rainy day among the four we’ve been there. It couldn’t be so. It was too easy...
At 7 am, we made sure that Chumuntic with us, we moved.
If I had go-pro in my mind I would record this track on the flash card. Our travel reminded the expedition from the summer to the fall and all those beautiful views around us imprinted in the mind. I could hardly imagine before the unforgettable transfer from the lush, green tundra to the yellow landscapes of infinity. We overcame the swamps and debris, rivers full of salmon, rose the mountains and watched the crystal-clear lakes with young broods of ducks and bears. The last day we saw about thirty of them. There were 2-3 big bears but they were experienced and prefer to hide in the cedar woods while the youth allowed to approach 20 meters. Once we scared the bear which killed another bear and guarded the body. I could hardly imagine what would happen with people if they moved that way by foot. At last we crossed the full-flowing river. Our ATV was a super machine although it was carried over the current, it reached the opposite bank in 50 meters below.
We stopped for a lunch on the shore of the big river called the Middle Forest. We ate and fished there. Anton caught just one char but we understood that soon salmon would come for the spawning and the river would be full of fish. There were lots of places which suited for fishing such as slopes, floodplains, bays- salmon preferred to stay there. The both banks of the rivers were covered by bear's tracks, it was also a good sign.
We moved further. The people inside were tired from the noise and smell while the others who sat on the roof suffered from shaking and branches slapping the faces.
It was getting cold. We moved higher and felt cold and the strength of the strong wind. Only my fellows who felt freedom were happy no matter what.
The first circuses appeared on the height 500 masl. They looked as typical sheep places and connected with the mountains gorges which led to the no-man's land.
At last we arrived to the camp, located on the river’s side and close to the mountain slope on another side. The huge rock protected the camp from the wind from the third side.
The guides were setting the camp while our group had taken the rods and went to test the small river in one km from the base. Unfortunately, we didn’t catch anything.
The camp consisted of the four tents for people and the canteen. The new modern tents were for hunters and more cheaper ones for the guides.
The plan was so- Nikita and I, as the youngest would stay in the camp and walk for hunting. We'd take fly-camp and spent 2-3 days in the mountains if it was necessary. Vadim and Anton would ride to the next gorge and stay there. The group of guides arrived there a week before and detected several sheep groups. They told us about it by the radio.
The difference was that nobody inspected the surroundings where we stayed and we should have to do it by ourselves. But we would stay in the Base camp, with the canteen and a generator. It was our compensation. Moreover we even had the bathhouse! I couldn’t but advertise that technical wonder, made in Novosibirsk. The bathhouse was done in the tent, divided into two sections. The material was fully wind and water proof, there was a real stove inside, covered by stones. It was located on the river bank. The relax in the steam room could recover any organism after the long hiking. I guess that each outfitter has to have such bathhouse in the long expeditions.
To be continued.
