UNDP/GEF
Conservation of Biodiversity on Kamchatka's 4 Protected Areas

Klyuchevskoy Nature Park

 Russia’s most volcanic park

Welcome to Klyuchevskoy Nature Park, one of Kamchatka’s most beautiful places, still untouched by civilization.  In this park over several days, you may witness the history of the Earth – from birth of a new volcano to the expanse of untouched wilderness. Klyuchevskoy Park is Kamchatka’s youngest park, created in December 1999 when it was designated a world heritage park.  International conservation organizations assessed this unique area and in December 2001 the park was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites under the nomination “Kamchatka Volcanoes.”  You can see the formation of the planet in action; ascend the crater of an active volcano, where lava still flows.  Here Kamchatka’s glaciers meet fiery lava, and walk over land younger than many people!  Feel like an explorer first to see this new land of “fire and ice.”  The park’s territory is about 376 hectares, with 12 active volcanoes and nearly 400 volcanic cones, including Eurasia’s highest active volcano, Klyuchevskoy at 4,750 meters.  This grand peak is the park’s namesake. 

What to see 
Tolbachik Volcano –is only 30 years old!  In 1975-1976 the catastrophic eruption “Bolshoy Tolbachik” occurred. Millions of tons of ash and debris were ejected tens of kilometers skyward.  Now the surreal landscape is lunar like in every direction.   Walk through the “Dead Forest,” where the birch forest was captured and dried under a deadly layer of volcanic debris.  Now revegetation is only beginning. 
 In the park center – visit Bezyimyanniy Volcano (no name volcano), which is one of the most active volcanoes in the Klyuchevskoy group.   It erupts every year!  Recently, near Bezyimyanniy a web camera was installed which monitors the volcano and can be viewed on the Internet at:  http://data.emsd.iks.ru/videokzy/videokzy.htm
Kamen Volcano – a dreamlike volcano for highly experienced mountaineers and climbers!      With different approaches of varying degrees of difficulty, the mountain attracts mountaineers from around the world.  From the summit one has a stupendous view of all of the Klyuchevskoy Park and group of volcanoes. 
The park has 47 glaciers, including Kamchatka’s largest glaciers “Bogdanovich” and Erman. 
Wildlife to see in the park includes snow sheep, moose, wolverine, lynx, snowshoe hare, marmot, and of course the tsar of Kamchatka forests – huge brown bear.  One may see ducks, ptarmigan, Capercaillae grouse, Trumpeter Swans, and Steller Sea Eagles. 

How to get there
One may drive to the park border by car or bus.  Bus number 218 departs daily from Petropavlovsk to Ust-Kamchatsk but visitors should get off the bus at Koziryevsk or Klyuchi, a distance of 500 km or 620 km respectively.  Klyuchi is a military zone so one needs a permit. Driving time is 10-12 hours one way.
From Koziryevsk, there are forest roads of 40 and 60 km into the park, from Klyuchi there is a 70 km forest road into the park. 

What to do
There are 5 itineraries into the park: 

1. “On the tracks of recent eruptions,” 5 days, average difficulty:  Depart from Koziryevsk in the area of Bolshoy Tolbachik eruption.  Take one-day radial routes to the northern eruption site of 1975-76, to the Dead Forest, ascend the active Ploskiy Volcano, and take a hike to the debris cone “Alaid.”  Return by vehicle to Koziryevsk.
2. “Heights of Kamchatka” 10 days, difficult and for very experienced mountaineers and climbers:  Depart from Koziryevsk toward Kopito Mountain – an alpine meadow.  Further, hike to the central lava plateau to the Studenoy River.  Ascend Bezyimyanniy, Klyuchevskoy, and Kamen volcanoes along lava flows, Bogdanovich Glacier, mountain lakes, to Basalt Polenitsa, Baran Cliff, Edelweiss Field, and waterfalls.   Return to Koziryevsk.
3. “Fire and Ice,” 9 days, hiking, for very experienced mountaineers, only:  Depart Klyuchi to Podkovka base camp on the slopes of Klyuchevskoy, cross Erman Glacier to the pass at 2800 meters.  Ascend Klyuchevskoy, Ushkovskiy, Krestovskiy volcanoes, Return to Podkovka camp through Derzhyavina glacier lake, and then to Klyuchi. 
4. “Three Volcanoes,” 11 days, for beginning level mountaineers: depart from Klyuchi by vehicle to the base camp at Apahonchich.  From here one can take 2 and 3-day hikes to ascend Klyuchevskoy, Bezyimyanniy, and Oval Zimina.  Hike to the volcanic cone, waterfalls, and canyon of Sukhaya Khapitsa, and Kamen Ambon Nature Monument.  Return to Klyuchi. 

Circle Tolbachik 7 days, average difficulty:   Depart from Koziryevsk to Ostriy and Ploskiy Tolbachik volcanoes in the area of Leningradskaya station.  Hike around Ostriy and Ploskiy Tolbachik volcanoes through the Tolud and Bezyimyanniy passes on the central lava flow to upper Studenoy River.  Along the way, ascend the Ploskiy Tolbachik and Oval Zimina volcanoes.  Return by vehicle to Koziryevsk. 

 

Visitor information
Information about the Klyuchevskoy Nature Park
Is available at:
29/1 Karl Marks Street, office 402,
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky,
Telephone (415 22) 9-07-23
E-mail:  kluchevskoi_park@mail.kamchatka.ru