The tragedy that occurred in April 2017 on the slope of the Vilyuchinsky volcano in Kamchatka attracted public attention. An avalanche that claimed the life of a man and a child makes you think about the safety of outdoor activities. So what is this volcano and how dangerous is it? About this - in our article.
Kamchatka - the land of contrasts
The place where the Vilyuchinsky volcano is located is Kamchatka. The land of volcanoes (there are 160 of them) and glaciers (414), boiling springs and fast rivers with waterfalls and lakes. Kamchatka is the territory of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the adjacent mainland and the Commander Islands. It is washed by cold stormy seas (Berinogov and Okhotsk), and from the north-east its shore is drowning in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. This is a favorite place for tourists, especially active and extreme. Here you can organize a tour with a rafting on the river, boat trips and diving. Adventure and ecological tourism, hunting and fishing, skiing and climbing tourism are developed.
Kamchatka: Vilyuchinsky volcano
50 kilometers to the south-west in a straight line from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky rises above Avacha Bay surprisingly regular in shape Vilyuchik volcano, as it is called by local people. In winter, Vilyuchinsky volcano has a dazzling white cap and is an adornment of the panorama of the bay. This is a favorite destination for snowboarders, it is suitable for skiing and snowmobiling. Its regular cone is clearly visible from the city. The height of the Vilyuchinsky volcano is 2175 meters above sea level. On three sides it is surrounded by the valleys of the Vilyucha, Paratunka and Bolshaya Sarannaya rivers.
Right volcano
The top of the Vilyuchinsky volcano has a cut on the north side, where a small crater is located. Deep and almost even barrancos are almost completely filled with ice. In the past, fumaroles gave the lower part of the volcano a variegated appearance. The photo of the Vilyuchinsky volcano is striking in its beauty, which in 1996 was noted by UNESCO by adding to the list of World Natural and Cultural Heritage sites in the category “Volcanoes of Kamchatka”.
Extinct giant
Vilyuchinsky is considered an extinct stratovolcano, the eruption of which was 7 thousand years ago. And although today it does not show seismic activity, gas-vapor emissions at its top have been repeatedly recorded. Climbers who have visited the top talk about the smell of hydrogen sulfide. There are multiple hot springs on the eastern slope of the volcano, and in the lower part there is a waterfall of the same name with a height of about 40 meters. To the north of the base are cones and domes made of slag and lava. Among them are the lava lakes Green and Topolovoe, which are rich in fish and interesting for anglers.
Tourist facility
Vilyuchinsky volcano is part of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky natural park and is a popular place for recreation. Lakes Topolovoye and Zeleny at the foot and the developed infrastructure of the village of Termalny make it possible to go skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. Ice winter and summer fishing will delight lovers. And hot springs, which can be reached on foot, are considered one of the most optimal wild springs in terms of accessibility.
Picturesque pass
Favorite walking route. It opens magnificent views of the Vilyuchinsky pass crossing. Its height in some places reaches 1 kilometer above sea level. This winding road offers a view of the Mutnovsky plateau from the south side and the Vilyuchik volcano in the east. After the pass, tourists enter the valley, where the Vilyucha river and the calm stream flow into the Vilyuchinsky bay.
Extreme Vilyuchika
Extreme freeride and backcountry attract tourists. There are no lifts, and delivery to the top by helicopter or snowmobile only adds adrenaline. Climbing a volcano to a low altitude is a force even for beginners. The route runs along the trail on the southwestern slope. Climbing becomes quite difficult when the steepness of the slope reaches 35 degrees and requires special preparation and reliable equipment. Several classified routes of difficulty categories from 1B to 2B lead to the top.
Sel 1981
Typhoon "Elsa", which in that year brought down its power of heavy rains all over the world, also hooked Kamchatka. Rainfalls eroded the slope and formed powerful mudflows. Nearby residents and residents of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky heard a rumble from the peaks. A storm warning was announced. Then three climbers who returned from the ascent to the volcano died in the mudflow . The villagers simply took their car, as the only surviving participant said.
The tragedy of 2017
The volcano has always been an avalanche hazard. Relevant services conduct observations and warn tourists about the possibility of avalanches. That tragic gathering of the Vilyuchinsky volcano avalanche, photos and videos of which were circulated by the media, occurred on April 9. At that moment, there were about 40 tourists on the slope, who saw 2 people disappear in the snow mass on the northern slope. The lack of communication delayed the search. Witnesses had to get to the foot to call for help. 40 pieces of equipment and more than 100 rescuers took part in the rescue of the victims. The bodies of the father and child were found by the end of the day on April 10 at a depth of 8 meters, which did not give a chance of survival. According to the accident investigation committee, an avalanche on the northern slope of the Vilyuchinsky volcano could not be provoked by the victims themselves while riding a snowmobile. They walked fifth in the convoy of snowmobiles, and the four previous ones passed a rather narrow section of the route in normal mode. There were no avalanche sensors on the victims , and rescue operations were carried out by probes throughout the avalanche area. The avalanche was most likely caused by temperature changes, because on that tragic day it was warm.
![Vilyuchinsky volcano height [1]](//fb.ru/misc/i/gallery/48868/1803662.jpg)
Avalanche danger zone
Every year, EMERCOM of Russia in the Kamchatka Territory announces an avalanche hazard in the mountainous territories of the Paratunka river basin, Vilyuchinsky, Koryaksky, Avachinsky, Kozelsky and Klyuchevsky groups of volcanoes. Tourists, hunters, lovers of extreme sports are warned of the danger, and they are advised to refrain from hiking in the mountains. But invariably there are people who neglect safety rules. So, in 2010, during the declared avalanche danger, a teenager died on a snowboard in the area of the northern slope of the volcano. And in February 2017, two people fell under an avalanche - a German citizen and a Russian tourist. They were skiing in a group of 18 people and fell under the sudden avalanche. Unfortunately, the life of a 40-year-old German tourist could not be saved.
What to do when an avalanche
Going to the mountains to ski, especially in avalanche-hazardous areas, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Do not go out into the mountains if avalanche danger is declared.
- If the avalanche descends high, use the opportunity to leave its route.
- If it is impossible to leave the avalanche, take a horizontal position and orient the body in the direction of movement of the snow mass.
- If you find yourself in an avalanche, close your nose and mouth, and then swim towards the edge of the avalanche with swimming movements. It is necessary to breathe shallow.
- Do not panic - they are looking for you!
And in conclusion, I would like to say the following. You can even fall out of the window, but the likelihood of such a fall increases many times if you stand on a stool or window sill. Take care of your health and life, do not risk in vain, follow safety rules - and memories of rest will please you the rest of your life.