Wild Kamchatka – Visiting Russia’s Nomadic Herders

In the far-flung Russian peninsula Kamchatka, native Even people have been watching over vast herds since centuries. After traveling by snowmobile, we caught up with the Even people.

The blowing snow on my face felt like 1,000 tiny needles.

We were trying to escape a flat alpine plateau by riding snowmobiles in a whiteout with 60 mph wind and a wind chill of -39F. The weather is getting worse.

I seriously started to wonder if we would make it out…

We’re in March and deep inside Kamchatka. Kamchatka is a peninsula that extends 900 miles from Siberia into the Pacific Ocean. The majority of people know Kamchatka from the game RISK.

California is about the same size as this area, but with 400,000 residents.

Kamchatka offers a playground for nature lovers, with its dense boreal forest, active volcanoes and barren tundra.

The Soviets used this mysterious landmass as a strategic base for their nuclear submarines.

The Kamchatka Peninsula

Kamchatka is only accessible by air or sea. The peninsula used to be part of the Bering Land Bridge that connected Asia and North America.

Kamchatka is part of the infamous Ring Of Fire in the Pacific Ocean. Of its 200 volcanoes, only 30 are active. The area is also teeming in wildlife, such as a large population of Grizzly Bears.

It was a perfect place for an adventure photography tour I co-led with travel photographer Matt Reichel.

Our mission? Our mission?

The Small Village of Esso

The Small Village Of Esso

Prepare for our Expedition

We first flew into Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Kamchatka’s small Soviet-style capital city surrounded by volcanoes. Then a six-hour bus journey to Esso was followed, where we began our trip.

We bought snowmobiles and food at Esso. Our local guides and drivers are also present to prepare for exploring Kamchatka’s Ichinsky District over the next seven days.

Vlad is a geologist and fixer/translator from Belarus who has been researching active volcanoes in Kamchatka. Igor, the Russian team leader is a former park ranger of Bystrinsky National Park.

Ilya, his wife Dasha and their native Even guides are key in helping us to visit the Taboons.

Snowmobiling through the Mountains of Kamchatka — Snowmobiling in the Mountains of Kamchatka

Russian Snowmobile Adventure

Our small convoy of five snowmobiles, pulling sleds with gear and ourselves (and the gear), travels through fresh snow forests under the shadows of massive volcanic mountains.

Snowmobiling is an adventurous activity!

You may need to lean forward with your driver to make sharp turns. This is similar to riding a motorcycle.

Avoiding being crushed by the sled in an emergency, you should always be prepared to jump off if necessary.

We jumped off many times. It can take up to 10 minutes for a snowmobile to be dug out of deep snow when it tips over.

There are also tricky river crossings that require careful maneuvering. Sometimes, temporary bridges can be built by hand with tree saplings or branches covered in snow.

The trip to see these reindeer was an adventure in itself.