Vilyuchinsky Volcano

Vilyuchinsky is a stratovolcano of 2,173 metres across the bay from Petropavlovsk, dormant, with no recorded historical eruption, and unusually symmetrical - a clean cone holding snow into late summer and glaciers in its upper gullies, which is why it appears on so much Kamchatka material. The standard encounter with it is the Vilyuchinsky pass on the road south towards Mutnovsky and Gorely: a viewpoint where every vehicle stops, with the cone across the valley and, below, the Vilyuchinsky waterfall dropping about forty metres off a hanging valley, fed by snowmelt and strongest early in the season. There are hot springs at the foot. It is climbed - a long day on scree and snow with no technical ground, though the upper slopes hold ice into summer - and ski-toured in spring, which is how many Kamchatka ski trips use it.

What you actually see

• The cone - a symmetrical 2,173-metre stratovolcano holding snow late.
• The pass viewpoint - the standard stop on the road south to Mutnovsky.
• The waterfall - about forty metres off a hanging valley, strongest in early summer.
• The hot springs - pools at the foot of the mountain.

When to go

June to September for the pass and the walk; spring for ski touring. A day from Petropavlovsk. The waterfall is fullest in June and July.

Honest expectations

The road over the pass needs an off-road vehicle and is snowbound into June some years. Cloud hides the cone frequently. The climb is long with snow and ice on the upper slopes into summer. Hot springs at the foot are informal and unregulated.

Nearby

Mutnovsky and Gorely are further along the same road; Petropavlovsk is north.