Not an International Incident

Our visit to Russia was not without drama in terms of State travel restrictions. Immediately upon dropping anchor in the harbor waters out site Petropavlovsk we were boarded by customs officials. We were woken up in groups to proceed to the union so we could be presented along side our passports individually for inspection. We were in a strange and foreign land. Our briefing had included details about how to jump into a dumpster to escape pursuers (facetiously) and also warnings not to imbibe the local moonshine if it is offered.

After going back to bed I woke early the next morning for my overnight excursion to climb the active stratovolcano Mount Avachinsky. We boarded six wheeled army-surplus vehicles, made a quick stop at the bank for local currency, and headed off into the wilderness. We were in the midst of adventure!

As it turns out we were also driving up lava flows that were topped with packed snow glaciers. Our trucks drove into fog, and at one point we were asked to exit so there was less tendency to slide sideways off the track. We stood in the snow and watched the transport fade into the mist.

But all was well! After one failed attempt to ascend, the truck circled around and succeeded on the second. We bundled back inside and arrived at our base camp soon after. The camp was also socked in with fog, so we made due by standing around and throwing rocks until dinner time. After we ate the fog cleared off a bit so we could see a bit more of our surroundings. We spent the night around campfires for warmth and in two-man tents on the hillside.

When we woke in the morning we were delighted to find clear skies and awe inspiring vistas all around us! We began our ascent after breakfast and passed over several more lava flows on our way to the main approach. The pace was reasonable, but the elevation kept pilin up. At lunch about half the group decided to return to camp rather than push on to the peak; we hadn’t really been briefed on the type of exertion needed.

Up, up, up! We passed across a saddle ridge covered in snow and skirted a sheer drop-off on the back side of the mountain. I did get a touch of vertigo just thinking about that cliff. Finally we were at the volcano cone; which meant the terrain was even steeper and the footing was just loose scree. I think I lost a half step backwards for every step forward I took. There was a rope secured at the top the final 50 feet or so which made the going much more palatable.

The peak did not disappoint. Sweeping vistas in every direction, snow capped peaks in the distance, and billowing sulfur vents were our reward. You can see the basalt-andesite lava cap clearly is a different type of rock.

You’ll be glad to know the descent went much faster. We were practically jogging for some sections, and at one point the guides told us to zip up our coats and slid us down a snow bank one at a time like penguins! This really was an adventure of a lifetime; the food tasted better, the air felt crisper, and the rest felt sweeter.

Upon returning to the Universe Explorer we found the ship had been in lockdown since the previous day. Apparently some impressionable student had used a borrowed US passport to “show” a local what life was like on board a floating campus. It did not go over well. All liberal shore leave was immediately canceled, but the administration came to an arrangement whereby guided excursions would still be allowed ashore. I was scheduled to visit a geothermal pool, which I though would be like a stream or spring, but turns out was a local municipal swimming pool. I did see a bit more of the local landscape from the bus though.

The next port of call for Semester at Sea is
Osaka, Japan