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Challenging Destinations 199
emergency evacuation of visitors and national Because Kronotsky is not really a national park,
park personnel (Rianovosti, 2007). A mound access for the general public is limited. The special
covered by snow collapsed ‘within seconds’ and status of the reserve places the value of its
caused a huge landslide engulfing two-thirds of wilderness and its preservation and research as its
the valley park. Millions of cubic metres of mud highest priority, above public use. The reserve
and stones were dumped in the landslide’s path, does, however, have designated recreational zones
destroying most of the geysers and springs. The allowing limited human use. Tourism management
Far East’s main tourist attraction, Geyser Valley is focused on using ecotourism practices. It is
reopened for tourists on 1 July 2008, over a year required that one of the preserve’s inspectors
after the series of devastating landslides which accompanies each tourism group to point out
severely damaged the site. Enquiries from tourists important conservation efforts and to provide
wanting to visit the region rose sharply after the safety and security in case of encounters with
two mudslides buried nearly two-thirds of the bears (Kamchatka Explorer, 2009).
valley on 3 June 2007. The mudslide dammed the
Geysernaya River at the bottom of the valley, Conclusions
creating a thermal lake. However, despite fears
that the site would never be restored to its former Of highest interest in the reserve’s management is
grandeur, the region is beginning to recover with joint scientific research as well as working with
some 30 geysers surviving intact, while only 10 volunteers who have expertise in protected area
have been lost forever. And although the rest are management or in the field of natural resources
underwater, they are expected to recover as flood available in the reserve. Scientists also are interested
waters gradually subside. In addition, all the bears in the geothermal features in Kamchatka because
who left the area following the disaster have they differ from other geothermal areas like those in
returned to the valley, which features some 200 Yellowstone National Park. The pristine nature of
thermal pools and 90 erupting geysers across a Kamchatka gives scientists access to a variety of
2
6.5km area (Kamchatka.name, 2008). recently formed and untouched geothermal features.
In addition, Kamchatka’s hot springs are at a
Risk management relatively low elevation, unlike the hot springs of
Yellowstone. This allows the water in the hot springs
Since the site was opened to the public in 1991, to reach a higher temperature before boiling, and
about 3000 visitors a year have visited the remote just this few degrees more can make a significant
geyser field, one of only five in the world where difference in particular microbiological studies.
the spectacular eruptions of steam and boiling
water can be observed. And despite its relative References
inaccessibility, there have always been more than
enough people willing to pay up to USD600 for EWP Ecotourism (2009) ‘Geyser Valley – Kamchatka’,
www.ewpnet.co.uk/kamchatka/geyser.htm,
a four-hour visit (Kamchatka.name, 2008). As the accessed 6 May 2009
Valley of Geysers is a state guarded area included Kamchatka Explorer (2009) ‘Kronotsky State Biosphere
in Kronotsky State National Park, it can be Preserve’, www.kamchatkatourism.com/protected-
accessed by organized tourists only – such travellers kronotsky.htm, accessed 6 May 2009
can follow a special route equipped with footpaths Kamchatka.name (2008) ‘Kamchatka’s Geyser Valley
and wooden coverings. The Valley of Geysers can reopens for tourists’, www.kamchatka.name/
be dangerous; even a small event may cause content/view/46/32/, accessed 6 May 2009
scalded limbs as the most dangerous areas in the Krever, V., Dinerstein, E., Olson, D. and Williams, L.
valley are covered with harmless looking grass. A (1994) Conserving Russia’s Biodiversity: An Analytical
person utterly unaware of the scalding slush Framework and Initial Investment Portfolio, World Wide
Fund for Nature, Washington, DC, p207
hidden under the attractive grass blanket can Rianovosti (2007) ‘Mudflow destroys unique Geyser
hardly imagine that legs may simply be sucked Valley on Kamchatka’, www.en.rian.ru/russia/
down by the hot springs. 20070604/66619912.html, accessed 6 May 2009
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