Iceland has long been known as the "Land of Fire and Ice”. I visited Iceland in 2015 and the name is certainly apt, given that it is a land of extremes; fields of ice and snow sit adjacent to thermal regions and volcanoes tower over glacial lagoons. Iceland was enchanting.

I recently returned from a photographic tour of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Far East Russia. If ever there is a rival for Iceland it is this Peninsula. Kamchatka is the “other” Land of Fire and Ice; the next frontier. It is similarly enchanting. However, major challenges exist; both for the development of the tourism industry in this wild and remote part of our planet and for those early visitors to the Peninsula who seek even more untouched destinations.

Tourism in Kamchatka is in its infancy. Like Iceland before its tourism boom a little over 15 years ago, tourism infrastructure and knowledge of the needs and wants of tourists is limited at best. Sadly, Kamchatka has perhaps laboured under the belief that “if you build it, they may NOT come”. Sometimes it is hard to create infrastructure in wild places; other times it is better not to. But Kamchatka is drawing attention as the next frontier; one of the few remaining unexplored, untouched locations that exist on this planet and as such I think infrastructure is required.

With increasing numbers of travellers searching for the next “hotspot”, the next destination off the "well-beaten track/tourist trail”, Kamchatka will hold great appeal, especially for adventurers, thrill seekers and photographers. In the past 18 months it has increasingly been billed as the next “PHotospot” in journals and magazines. But as the tourism infrastructure remains poorly developed, travellers to this part of the world will need a strong sense of adventure, not to mention a bit of courage. I have travelled to remote, wild locations in the past including the North Pole, Antarctica/South Georgia, Patagonia, Iceland, the Arctic Circle and through parts of Africa, but without question, this was the most challenging tour I have ever been on. Having said that, the difficulties and hardships were, in the end, all worth it for the overall experience that was had.

How does one describe Kamchatka? It is probably best described as a land of extraordinary contrasts. Kamchatka is an incredibly remote region which comprises vast areas of wilderness which are spectacularly beautiful and captivating. This pristine part of the world is unbelievably wild and immensely challenging, yet very exciting and fascinating all at the same time. Although stark, barren and bleak in parts, it is lush, vibrant and abundant in others; this is seemingly random and opposing yet there is a balance within the natural environs that is undeniable. A region that is constantly evolving, there is evidence of natural processes that have taken millennia to mould and sculpt the landscapes, yet immense changes can occur in the space of seconds and minutes and play out before your eyes.

To explore this region is enthralling as it is home to a multitude of active volcanoes, extensive lava fields, treacherous fields of ice and snow, thermal tracts filled with fumaroles, ice caves, impenetrably dense forests, pristine lakes and towering waterfalls.

THE LANDSCAPE SURROUNDING GORLEY VOLCANO

I trekked to the peaks of volcanoes and stood on the rim of craters peering down in to the calderas of these dynamic vents which are the manifestations of the fiery power contained deep within the Earth. To do so I was, at times, required to draw upon all of my physical reserves. With extreme care I navigated a passage through thermal tracts containing boiling mud pools, fumaroles and geysers, taking care to avoid plumes of sulphurous gases and areas of unstable ground. I stood at precarious points to peer into and absorb spectacular scenes. Often, I edged closer and closer to the precipice to photograph thundering waterfalls and deep valleys. I did so because I could and it was possible being Kamchatka.

This was one of the most appealing aspects of Kamchatka. One of the benefits of tourism remaining in its infancy is that the restrictions that often apply elsewhere are not yet present in Kamchatka. It could be a Russian thing. I have no doubt that this will change as more tourists visit this region, and potentially more “incidents” occur. However, Kamchatka is open and completely accessible at the present time and I am so grateful that I was able to visit whilst this remains the case. I was always going to take advantage of this, whilst still exercising care and caution, with an absolute appreciation of my own mortality and a strong desire to continue to explore this world as much as I can and for as long as I can.

Wildlife was also a feature of the Kamchatka Peninsula, although not necessarily from the perspective of diversity, but rather the quality of the interactions. I didn’t observe many land birds nor a great variety of animals, but the experiences with those I did encounter were very special. I stood within feet of wild bears, many with cubs. They were feasting on spawning salmon which were present in the waterways in overwhelming numbers. Canine like in their movements and mannerisms, these huge beasts were captivating. We encountered bears in three locations, although it was Kuril Lake that was specifically chosen as our dedicated bear location. There I watched intently as multitudes of bears played and fought, hunted and fed, socialised and engaged in daily life. We encountered more than 100 bears over a few days. Although I have not yet experienced bears in Alaska, I have a strong sense that the experience in Kamchatka is better than Alaska due to the greater numbers and density of bears, especially around Kuril Lake.

A BROWN BEAR GAINING A BETTER PERSPECTIVE WHILST FISHING

At one of the other locations I will admit to a reasonably high degree of anxiety when we had to spend one more night camping after a bear and her cub had entered our campsite and “shredded” open our dining tent the night before to gain access to eskies containing our food supplies. My own tent was next to the dining tent but I had been completely unaware of their presence, hearing nothing over the howling winds and the noise of the nearby river torrents. Unseasonably cold conditions and lack of snow and ice melt meant that food sources for bears in this region were scarce and hence they entered our campsite due to hunger and out of desperation. Extra precautions were put in place for the following night which passed without incident.

In terms of other wildlife, I also spent hours playfully interacting with ground squirrels who were as intrigued by me and my presence as I was of them. From a boat on Avancha Bay I watched a pod of Orcas which seemed intent on keeping us guessing with a game of “now you see me, now you don’t” around our boat. Those Orcas clearly enjoyed the engagement with our boat. I also had my first experience of Puffins! I have long wished to see Puffins, but I hadn’t expected Kamchatka to deliver these beautiful, somewhat comical little birds to me.

HAVING SUCCESSFULLY LANDED A FISH A PUFFIN ATTEMPTS TO TAKE TO FLIGHT TO RETURN TO SHORE

And then there were the mosquitos! Billions of them. I believe it was a timing issue. For our first week and a half we were harassed by them. They were in plague proportions, larger than any mosquitos I have seen before, and voracious; often with nothing to feast on but us. It was said to be the result of climatic conditions; the very late snow melt and the vast amount of water flowing from this. Whatever the reasons, it was oppressive. At times it was impossible to venture outside unless you were completely covered from head to toe; multiple layers of clothing, gloves, neck coverings and hats with nets were all essential. Photography was incredibly difficult but we persevered. At times I contemplated not shooting but then promptly decided that I just needed to 'toughen up’. It is a little easier said than done when I was often waking, barely able to open my eyes because the multitude of bites that had caused my face to swell so much. After a couple of hours of being upright the swelling would subside but it remained unpleasant. There are many images that require extensive post processing with ’spot removal’ to remove rogue mosquitoes.

Logistically, Kamchatka proved to be challenging. Accommodation in Kamchatka is very limited and basic at best. Many of our destinations, being so remote, required us to camp. There was no other option. I have no aversion to camping, but I have never camped for more than a couple of nights at a time and to camp 10 nights out of 20 was a new experience for me. In between camping we would return to accommodation termed “bases". The bases we stayed at were “interesting" in a word. The camping itself was not such an issue, but it would have been made easier if our “bases” offered more. Often, upon our return to bases, we did not even have access to a hot shower. The transport to and from locations also added an interesting dimension.

Travel between locations on the Peninsula was unconventional, sometimes fun and other times just downright tedious. M-18 helicopters transported us to certain locations and the opportunities to photograph from open windows in these machines delivered some incredible aerial images. However, we were at the mercy of the weather and unfavourable conditions saw us “stranded” on location on occasion. Modified four wheel drive super trucks were used at other times. The only means by which to traverse dense forests and certain overland destinations, it was a sign of the harsh and rugged terrain that it would take between five and six hours to travel a mere 80 kilometres! Due to the very cold conditions that continued in to the early Russian summer, certain locations were only accessible by snow-mobile. We took to snow-mobiles on the Eastern Volcanic Front and it was a wonderfully thrilling way to explore the region. On the whole, one thing I can say about Russian transport (and maybe many other things Russian) is that it is not necessarily aesthetically appealing, but it is undoubtedly practical and it tends to just work.

In summary, the trip to Kamchatka was one of kind. It pushed me and tested me and I certainly had my moments throughout the three weeks that I was there. There were some low points, but there were also some extraordinary highs. But the true test is 'would I return?' And the answer to that is yes. It may be easier for me to say this now being removed from the location, but I think it’s more than that. On reflection, the landscapes and the wildlife experiences Kamchatka presented were phenomenal. Whilst I was pleased to get in early for the reasons that I have outlined (the accessibility and openness), I won’t be rushing back. A return trip to Kamchatka may be in several years’ time and when I again need a major “adventure fix”.

A special thank you to Ignacio Palacios and Richard I’Anson for professionally and expertly leading this photographic tour. Special thanks also to Burtie and all of my travelling companions; it would have been much harder to survive this trip without my Kamchatkan family. We all struggled at times and without the wonderful company, constant laughs and the alcohol I am not sure it would have been 'bear'able.

THE DEAD FOREST, REFERRED TO AS "THE DIED FOREST" BY THE RUSSIANS