In a perplexing move, authorities in Russia’s far-eastern Kamchatka Peninsula are offering rewards to tourists for summiting a volcano that has been officially closed to the public due to extreme danger. The regional ‘Volcanoes of Kamchatka’ nature park network is promoting a new commemorative sticker for climbers, directly contradicting official safety protocols.
The park network publicly announced the initiative, inviting anyone who has ever climbed the Mutnovsky volcano to visit its office and claim their ‘well-deserved trophy.’ To receive the sticker, individuals are only required to show a photograph as proof they reached the summit, with the park explicitly stating that the year of the climb does not matter, thereby including those who may have trespassed after the closure.
This reward program stands in stark contrast to the official status of the tourist route to Mutnovsky, which has been closed since late July based on urgent recommendations from volcanologists. Experts have warned of ‘extremely high seismic activity’ in the area, creating a constant and unpredictable threat of rockfalls, collapses, and landslides, making any human presence on the volcano exceptionally hazardous.
The conflicting messages from the park authority raise serious international concerns about public safety management and the promotion of responsible tourism in one of Russia’s most volatile and iconic natural landscapes. By rewarding an officially forbidden activity, the program creates a potentially lethal incentive for adventurers to ignore scientific warnings and risk their lives for a souvenir.