Mountain climbers to ascend Shiveluch volcano

Twelve mountain climbers will ascend the erupting Shiveluch volcano on Kamchatka, a peninsula in northeastern Russia. The director of Belkam-Tour, the tourism company that organized the expedition, Yelena Yarovaya told reporters about the expedition on Monday.

According to her, the expedition which is scheduled for June 15 will be the first organized ascent of the Shiveluch volcano in the past 30 years.

The mountain climbers will ascend the volcano along the safest slope and maintain constant contact with rescue workers.

If the climbers are threatened by increased eruptions, the ascent will be immediately stopped.

During the expedition, the athletes will take samples of volcanic rock and ash for scientific purposes.

On May 10, the activity of Shiveluch (3,283 meters), the northernmost active volcano on Kamchatka, increased. Columns of gas and ash rose to a height of some ten kilometers above the volcano's crater and scorching avalanches slid down the volcano. The regional emergencies department barred people from visiting the adjacent territory.

Presently, the volcano's activity has decreased, however it is still erupting. Seismologists are registering a series of earthquakes in the area of the cupola. Columns of gas and steam are rising from the crater to the height of some 1.5 kilometers.