Kamchatka is where Russia meets the Pacific. It’s a land where local traditions are as old as the rhythms of nature. An eight-hour flight east of Moscow, it is a place of snow and steam, of ice and fire.

This is one of the wildest places in Russia. It’s an area where fishing still drives the economy and men drive their dogs through the snow. It’s a paradise for thrill-seeking tourists and a sanctuary for animal, and a place where thousands of years of tradition are still observed by its native people.

“Here in an area of 40 square kilometres there are about 200 geysers. There are thermal and mineral waters here. A little bit further on there are springs of mineral water,” says Ratmir Korenev, director of the Nalychevo National park, pointing at a huge map.

The park was only a few hundred kilometres away but when you're in a fully loaded truck and in an area with no roads, this means a long and seriously bumpy ride. If you are lucky enough, you can even spot a brown bear eating blueberries.

There are more active volcanoes in Kamchatka than anywhere else in Russia, and you don't have to walk far to see what they can do to the landscape. When you arrive in the Valley of the Small Geysers, you are struck by the noise around you. The steam gets so thick sometimes it’s difficult to see anything in front of your face.

What you can't get, though, is an idea of the smell. It’s like standing next to an enormous pile of rotten eggs. It's interesting to say the least.

To learn more about Kamchatka watch the documentary from RT’s XL-Reports series: Kamchatka: the land of ice and fire.