Как добраться. Транспорт
Патомский кратер находится на склоне горы Патомского нагорья в Бодайбинском районе Иркутской области. Это труднодоступная местность, куда нет автомобильных и железных дорог. Из Москвы нужно ехать поездом до Усть-Кута, потом пароходом до Бодайбо (или поездом до Иркутска, а потом самолетом до Бодайбо), оттуда на самолете в поселок Перевоз, оттуда пешком (или на внедорожнике до Перевоза, далее все равно пешком).
Описание (английский)
Patomskiy crater or Patom crater is a peculiar rock formation located in a remote area in the Irkutsk region of southeastern Siberia, 360 kilometres (220 mi) from the district center Bodaibo. It is a large mound made of shattered limestone blocks, rising from dense taiga.
Its base diameter is about 160 metres (520 ft) and a height of about 40
metres (130 ft); the cone's crown is ring-shaped, and in its center
there is a smaller mound with a height of about 12 metres (39 ft). The
volume of the crater is estimated as 230,000–250,000 cubic metres
(8,100,000–8,800,000 cu ft), with a weight of about one million tons.
The Patomskiy crater was discovered in 1949 by Russian geologist
Vadim Kolpakov. Its origins have been subject of intense scientific
interest, with hypotheses including meteorite, volcanic and gaseous origin, but to date no definite proof has been given. It is estimated to be only 300 to 350 years old.