Etna

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8 May 2008

The weather cleared and we enjoyed an unforgettable day on Etna with our guide Jean Baptiste.

Our Italian Rough Guide suggested that it was not possible to go to the main crater of the mountain as it was too dangerous following major eruptions in 2001 and 2002, however things must have settled down because we were able to book a trip all the way up with Gruppo Guide Alpine Etna Sud. At €60 it was only €10 more than the normal ride up and short walk around the 2002 crater.

After a short delay for a weather check we set off at 10 with fifteen very pleasant people led by Jean Baptiste, firstly to ascend to 2,500m by telecabine followed by a four wheel drive coach which took us through the lava flows to 2,900m. Then it was walking over snow fields and lava up the flank of the mountain to the main crater at 3,200m. Wendy found this part of the expedition very difficult as she was suffering with the altitude and was very short of breath. However with me pushing and Jean Baptiste pulling she finally made it. A further complication was the amount of sulphurous fumes near the top and many of the party were affected by this.

The main crater, which is 400m deep with very steep sides and has molten lava at the bottom is an eerie but beautiful place with fumaroles emitting clouds of gasses. We were sad to leave but had an unevental walk back down to the buses on another face which was much steeper than the way up but quite easy on the smooth lava.

After lunch we started on the walk back down to the car park. We thought it may be down the track, but Jean Baptiste had other ideas. We traversed diagonally around a shoulder away from the cable car and then back across a huge ash covered slope with views down the lava flows and out to sea. Then we quickly lost about 800m of height with an exhilarating run down the soft ash.

A walk past some lower and smaller craters brought us back to the car park, and, as Jean Baptiste called it, “our ‘ouse”.

A lovely drive back down to sea level finished a great day.

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