Mount Etna
We climbed an active volcano!
No trip to eastern Sicily would be complete without a visit to Mount Etna, the most active volcano in the world.
Driving towards Mount Etna is a surreal experience. She looms out of the earth so clearly that we could see her from 100km away! And despite Etna’s proximity to the sea, snow sports are common practice here on her high slopes.
Historical lava flows cover much of the surface of this massive volcano. Heading up the winding road that takes you towards the smouldering summit, we weaved through centuries of destruction as the landscape slowly disappeared and changed into a moonscape. At the small cluster of shops and restaurants that have been built on the south side of the volcano, we stepped out of the car and straight onto the light and crunchy surface of another world.
The air up here was noticeably cooler, even on a warm Spring day. Walking around the Lower Silvesti Crater immediately gave us a sense of the grand scale of Etna. (She covers an area of 1,190 km2, with a variable height of about 3,326m.) This extinct crater is just one of hundreds (the so-called “Sons of Etna”) that dot the mountain and stretch out towards the Ionian coast. A lunar landscape with sea views.
From here we drove around to the north of the mountain, marvelling all the way at the great puffs of smoke emitting from the main summit craters. Ancient lava bombs litter the side of the road. The grit on the asphalt was in fact volcano ash, that when it got on the brake pads sent the car warning system into a tailspin.
Piano Provenzana is no ordinary ski resort. It is set among the pine forests, that in some places have been completely interrupted by deserts of sharp, black rock. It was here amongst the desolate landscape of the lava fields we set up our picnic lunch, on the site of a hotel that was completely wiped out by lava flows in 2002. This hillside will be devoid of vegetation for decades to come.
All day we admired this otherworldly landscape. We clambered over deposits that have been spat out from the fiery belly of the mountain above. We collected solidified lava rocks; basalt that is foamy and light, and glistens like gemstones in the sunshine. We poured water on its porous surface and listened as the liquid crackled through the airy centre. We gaped at abandoned buildings swallowed by the earth, and small vegetational islets surrounded by lava flows of the past.
That evening we toasted the mighty mountain from the balcony of our rented apartment at the foot of the volcano, grateful to be in the presence of such a rare beauty and humbled by the planet we call home.
