Today, August 6th, we arrived in Riposto, Sicily to a very hazy sky and a little disappointed that Etna was nowhere in sight although we’ve read that this is the “normal” view.
The next morning we woke up to a pretty clear view of Etna’s smoking crater, only 10 miles west of the boat as the crow flies.
As we walked around the town and the marina we noticed a black gritty silt covering the sidewalks and people everywhere sweeping it up and putting it into grocery size bags then piling it up near the trash dumpsters…We later found out that Etna had exploded early yesterday…this must be an on-going cleanup process.
The next day, August 8th, we had a very clear view of Etna and decided today was the day for our visit. Etna’s height varies due to the constant volcanic activity. Typically it ranges from 10,900 ft. to over 11,000 ft. high. It is not only the largest volcano in Europe but is the most active in the World. They have dated some of the lava back to 300,000 years ago. In ancient Greek Mythology, it was home to Vulcan (the God of Fire) as well as Cyclops (the one-eyed Monster).
As a tourist you can visit either the North or South side. We chose the south side (it is the most popular side), rented a car and headed out. Getting there was half the fun as we passed a lot of plant life one minute and the next minute desolation with marker poles to mark the road for the clean-up crews (also notice the black silt on the road…very slippery). We have the same poles in Estes Park over Trail-Ridge road to mark the road for the Spring Snowplows to clear the snow.
We were very lucky to have such a clear day to view the mountain! The typical excursion starts at the Etna Cableway, around 6300 ft. It cost us 53.3 Euros(about $75 USD) which included the Cableway, the Unimog, and a guide at the top.
After exiting the Cableway, you make your way to the next available Unimog (a special Land Rover made by Mercedes-Benz which is the only vehicle authorized to take tourists to the top)…the other option is to walk up from your current elevation of 8,215 ft. to an elevation of 10,900 ft...on hot black gritty lava rock…no thank you).
What a view. And now we join the guide to the nearest crater which is still smoking from the 2002 eruption.
At the top there is a home that was almost completely covered in the 2002 eruption (what you see is the second story section).
I had a GREAT TIME…might have to come back for the skiing (Yes, they ski here in Winter. The guide told us they get around 15 feet of snow).
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