The Surrounding Area

Etna

Pindar called it the "column in the sky", for Maupassant it was “the giant with its necklace of volcanoes", for the townspeople living at its foot it is simply “a muntagna”. With 350 secondary cones Etna covers a huge area and presents a different face in each direction. To the north it is splendid and powerful, where it meets the Nebrodi and Peloritani ranges. Its eastern flank is gentle, extremely fertile, and favoured by proximity to the sea. The western side is wild and untamed. And to the people of Catania to the south, a cone, Sicily's very own “Fuji”. Even it's shape and height are constantly changing as eruptive activity causes the summit to collapse. You can wake up one morning and find a different mountain, and the geologists have to correct their figures for its height once again. It is worth learning more about the Mediterranean's most perfect mountain. You could begin with a few web sites, such as HYPERLINK "http://www.ingv.it"www.ingv.it, the site of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. On the homepage click on “Volcanoes” and then “Etna” to view the 4 webcams. For nature trails, rambling and skiing it is important to keep an eye on the weather. The met office of the Italian Airforce, HYPERLINK "http://www.meteoam.it"www.meteoam.it, provides 2-day and 4-day forecasts. Visit the sites HYPERLINK "http://www.parks.it/parco.etna"www.parks.it/park.etna and www.prg.it/parcodelletna for a list of tours and routes suitable for all walkers. Etna is a little “Grand Tour” in itself. It begins in the lovely wine districts ("Italy's little Burgundy” famous for its exquisite reds fed by the sunshine and mineral-rich volcanic soil), with their lava-stone buildings. Tour the area by car on any one of hundreds of splendid roads or do the “Great Etna Traverse” (80 km on foot in 5 days). Try the skiing on Europe's most exotic slopes or feast on the rich bounties of the fertile countryside. For off-road tours of Etna we would recommend the half-day or full-day 4x4 trips that depart from Borgopetra. Hiking trips may include a visit to a volcanic tunnel, to the Valle del Bove or longer treks to see the lava flows, even at night. For ski mountaineering, Telemark, cross-country skiing in the Maletto forest and freeriding we suggest the Etna Sci programme (HYPERLINK "http://www.etnasci.it"www.etnasci.it). Remember to ask for a left-hand window seat for your flight. Often you will be rewarded with an aerial view of the volcano. Imagine how Pindar and Maupassant would have loved it.