I'm sorry for my english and thanks to everyone who uderstands that not everyones mother tongue is ...
I'm sorry for my english and thanks to everyone who uderstands that not everyones mother tongue is english.
Member since:15.10.2007
Reviews:31
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As far that there is no adventurers review i have to write my experiance about my trip to Etna with my wife.
We were by can on the island Sicili and first we have seen was Ethna. It was about 30 degrees down, clima was turned on and we have seen huge black - absolutely black mountain with snow! I decided that we must visit it.
we have driven to the parking place above Catania, which is about 1900 meters high if i remember well. We paid cheap parking fee and wanted to go up. There is a transport from parking place - a cable car. It is a bit expensive - about 20 euro per person and since nobody was walking under the cable car i decided that it is not so bad option.
We were walking on the ski slope up. The surface was not an easy terrain since there are a bit large black stones. If you are walking you will be able to see old cable car destructed by lava in 2002. when we got to the upper station of cable car we found next transport - there are offroad cars taking people to the peak undes the crater for another 20 euro. From there about one third of people is going up so we werent the only ones who was not going by car.
This part was better then the first one since you are walking around huge levels of snow. It is not so straight up so everybody is able to walk here. After you pass the snow there are large peaks all black so if you want to be easilly spoted take a white trousers as i did:) Anyway when i was going down they were likely gray due to the dust.
After about an hour we got to the peak under the main crater where all the people gets dropped from cars. From there they are walking only a few hundred meters to small side crater to have a view down on the sea and Catania. We were not going there because it was really crowded. Instead of it we have chosen adventure - i decided to attempt to go from this 2900 meter high peak to the main crater which is about 3350 and throws a lot of toxic smoke up. From this time it was a bit harder to breath because of the toxical air but i have to mention that normally it is allowed to go there only with guide and we met only one people going down on the beginning.
After 20 minutes my wife become a bit sick because of the air so we stopped. For our luck thw wind started a little bit to blow the smoke out and we could continue. There was snow not white but absolutelly covered by black dust and from the sides of snow arrays was rising smoke. We also met a very small crater with diameter about 2 meters and weird was that from its edge was strong smoke comming out. We walked straight up between the crater that is closer to the peak with cars and the main crater. Most of the way is on the snow surface and it is really great view from there. Upper was no view down because of smoke. When we started our final part of trip to the crater we had to avoid gaps releasing smoke because it is impossible to pass a visible smoke. Finally we did it - i walked to the crater and suddenly there was a huge - really huge crater unexpectably. It is very straight down and a huge loads of smoke are going from its sides. This was one of the most amazing views i have got for my whole life, but it was only for a really short period because we were able to watch it only when the wind stopped blowing and everytime it started to blow we had to lay down not to be hit with the toxic smoke!
We took the same way down being very happy that we have been succesfull, but we had a bit scratching feel in our throats due to the toxication:) When we reached the car peak we saw that the wind has changed and smoke was going down on the way we were going up so be carefull if you will decide togo up and turn back if it will be giong worse!
This trip is possible to made in 8 hours up and down and it is much more possible to see than only the side crater. Next day we were absolutelly fit with no scratching in our throats.
So i wish you good luck on your journey to the Mt Etna - it is really great adventure!!!
Pictures of Mount Etna, Catania, Sicily
Etna - view from sea
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Personally, I prefer the view when over-flying the volcano... being anywhere within lava-striking distance is a shade too close for my liking. Nice review, and you have guts to go up to the edge of the caldera without specialist breathing equipment!
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