Mount Vesuvius, Naples

Thinking back, my ten day holiday in the Bay of Naples probably packed in more wonderful venues than any other holiday I have taken. I visited Pompeii, Capri, Herculaneum ,Sorrento, drove around the wonderful Amelfi Coast and I actually climbed to the top of.arguably, the most famous volcano in the world - Mount Vesuvius ( Monte Vesuvio) !!

All my life I had wanted to visit Pompeii but I never dreamt that one day I would climb to the crater from which the source of Pompeii's destruction came with such vengeance.

Situated just six miles east of Naples it is a short distance from the shore. The area around Vesuvius was officially declared a national park on 5 June 1995.

The thing that amazed me was just how volcano dominates the whole area -we could see it soon after leaving the airport on our way to our hotel and it seemed to loom in all landscapes as we travelled around the area - it became our landmark for where we were.

The most famous eruption was the one in 79AD when Pompeii was covered and lost to the world for so long - one 15 years previously had already caused a lot of damage to the ill fated city.Since the eruption of 79AD Vesuvius has erupted about three dozen more times - the last on 18 March 1944.

While Vesuvius is still active, it is not thought likely to erupt in the immediate future. The status of the volcano is carefully monitored by the Osservatorio Vesuvio in Naples, ground movements are measured and the magma rising underneath the volcano is tracked by local surveys and chemical analyses of gases emitted from fumaroles. So far, no magma has been detected within 10 km of the surface, so at worst, Vesuvius is only in the very early stages of preparing for an eruption. Having said that I don't know if I would be comfortable owning property close by!! Because, even though Mount Vesuvius is one of the most studied and monitored volcanoes in the world, it is potentially one of the most dangerous!!

Well I did make the ascent and now I am able to sit here and write in all honesty - 'I have climbed Vesuvius' - and do you know - as an over weight late 50's woman - that it feels pretty good to be able to say that!!!

Our tour bus drove us to Mount Vesuvius and took us about two-thirds the way up the mountain - driving up a steep, bendy road that was quite daunting in itself. As we dismounted there were some small - rather shabby little shops and cafes and toilets ( which were absolutly packed!!)
From here you make the choice of walking up to the crater or not. My husband was hesitant but there was no way I was going that far - perhaps for the only time in my life- and not make it to the crater. My twelve year old son was keen to make it all the way so I set off with him - hubby eventually deciding to join us - he isn't one to be left out.

It was such a memorable experience, I got a real thrill knowing that we were walking up the side of an active volcano. The pathway is all volcanic rock and very steep( made worse by the fact that my son kept filling my pockets with bits of lava he was taking home for friends!!). I suggest renting a walking stick from the little old lady at the start of the walk ( they were only 1 euro each to hire) it certainly made the trek a lot easier for me.

What an experience, like the majority of people , I had never climbed a volcano, never looked inside a volcano and never seen a volcano erupt. thankfully I only managed to cover two of these three things !!

It takes about 20 - 30 minutes to make the zig zag climb up the well defined path ( depending on how mant times you need to stop for breath!!) and there are two shelters along the way with refreshments and souvenirs, the drinks are quite expensive so I recommend you take some water with you in a back pack. It is not too steep a climb but there is lots of ash and rock which can be very slippy - especially on the way down.

We started off in fine fettle, walking up a series of steep switchbacks. As we ascended the volcano we bagan to leave most vegetation behind and were surrounded by reddish stones with the odd shrub. The views were already wonderful - do take a camera and make sure that you have plenty of batteries with you!!. As you climb you can see the lavaflow from the 1944 eruption of Vesuvius as well as Naples and the Bay of Naples.below you.

About three-quarters of the way to the top, you will reach a ticket booth, where you need to buy a ticket to go all the way to the crater. We took the opportunity to get our breath back and were spurred on by reassurances from people descending the volcano that the crater was not too far away!

When we did finally reach the edge of the crater, I was absolutly amazed as to how immense it is. The crater is 1,282 meters above sea level, 230 meters deep, and has a diameter of about 650 meters.Inside is the Grand Cono,or the big cone, and active Fumaroles that let out a steady stream of steam around the rim.

It was actually pretty barren on top of the volcano, amazing to think that something that is potentially so dangerous can feel like one of the most remotest places on earth. Barren it may have been but it was still incredibly impressive. Looking in the crater it is very colourful and still bears the marks of lava and eruptions from the past.

From where we stood the whole Bay of Naples was below us and we could just about see from Naples to Sorrento( it was beginning to get very misty), it was amazing to imagine that the eruption of 79 AD had flung huge boulders from where we stood all the way down to thost distant shores of the Bay of Naples!

Do remember to take a jacket with you if you attempt the climb - because despite the heat at the bottom of Vesuvius at the top it is cool and misty, to add to the already intimidating atmosphere, claps of thunders came to warn us of an approaching storm. The said storm soaked us before we could get back down.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my climb up Vesuvius. The history and mystery ( and a little fear) that surrounds the mountain combined with the chance to look inside an actual crater of not just a volcano - but the mighty Monte Vesuvio, made it so worthwhile and fulfilling.

If you are visiting this part of Italy and you feel able to make the ascent ( if I can I'm sure you can!!) I definitely recommend taking this trip. I also advise visiting the city of Pompeii, which was destroyed by the volcano in the 79 AD eruption, to see for yourself the devastation that this volcano caused. I
have writen a review of my visit to Pompeii.

No booking is necessary for visits to the crater and apart from adverse weather conditions it is open all year round.
The opening hours are :
From January 1st to March 31st from 09:00 to 15:00;
From April 1st to May 31st from 09:00 to 17:30;
From June 1st to August 31st from 09:00 to 18:30;
From September 1st to October 31st from 09:00 to 17:00;
From November 1st to December 31st from 09:00 to 15:00;

Children under 8 are free, for students and children under18 the cost is 4.50 euro, for everyone else it is 6.50 euro.

Do remember that the temperature on the crater (especially during autumn and winter ) is lower that at the bottom of the volcano, and the wind can pick up very suddenly. You should take with you a rucksack, water bottle, sun cream and hat during hot and sunny times of year and a waterproof jacket and you should wear comfortable walking shoes or at least shoes with grippy rubber soles, preferably ankle boots; don't forget your sunglasses, binoculars and - of course - your camera.

Remember though, the volcano has an eruption cycle of about 20 years,the last eruption was in 1944..........when will the next one be ????????????

Summary: To be sung to the tune from Dirty Dancing ..........'I had the climb of my life'