When I started telling people that I was doing my year abroad in Catania, one of the most common responses was ‘oh you have to climb Mount Etna’. Now I’m not much of the outdoorsy type; my favourite Sundays are spent in art galleries rather than on hikes. However, I knew that climbing Mount Etna was a once in a lifetime sort of opportunity. I was determined to do it. I spoke to a very close friend who I knew would give me an honest description of it. That was definitely reassuring. She gave me her guide on how not to climb Mount Etna (which was evidently exactly how she climbed Mount Etna). It was a rather simple guide. Rule 1 don’t climb a volcano when it is erupting. Rule 2 don’t climb an erupting volcano in flip flops, they will probably melt.
Three months after this conversation, I climbed Mount Etna. The night before, I started hearing things about Mount Etna erupting, however, I had (and probably still have) the hubris of a twenty-something year old and assumed that if Mount Etna was really erupting, the bus wouldn’t be running and there would be more of a warning than just a few people from my ballet class talking about it. So bright and early the following morning I was at Catania Centrale bus station to get on the bus that goes through Nicolosi and then up to the base of Mount Etna.
I decided to be more sensible than my friend who climbed Etna in flip flops. It was December, so I brought lots of layers with me so I could take them off as I climbed, I brought plenty of water with me, and of course I brought appropriate footwear. I would like to state, for the record, that my appropriate footwear was a pair of gold glittery Dr Martens boots, not hiking boots. Climb in style queens, climb in style.
After stopping in Nicolosi for a coffee and cornetto, we reached the base of Mount Etna. Etna is a stratovolcano, a volcano made up of layers of hardened lava and characterised by a steep profile and a summit crater. It sits between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates and is the largest of the active volcanoes in Italy, also being one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Some believe that the name Etna comes from either the Greek word meaning ‘I burn’, the Phoenician word for ‘chimney’ or the Arabic phrase for ‘the Mountain of Fire’. The area of the mountain which contains the two central craters is known as Mongibello, which comes from the Italian monte bello (beautiful mountain). This name has featured in Arthurian Romance as the castle of Morgan the Fay, which doesn’t give any true information about the mountain, I’m only putting it in this factual paragraph because it links one of my favourite characters and personal research interests to where I did my year abroad and that’s always a bit of fun.
Etna’s eruptions have been recorded for thousands of years, one of the first records dating back to 396 BCE. One of Etna’s most destructive eruptions was in 1669, destroying at least ten villages and even reaching the city walls of Catania. Over the last century Etna has erupted many times, since 2001 there have been 16 eruptions. One of its most noteworthy eruptions destroyed the first generation of the Etna cable-car, which takes visitors part of the way up the mountain in the summer months. Some of Etna’s strongest eruptions have caused ash columns that have been seen from Libya, and these ash columns have previously caused the closure of Catania airport. So realistically, Etna erupting is a big deal, and we maybe should have looked into the rumours of eruption a little bit more before setting off.
As far as climbing the mountain goes, for an experienced hiker it isn’t a very hard one. For me, it was not the easiest thing I have ever done, but I did not expect it to be easy. Hell, I was climbing a mountain! The difficulties that we encountered were mostly related to the December climate. Though it gets hot as you hike, Etna in December is covered in snow and ice. This is why I would recommend wearing real hiking boots if you are going to climb Etna in December. Though the sparkly gold Dr Martens did actually hold up pretty well, they are not generally known for being the best shoes to prevent injuries on ice. The other issue was the fact that the rumours were true, Etna was definitely erupting as we climbed. As we started the climb, I could see the smoke coming from the top of the mountain, but I did assume that all volcanoes are like that, partially due to the fact that I had never seen a volcano up close before and partly due to the fact that I just really wanted to climb Etna at any cost. Climbing an erupting volcano is not easy. I found that as we climbed higher, it got a little more difficult to breathe because of the ash in the air, and the combination of the ice on the mountain and the fact that the mountain was in fact shaking slightly did make it a little bit scary to climb. However, I was determined to do it.
Unfortunately, we could not reach the summit. It was probably the for the best that we didn’t argue with the people coming down and advising us not to go further. These were definitely more experienced hikers with proper boots, trekking poles, and ice axes. A few of us in the group did not really accept that we had come unprepared for the ice and the fact that the mountain was genuinely shaking at that stage, and asked if it was a good idea to keep going. My favourite response from one of them was ‘sì, se volete finire sul telegiornale’ (sure, if you want to make the news). So we decided to stay where we were for a bit before coming back down. Standing on Etna and just looking out is a magical experience. You can see for miles outwards. It is honestly indescribable, and I would recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to do so climbs Etna for this, because I can’t put it into words. The best I can get is that it feels like you are standing on the very edge of the earth. The view from where we reached definitely made the experience of climbing an icy erupting volcano worth it.
We were really lucky with the climb because an erupting volcano is not safe. I am definitely not endorsing climbing a volcano when it is erupting. Especially one as powerful as Etna. Do as I say, not as I do. As we were on the bus on the way back, it seemed as though the ash was following us back through Nicolosi. The following morning, the ash had reached Catania and began to settle on the cars like snow would. When it got dark you could see the lava from most balconies in the city. With hindsight, I, like my friend, will advise you not to climb Etna while it is erupting. I would also advise you to maybe climb in the spring so that you can get higher and not risk injury from slipping on ice. However, if you get the chance, climb Mount Etna. Two years on, this is one of my life’s biggest highlights. Be more prepared than I was, climb safely and enjoyably. Good luck!