Trekking on the summit of Etna Volcano

In this way Salvo, our volcanological guide, introduced us to the highest and most active volcano in Europe. Nothing can be foreseen when it comes to dealing with Etna: you can get to its slopes with a blinding sun and suddenly be picked up along the rise by a thick fog and the incessant wind, and then come back heated by the sun starting to peep out.

Everything is constantly moving on Etna, as shown by the numerous craters that continue to grow continuously over the years.

Trekking to the summit craters of the Etna volcano is one of the experiences not to be missed on a trip to Sicily.

The excursion is organized efficiently by the Etna South Alpine Guides. The appointment is every day at 9.00 am at Rifugio Sapienza, a small wooden hut, the starting point of the excursion, and the cost is 85 Euro per person.

Reservations are not necessary and the ascent is possible only if the weather conditions are favorable. The structure provides, included in the price, the technical equipment for the excursion (hiking shoes, socks, jacket, fleece, backpack, …), where they were free. Bring a small lunch with you to be able to take a moment during the break that you will do during the descent of the volcano.

It takes about 5/6 hours to reach the summit craters of the Etna volcano. So, keep busy all morning until 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Even if during the course you reach over 3000 m, the hike is not particularly demanding and iit s accessible to everyone.  

It starts from Rifugio Sapienza and climbs by the cable car up to 2500 meters

After the ascent by cable car, continue with an off-road minibus for about 15 minutes until you get to Torre del Filosofo, at an altitude of 2920 m

It starts the third stage of the excursion and it is the most exciting one: you walk with the guide in a lunar scenario and you arrive in about two hours to the crater terrace, from which incessantly escape gas and sulfur vapors.

Once you reach the summit craters, you start the descent with a view of the immense depression of the Valle del Bove, a large desert basin formed by the collapse of two craters, predecessors of Etna, and covered by the lava flows of 2005. The first stretch of the descent is a bit more challenging: you will have to “skate” on a layer of lapilli and small stones. After an initial instability, you will taste and let yourself be transported. In any case you will be helped by mountain guides.

At an altitude of 2500 m, in the Montagnola area, we stop to rest and for a short lunch break. We completely forgot to bring the packed lunch but the guides were really kind and they offered us their homemade food: fried rice balls and a delicious pasta with fennel!

You continue downhill until you get to the cable car, the end of the excursion, which will lead straight to Rifugio Sapienza.