Landscape from another Planet - Etna

Tobias Heller
26. Okt. 2016
4 Min. Lesezeit

Etna, a world heritage, continuously lurking temptingly in the background while staying in Catania calls to be mounted today. The active volcano, with boiling hot lava slumbering in it's depths thrills me and sets me into an adventurous mood. As the top peak lies on over 3300 meters of altitude, I dress up tightly in my hiking equipment, wearing long undergarment and rainproof jacket with soft fleece inside. It is highly likely that I would encounter snow, despite the pleasant temperatures here down in Catania, and indeed this is what I am about to encounter - maybe more than I had hoped for.

Hiking

Still on planet earth or on the Moon?

The bus leaves from Catania, pausing halfways in a village called Nicolosi, offering time for taking a coffee. Once we cross over the sign which indicates that we are now entering into the national park of Etna, the landscape starts to transform by the minute. The earth's color becomes darker and darker, as does the surrounding and the feeling that goes with it. The dark soil and the roughly structured rocks are blending into each other, whereas the most remarkable contrast with yellowish green bundles of grass which dot the darkened earth start to pop out. Accompanying the whole scene are the clouds of heavy fog, which add to the mystic bizarre scene that lies in front of me.

From Refugio Sapienza runs a cableway up to another higher leveled station, which I ignore completely. Why would I go by cableway if I can walk through this insanely extraneous and weird landscape? In the beginning a fixed walkway leads in turns upwards, passing the 'Crateri Silvestri', some craters along those edges people can walk. Later on I lose the track, but as I never lose sight of the cable way I can impossibly get lost here - the only way is up. The slope starts to climb noticeably and the ground consists partially merely of blackened sand in which my feet sink deeply, making the hiking more difficult. On one hand it seems to be a pity that the sky is overcast and the fog clings to the peak and seeps downwards, spoiling the view down to Catania and the coastal area, but therefore giving the area close by the most enigmatic, mystified appearance. I really feel like lost in another dimension, only the cableway indicates civilization. Not a single person is to be encountered on the way.

Hiking

The peak - The miraculous possibility to get lost

After an hour, I find the end of the cable way situated high above with a group of german tourists occupying the little souvenir shop, which offers free limoncelli for every guest who enters. I proceed onwards, the fog getting intensely dense here and the wind is strongly pushing me back. At a certain point, I find little spots of white glowing out the darkened rocks - snow. It is freezing cold now with the wind whistling past me and the pathway is barely locatable anymore amidst the fog, which limits my sight to only several meters in front of me - the rest is swallowed up by the white dust. Even though I have to fight hard against the wind, which continues to get stronger by ever meter I get higher, I proceed on, eager to reach the peak and the crater.

The floor now is fully covered in snow, the air is damp, water droplets are freezing onto my cheeks. At a certain point the way is only a small passage, whilst the sides are falling to the left and right into a steep descent. Not even sure if I am still on track as it is not really indicating it is a proper walking path, I go on, hoping to reach the mountain top anytime soon, assuming that this was only a elongated ridge. I keep walking for which seems to be an hour, thinking about returning already as it seems futile to attempt getting anywhere - everything seems to look the same and I have no idea where I am exactly.

Have I actually passed those rocks here already? And it dawns on me - I am running in a circle doing laps around the rim of a crater. I try to find my way back, as I am suddenly also aware that the only bus leaving back for Catania will be at 4 o'clock, but the way I came up is nowhere to be found. I point out at least the direction where the Station must be by help of my phone's GPS, and then begin sliding down at any random place slipping through a mixture of snow and sand and continuing a fun ride downwards. In the end I finally found back, right in time as well, the cold still stuck in my bones, my clothes wet and damp and my cheeks are burning from the winds icy grip.