Mount Etna's North Slope

Trip Start Mar 04, 2008

Trip End Oct 06, 2008

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Flag of Italy Taormina, Italy
Sunday, March 23, 2008

Climbed up from the coast around Mount Etna's north border. Plan is to semi-circumnavigate the volcano from north to south. I am getting over a bout of food poisoning at the moment, so the experience has been bitter-sweet...well, bitter and quite sour, actually, with hints of tomato.

We camped on Etna's northwest slope on a bed of volcanic rock. Pretty rough on the tent, but great for dry skin. Woke up to fresh snow not 100 m above us. Winds are tough. Constantly westerlies, blowing hard.

We planned to hike the volcano, before we saw it and got snowed on that is. Now the plan is to get the hell out of here before we freeze to death. We did not plan for snow, nor everything being closed for the easter weekend. We're living off dry crackers and E-Z-Squeeze ketchup.

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