Posted by clairef on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

On Sunday morning we met at the train station at 7:30 AM, and started the drive to Mount Etna. Mount Etna is an active volcano on Sicily, caused by a subduction zone between two geological plates. I have not been to an active volcano before, and was very excited to see and learn about the associated geology and environmental impact.

When driving up to reach the start of our hike, we passed through what the guide referred to as Mount Etna’s agricultural belt. She discussed how at different elevations, different crops and plants would grow, and that the mountain was overall extremely fertile. Having learned about how Sicily relies heavily on agriculture, it was interesting to see crops growing at different elevations. In my opinion, compared to the United States, Sicily takes full advantage of the land and different terrains they have on the island, utilizing them as fully as possible.

The actual hike of Mount Etna was physically challenging, due to the high wind speeds, sleet and cold temperatures. Since we couldn’t hike to the actual top of the volcano, we hiked to the top of one of the craters. During our hike we walked over dirt, grass, rocks, and dried lava. The variety of terrain is different than any of the hikes that I have done in the United States, and made for a more difficult and interesting hike. I found the dried lava was especially difficult to walk on, as the tiny crumbles made the walk slippery, and I don’t have the best coordination. When we finally reached the top of the crater, the winds were blowing so intensely that I was scared to stand up fully. That being said, the views from the top were incredible, and you could clearly see the impact the volcanic eruption had on the surrounding area!

The most noticeable difference between Mount Etna and Cefalu was the temperature. The mountain was freezing, and throughout our hike we experienced rain, hail and winds around 35 mph!! While I left the apartment in only leggings and a windbreaker, fortunately our instructor had an extra coat that I was able to borrow, so I didn’t freeze the entire time. The change in temperature reminded me of one of our class lectures, where our professor addressed how Sicily’s climate had dramatically changed when the Romans entered the country and cut down the trees and vegetation for wood to build ships. While having previously experienced areas of Sicily that are hot and humid, I now have a better understanding of the range of temperatures on the island, and insight into how it may have been prior to the Romans’ actions.

Another interesting aspect of this experience was the information the guide provided about the last eruption. Mount Etna last erupted in 2002, and is predicted to erupt every 10-12 years. When Mount Etna erupted in 2002, both the North and South sides were destroyed by lava in under twenty-four hours. This notion highlights the sheer power of nature, and its ability to shape and dictate our lives as humans. When Mount Etna erupted, people had a brief window of time to grab select belongings, and then were forced to evacuate. Our guide talked about how the ski slopes, lodges, and homes were destroyed, and how the infrastructure has since been rebuilt. While there haven’t been any major volcanic eruptions in the United States, Hurricane Katrina was a similar event – a natural disaster that forced humans to evacuate their homes, and destroyed many of their belongings. This notion of being forced to leave your home, and to essentially lose a whole community, is terrifying to me. However, natural disasters occur all across the world, and no matter how developed or advanced a society is, there is no way to prevent the catastrophic impacts that a natural disaster can have. While the differences between Cefalu, the United States, and the rest of the world are vast, nature is an equalizing force that impacts us all.

While I’m not a big fan of hiking in general, finishing this hike was an awesome learning experience, and now I can officially say I’ve hiked a volcano!