Etna North

Peaks: Pizzi Deneri (2845m), Cratere di NE (3327m), Monte Frumento delle Concazze (2151m), Monte Sartorious (1768m)

Area: Etna, Sicily

This was the big day on Etna that the Sicilian extension was centred around. As such a dominant feature, it seemed to warrant a comprehensive approach, and after visiting the south side last week and running around the eastern craters yesterday, I really wanted to get to the summit craters from Rifugio Citelli. After a nice breakfast, I set off in more glorious weather, not too hot at this altitude, through lovely birch woods and intermittent ancient lava flows. I reached a path junction early, but after being bitten on Monte Rinatu yesterday didn't risk what I felt might be a tenuous direct ascent. Instead, the path twists and loses altitude infuriatingly as it contours Serra di Concazze quite low down. After 30 minutes of more, I grew too frustrated as I was moving in the opposite direction to Pizzi Deneri which towers 1300 metres above - I needed to start climbing! So I chose a side valley and ploughed upwards up untravelled terrain. Predictably, this became vegetated quite quickly and things looked bad - but by crossing into a parallel valley I reached excellent smooth lava which facilitated rapid progress upwards. This was full on nav across untravelled terrain but it was obvious that I would hit the ridge eventually. I did, and continued left to gain the main ridge and a stunning view over the immense Valle di Bove, stunning in the morning light. Above, black slopes lead up to the South East Crater, very active again with plumes of smoke and intermittent deep explosions. The ridge to Deneri was steep and arduous, powdery ash in places, and led over several forepeaks. However, I was expecting a tough climb given its altitude and vertical interval from the hut. I tried contouring the forepeaks but it was far too loose - the crest was much easier going, and the views and landscape got better throughout. Finally, I felt I was really up on Etna with its black and orange slopes and unique ambience. The top of Deneri looks straight across at the pyramidal North East crater, and I headed down from the summit to the next stage of the day, which I remained unsure about. A completely featureless plateau of black ash made a striking foreground to the deep blue morning sky. I then picked up a track which helpfully contours the summit craters around the whole of the north side of Etna, curling over to the west. Views opened out to the Madonie hills of last week, and the Peloritani (including Rocca Novara, which I hoped to do tomorrow, a pyramid of limestone thousands of feet lower). Baked valleys stretched endlessly to the south, and the toe of Calabria remained a constant presence behind. The track contoured for a long time, before I detected paths heading upwards through the lava. Above, a ridge and a pyramid which I presumed represented the 'top' of the North East crater. The higher I got, the more remarkable and alien the landscape. Fumaroles and vents along the ridge had vertical spouts of steam and two deep explosions came from the bowels of the Earth, along with minor ground shake. After a final steep climb on jagged lava I reached the ridge crest to find myself peering straight in to the North East crater: an absolutely stunning and memorable moment. It is vast in every way, plunging walls down hundreds of feet and describes a perfect circle. Although it isn't active, there are clouds of steam, and everything about it says: 'you don't belong here'. It felt very odd - I have 32 years of experience assessing mountain conditions, but there was nothing normal about this. As I'm not a vulcanologist I had no idea about the actual (as opposed to perceived) risks but I'd seen three other people moving around distantly which reassured me and encouraged me to continue. I looked across the crater to the Bocca Nuove and the active South East crater, but my instinct was telling me to descend immediately! The whole summit crater area was remarkable, and steam vents combined with the occasional noises to emphasise the alien nature of the landscape. I should have spent longer up here (in retrospect) but actually scampered quickly back down to the contouring track. From here, I went back to the black lava field and headed down the 'Leone' path towards Provenzana to complete a satisfying loop. Mist had rolled in, so the effects were spectacular as I plunged down the ash. The landscape changes as you descend, particularly when moving quickly, and low vegetation now dotted the ground. I crossed to a series of side valleys as I decided to take in the obvious sub-peak of Monte Concazze delle Frumento, an obvious pyramid when seen from the hut. Yellow flowers and even some sheep were the first signs of life, and I plunged down the summit ridge to finally reach the first trees - low birch woods - which led to Monte Sartorious, a well-known and much visited series of craters which are actually lower than Rifugio Citelli. I traversed all the craters, then headed up to the hut where I was just in time for the gelato man who arrived with his van in the car park and served me my ice cream Sicilian style, stuffed into a brioche, while the quirky music played from the speakers. Nearly 1900m of ascent, 23.1km.