The cable car rumbled slowly out of the base station and up into the clear september sky - it was a picture perfect bluebird day, not a cloud to be seen, cool at the base and cooler higher up.
At the top, we emerged from the top station. We found ourselves alone in the most extraordinary environment. Surrounded on all sides by black volcanic rock and with no one else around us, we could have been on Mars or the moon.
This is Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, and one of the most extraordinary places in the world you can ski.
My visit and me writing this blog takes place in September 2024, long before the snow arrives. But the first part of our journey to rhe summit took as past ski lifts and gondolas, ready and waiting for the season to start.
First of all, the skiing. There are two ski stations on Etna, one north and one south. Together they offer skiing from 1,800 to 2,500m, high enough to give reliable snow throughout December, January and February.
This isn't the only place you can ski at this latitude. Sierra Nevada in Spain is, proudly, Europe's most southerly ski resort. And at the other end of the Mediterranean sea, Crete and Mainland Greece all offer high enough mountains - albeit little infrastructure - to enjoy a unique ski experience. But nothing quite beats Etna.
It's what lies beyond the lifts that makes Etna exceptional. Here you need to hire a guide, and if you go beyond 3,000m a special "volcanological" guide, specially trained to lead groups on volcanoes around the world.
But snowshoeing, ski touring and hiking takes you up into a moonscape environment, where rocks remain heated from eruptions a generation ago, enough to fry an egg or toast a sandwich. You can explore frozen lava flows and collapsed craters, lava caves and the remains of "bombs", large pieces of rock that fell from the sky after volcanic explosions.
Come winter or summer, Etna might be one of the most fascinating and brilliant destinations I have ever visited. I cannot recommend a visit strongly enough.
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