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Mount Etna Volcano

Italy - Jan. 17, 2008

After leaving Stromboli on the first ferry this morning, the goal was to make it up to the summit of Mount Etna, back on the island of Sicily. Well it didn't turn out quite as planned. The weather was horrible, with lots of rain at the lower elevations and plenty of snow higher up the mountain. Our little rental car with summer tires just was not up to the task of getting us up to where the gondola would've take us up the volcano. It started to become excruciatingly clear that this vehicle was not only incapable of making it up the mountainside but getting back down was going to be risky as well. After a lot of slipping and sliding, we made it back down below the snow line and we've retreated to the town of Nicolosi for the night. Not much was lost though, the visibility would've been terrible at the summit, plus Etna is not currently erupting.

Etna_2008_01

Etna_2008_02
Volcanic gasses can be seen coming from one of Etna's vents.
Etna is Europe's largest volcano.