Ice axe, crampons and the desire to discover and admire one of the most charming grottos on Mount Etna in all its beauty. It is made even more picturesque due to its ice stalagmites and stalactites. These are the fundamental elements of choosing this excursion…
Leaving Piano Provenzana to arrive to the craters of 1809 at 2400 m. From here you will walk along the fracture of 1947 by crossing the spectacular, evocative lava formations of the "Sciara del Follone" with typically pahoehoe morphology which is uncommon for Etna and which dates back to the eruption of 1614-24. At a height of 2000 m you arrive to "Grotta del Gelo", a once flowing lava grotto with a perennial glacier. Once you visit the grotto you will continue onwards to "Passo dei Dammusi". Here, you will stop to visit the "Grotta dei Lamponi", a spectacular tunnel of flowing lava. The excursion ends along the forest road until you reach the refuge of "Ragabo" at 1420 m.
| Recommended period: | During the winter with snowshoes, in spring in trekking. Not recommended in summer and autumn. |
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| Duration: | 7 - 8 hours (depends on the rhythm of the group) |
| Difficulty: | Medium-high |
| Recommended equipment: | Trekking shoes, antiwind and antirain jacket, hat, telescopic sticks (if available), and in general dress appropriately to the various temperatures that is possible to find during the excursion. |
| Notes: | Routes may be changed in the case of icy slopes. |
| Warnings: | EXCURSION ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED TO PEOPLE WITH HEART PROBLEMS AND ASTHMATICS. |
