Etna South Summit Hike with Ashàra: Three Craters in a Row at 3,340 m

The first line of the operator's own description is the one worth reading: every excursion is run in accordance with the current volcanic risk levels. On Etna that is not boilerplate, because the level changes and the itinerary changes with it. Departure is from the Piazzale Rifugio Sapienza on the south side. The cable car and a 4x4 jeep take the group to 2,800 metres. From there it is about two hours of walking, across lava flows and ground that looks lunar, up to the summit craters at 3,340 metres. The top is where three craters line up one after another: the rim of the Central Crater to walk, the North-East Crater dropping away in front of you, and the South-East Crater alongside, the one behind the most recent and most impressive eruptions. Beyond their size, what registers is the detail: gas coming out of the ground, volcanic bombs, and colours produced by sublimation, sulphur in particular. The descent takes in the Barbagallo craters and crosses a lava channel. Back at 2,500 metres the cable car returns you to the start.