Hiking Etna: Monti Sartorius

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A large brown sign reading MONTI SARTORIUS 1660 M announced our arrival at the trail head just off Mt. Etna’s mareneve (sea-mountain) road, with coastline below, and often times snow capped Etna above.The unexpected freshness of cool air was so different from the general state of sticky-sweaty normal for this time of year at lower elevations. In the quiet of the trail black ash crunched beneath the feet creating a background rhythym both soothing and soft, as we padded along the winding path.We paused in a patch of silvery birch trees, with their mesmorizing maze-like trunks, etched with lines, curves, darks and lights, leaves fluttering as the wind picked up.Overhead, menacing clouds pressed down upon us, dark gray shadows seamlessly blending with…


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