Cave of Lamponi

Caves of Etna

South face

Grotta di Tre Livelli

Grotta di Cassone

Images : Patrick Barois.

West face

Grotta di Gelo

From light to ice.

Outside in an icy reflect.

With 10 meters of rope, one can go down to the end of the cave.

The icy cave of Gelo and its oratory.

The cave is a real myth for hikers and pot holing people. It is an icy cave which contains a small everlasting "glacier". To discover it, one must go North -from the Lamponi cave- for an hour and half, mainly through the lava flows from 1614-1624. The path is shown by "cairns" white painted spots and numbers : 60 at the beginning of the path, 1 at the entrance of the cave. Even if there are no real dangers, this way must not be used when one is alone or when it's foggy because it is easy to get lost.

Grotta di Lamponi

Through the opening "windows" in the volcanic cave of Lamponi, one can notice the lava drops on the ceiling, the benches on the sides of the lava flow showing the level of the lava.
This cave is one of the most beautiful ones and the longest on Mount Etna (about 700 m long). With just a torch, it is possible to reach the first entrance, the top having collapsed.
The downsream branch is less interesting (about 300 m long, without any opening). It reaches a huge room, with chaotic blocks fallen from the ceiling. The upstream branch is longer and more pleasant, there are less blocks and the daylight goes through 3 important openings -with good conditions, one can notice the tunnel nearly circular with some benches on its sides indicating the different levels of lava when it was present in the natural pipe.

Grotta di Monte Nunziata

Inside a tunnel of lava...

Etna : Etna's activity 1983 / 2011 : 1983 ; 1984 ; 1985 ; 1991-1993 ; 1994 ; 1996 ; May 1997 ; July 1997 ; 1998 ; 1999 ; 2000 ; 2/4 July 2001 (before paroxysm) ;
5 July 2001 (paroxysm) ; 28 July 2001 ; 31 July/3 August 2001 ; 2002 ; 2003 ; 2004 ; October 2004 ; 2006 ;
28 October /2 November 2006 ; 2007 ; May 2008 ; July 2008 ; July 2011 ; August 2011 : 12th August (10th paroxysm) ; 20th August (11th paroxysm)

Centers of interest

South face
(Cones from 2002, Laghetto, Silvestri)