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Stromboli to Etna Oct 08 (part 5): Excursion to Grotta del Gelo
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It's just before sunrise and we're at 3000 m a.s.l. Night frost has covered the summit area. We are ... [
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(1084 Hits)
By the time we have arrived on the NW side of the summit craters, the sun has risen and Etna drops h... [
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(2698 Hits)
Sunlight and shadow play over the surfaces of barren lava fields, still covered by thick frost. (Ph... [
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(888 Hits)
As we descend on the north side along rugged aa lava flows from NE crater during the 1970-80's, we c... [
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(1013 Hits)
We're on the NE rift zone; to our left, a pit crater, a few hundred meters upslope the still smoking... [
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(2418 Hits)
Frost between bundles of grass (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(1010 Hits)
After about 30 minutes, we reach the spatter cones on the eruptive fissure from a spectacular fissur... [
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(1011 Hits)
This funny-looking spatter cone needed an extra lateral pressure valve when it was active... (Photo:... [
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(1104 Hits)
Small and large hornitos / spatter cones nicely arranged along the "bottoniera"-type fissure from 19... [
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(1093 Hits)
Most hornitos are hollow inside. This one has a narrow entry... (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(1783 Hits)
A large lava channel near the eruptive fissure looks almost as if from last week. (Photo: Tom Pfeiff... [
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(990 Hits)
After about 1 hr, we have reached the large lava field of the huge effusive eruption from 1614-1624,... [
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(1310 Hits)
After about 1,5 hrs into the hike, we are approaching a new, more recent, fissure system: black lapi... [
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(1576 Hits)
The first tree we encounter, a single birtch growing from the lapilli-covered ground. (Photo: Tom Pf... [
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(938 Hits)
View towards forested Monte Spagnolo. In the right of the frame, Randazzo town is visible. In the ba... [
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(942 Hits)
A deep pit crater above the 1981 eruptive fissure. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(890 Hits)
We're looking from the top of a hornito onto the eruptive fissure. Ines is standing there for scale.... [
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(1553 Hits)
The entry of the Grotta del Gelo. The cave was almost destroyed by the 1981 eruption, located just 1... [
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(872 Hits)
Rosario helps us to put on the crampoons. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(721 Hits)
Not the sexiest of footwear, but just right for ice. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(699 Hits)
Descending into the cave: walking with crampoons makes a funny feeling... (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(745 Hits)
The entry to the Grotta del Gelo (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(741 Hits)
The entry into the darkness of the cave (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(847 Hits)
Ines and Rosario in the cave, looking at some ice stalactites. A mountain-like stalacmite is in the ... [
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(2097 Hits)
Rosario with his crampoons standing on the ice inside the cave. My torch illuminates a mound of ice ... [
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(1650 Hits)
Ice stalactite near the entry of the cave. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(1053 Hits)
Inside the Grotta del Gelo (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(2455 Hits)
The blue sky is gone and clouds are coming in, so it's time to head back - about 10 km to the neares... [
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(761 Hits)
Along the way we pass another lava cave, the deep Grotta di Aci. Ropes and tecnical equipment would ... [
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(752 Hits)
Green grass, moss and lychen cover the rocks at the entry of the cave, obviously more humid than the... [
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(890 Hits)
The colapsed thin roof of pahoehoe lava over a nice lava channel. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(3079 Hits)
The trail follows the same path as once the lava - we're walking inside a nice small lava channel. (... [
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(3052 Hits)
"La montagna dei cadaveri" - "the mountain of cadavers", a rather morbid name for this large tumulus... [
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(642 Hits)
The scurrile name of the lava amuses Ines... (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(618 Hits)
After hours of walking through endless lava desert, a patch of trees with their vibrant autumn color... [
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(1848 Hits)
Small islands of vegetation that were spared by the lava flows (from 1947), so-called kipuka (Hawaii... [
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(924 Hits)
Lychen and moss on the old lava rocks (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(634 Hits)
Autumn colors (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(2253 Hits)
Black lava and autumn colors (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(703 Hits)
Life and lava (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(2086 Hits)
After about two hours from the Grotta del Gelo, we reach another famous lava cave of Etna, the Grott... [
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(1893 Hits)
Ines and Steve standing behind the main entry to the Grotta dei Lamponi, a former skylight in the ro... [
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(747 Hits)
Rosario and Ines in the Grotta dei Lamponi - one of the largest lava tubes of Etna (Photo: Tom Pfeif... [
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(2016 Hits)
Tiny lava stalactites dangling from the roof of the large lava tube. At the time of the eruption tha... [
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(703 Hits)
Rosario watching towards the roof of the cave, where a skylight is. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(1806 Hits)
Coloful autumn (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(915 Hits)
Yellow and orange leaves (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(1377 Hits)
Near the Grotta dei Lamponi, the area is relatively flat, in contrast to the steeper slope behind le... [
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(626 Hits)
A simple sign, but evokes sweet memories... (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(692 Hits)
Lava flows from the NE rift zone have often invaded the beautiful forests on this side of Etna. (Pho... [
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(2457 Hits)
Autumn forest (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(562 Hits)
We have reached the dirt road "forestale" that goes around Etna at around 1500 m elevation. (Photo:... [
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(1222 Hits)
A mountain biker is much faster than us... (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(559 Hits)
Passing Mt. Rosso, we reach the beautiful pine forest Ragabo with its fern-covered grounds. (Photo:... [
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(558 Hits)
Pine trees (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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etna_g6442.jpg (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(701 Hits)
Pine forest with ferns (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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(602 Hits)
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V: Grotta del Gelo