Valle del Bove

Meeting point
Bar Esagonal, Piazzale Funivia.

Meet
At 10:00, delivery of equipment, bureaucratic formalities, latest information from the volcanological bulletin of the NIGV of Catania and delivery of tickets.

Departure
10:30. The Valle del Bove is one of the most characteristic places on Etna, making it a must-see for those who want to take a trip on the volcano. This valley with its lava peaks has been the favorite place for mountaineering on Etna.

The Valle is a large depression of about 40 square kilometers, and it is assumed that its formation was due to the collapse of ancient eruptive centers from an era before the contemporary Etna. It is a desert landscape, covered with important and impressive lava flows, the most recent eruptive events date back to 1991-1993, and even the latest eruption in 2021 has caused magmatic material to flow inside it.

To the east, an almost completely flat area opens up, interrupted by Monte Calanna, a crater that borders the valley with the same name. In addition to the mountain, there are some adventitious craters such as Monte Simone (1811-12 eruption), the Monti Centenari (1852-53), and the Monte Ritmann, dating back to the 1986-87 eruption.

The genesis of the Valle del Bove has been the object of several studies, most agreeing that its origin is not related to a single event but to a series of collapses, the most recent of which, according to careful research, dates back to 9,000 years ago.

Our itinerary has us take the cable car, then we continue on foot until the entrance to an extraordinary sandy channel, which will lead us directly to the Valle. We will cross lava fields similar to lunar landscapes, and, after a rest break, we will resume climbing through a canal that will lead us to the ridge. With an easy downhill journey of about an hour, thanks also to our means of transport, we will return to the starting point.

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