Construction of a cableway on Mount Etna began in the 1950s.
The first version began operations in 1966.
Etna first “intervened” in 1971, destroying the cableway’s upper section.
Various other eruptions have since wreaked varying degrees of destruction, resulting in repeated closures, rebuilds and realignments.
Since the spring of 2023, the cableway and its (new) cable cars have been as they appear in my photo.
The image (copyright Doug Spencer) was taken from a vantage point adjacent to the cableway’s lower station, at 10.28 am on 30 September 2023.
Click here to learn and see more about the cableway’s history, practicalities and possibilities.
The cableway’s current version takes its passengers from 1900 metres ASL to its higher station, at 2,500 ASL
How much further up one can then go is, of course, dependent on what exactly Etna is “up to” at the time.
Most of the time, special, monstrous buses will take you to 2,900 ASL.
How much further up is then possible, on foot, is, of course, dependent on what exactly Etna is “up to” at the time.
As you will see in future posts, on 30 September 2023 uppermost Etna was definitely “closed”, but we were able to catch those monstrous buses, and could then walk a little further up.
I know that I will never set foot on Mars, but I reckon that I have now walked on similar terrain!