Skiers ascend Mount Etna as eruption continues and Italy raises alert level to yellow
Ski mountaineers took advantage of the Christmas holiday period to climb and carve down the snow-covered slopes of Mount Etna even as Italy’s most active volcano continued to erupt, drawing onlookers eager to witness thick ash clouds against clear winter skies.
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Italy’s Department of Civil Protection has raised the alert level for Etna from green to yellow, citing the potential for a rapid escalation in volcanic activity. The shift in status underscores official concern as the volcano’s latest phase of activity shows little sign of easing.
Despite the heightened alert, visitors and local enthusiasts trekked uphill for a rare juxtaposition: fresh snow, a clear view to the sea below and the spectacle of an active crater. Many came not just for the ski mountaineering but to see the eruption up close, with ash plumes rising and drifting across the mountain’s broad flanks.
“It’s very impressive to climb at this time, with the contrast between the eruption, the snow and the sea just below,” said volcanological guide Giuseppe Curcio, describing it as a unique experience.
Rising to more than 3,300 meters above sea level, Etna dominates eastern Sicily and is monitored around the clock. Its frequent eruptions make it one of Europe’s most closely watched volcanoes, and shifts in alert level are closely scrutinized by authorities, scientists and residents.
The Department of Civil Protection’s move to yellow reflects a need for heightened attention to changing conditions, even as access to the mountain remains open in favorable weather. Guides reported steady but manageable conditions for ski mountaineering, and the clear visibility allowed visitors to observe the dark columns of ash with relative safety from designated areas.
For many, the draw is the landscape itself. The winter snowpack, set against the blackness of fresh ash and the blue of the Ionian Sea, creates a rare tableau that has long lured mountaineers and photographers. On this holiday week, it added a festive note to a mountain defined by constant transformation and the raw forces beneath it.
Officials and scientists continue to monitor seismic signals, gas emissions and surface activity as part of Etna’s routine surveillance. The volcano’s habit of frequent, short-lived eruptions can shift quickly, and changes in the alert level are designed to keep authorities and the public ready to adjust.
On the slopes, the mood remained upbeat as climbers and skiers moved in rhythm with the mountain, heeding guidance from experts and savoring a day that combined sport with spectacle. The scene captured a distinctly Sicilian paradox: life unfolding in the shadow of an active volcano, where risk is measured, and beauty is undeniable.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
