 Poster: A snowHead
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Went up mount Etna last weekend and noticed it was well set up for skiing, has anybidy actually skied there ... ??? Interested to find out what its like..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes, I did for a morning back when I was a geology student and got sick of traipsing around with a backpack full of geophysics kit.
There are ski areas on the south flank and the north flank of Etna. There's a better setup on the south side, with more pistes and better uplift. Unlike most ski resorts, they've had two lifts destroyed by volcanic eruptions.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Best snow is not on the upper slopes! Foreground shows the top of a hut so snow depth is 3+ metres, but background shows no snow because the ground is too hot for it to settle.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Although it's not necessary to wait until winter to ski on Etna. Here's Marco dropping in to the Valle del Bove the quick way...
https://vimeo.com/108057019
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I few in a few times this summer and a client has skied there. I am looking forward to the opportunity next year (fingers crossed!)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@rob@rar prett awsome ... would not like to take a tumble though 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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To change back to the white stuff, Salomon did a film for their Freeski series which is nice if you want a look broader look at Sicily
https://vimeo.com/57275003
This looks like it was mostly filmed on the north side of the volcano, above Lingaglossa. There are a few long drag lifts there, but free skiing from a cat looks a better option.
https://vimeo.com/120753199
Back to Marco Tomasello (who teaches in for NewGen Courchevel in the winter, having learned to ski on Etna) filmed to the south of the central craters which looked a bit active at the time.
https://vimeo.com/128000114
Finally, back to the northern flank for some end of season touring.
nordica freeskiers - mare e monte - trip to siciliy PART 3 from Armin Holzer https://vimeo.com/24122793
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Does anyone have any idea if this resort (nicolosa etna) is open?
Getting nowhere on line and the phone at the resort does not work!
We are currently at a Camp Site in the moho on the sea at the bottom of Etna
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@poppyb, I believe the road up to it was blocked yesterday or the day before by snow (they are having an exceptional winter), but I think they are operating. Not sure where in Sicily you are, but you you have choices of two ski areas on Etna, North side (above Linguaglossa) or the south side (above Nicolosi). I think the skiing is a bit more developed on the north side, although it's been many years since I was in the area.
There is a Facebook group for skiing on Etna: www.facebook.com/etnasci/
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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snow depths
-1800m : 100 cm
-2000m : 150 cm
-2500m : 180 cm
-3000m : 250 cm !
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It has recently been as low as -20c and some vineyards got a foot of snow. As above, an exceptional Winter for mafialand.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks
Right now it's balmy 10 degrees on the coast
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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We are just down the coast from Taormina at Camping Lafocetta.Sicula. maybe we should wait a bit. It has been so mild down here it's hard to.believe the road is blocked up there just over an hour away.
Thanks for the fb link that'll be useful
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Poster: A snowHead
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@poppyb, from your location the skiing on the north side is closer than the skiing on the south side. Head to Linguaglossa and from there uphill to Piano Provenzana, which is the base for the skiing on that side of the volcano.
Have fun!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I had a grear day on Etna nord slopes today. Thanks to Rob and everyone who advised me. No signage whatsoever about it being a ski resort on the way up. Just kept driving up Etna till the road ended! Nothing in Linguaglossa to suggest there was skiing anywhere despite it being called a ski resort online. Even when you're there it's not call ed anything! Just a restaurant called Piano Provencale behind which is a drag lift that takes you to two more drag lifts and a cable car.
This was the best weather conditions one could hope for. Lovely sunshine and great snow. Not too busy but enough people to not feel lonely. As a solo skier I was adopted by three different groups of gorgeous italians.
I did most of the runs including a lovely one aptly named Amphitheatre . I only found that out from a local because it wasn't written down anywhere I could see.
I'd like to ski on the Nicolosa side which apparently is lovely as you can see the sea as you ski down. However it is black with volcanic ash and melts by midday because of the westerly wind.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@poppyb, excellent! It's a very friendly part of the world, especially if you get off the usual tourist trail.
They've been having a few high level earthquake swarms in the volcanic edifice over the last day to two, usually a precursor to an eruption. Hopefully you'll get to see another aspect of the volcano while you're there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Jeez thanks Rob! Did you know I am Jackie from your Inside Out teaching ski holidays (early season Tignes and San Cassiano ) ?
Got my eye on a Finnish one at some point.. .
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@poppyb, yes, I did know that. We're probably not going to head back to Ruka for a couple of years, with next winter's trip to a less well known ski resort going to be to Spain 
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Oo I'll be in Spain next winter in the moho. Where is that trip to?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Thanks for this @poppyb, I was in Catania & Taormina (both very nice) at the weekend and wondered myself what the skiing was like, especially as there is a mini eruption at the moment
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| poppyb wrote: |
| Oo I'll be in Spain next winter in the moho. Where is that trip to? |
Baqueira-Beret in the Spanish Pyrennes. End of January 2017.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
@poppyb, excellent! It's a very friendly part of the world, especially if you get off the usual tourist trail.
They've been having a few high level earthquake swarms in the volcanic edifice over the last day to two, usually a precursor to an eruption. Hopefully you'll get to see another aspect of the volcano while you're there. |
It is erupting at the moment.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Dubaian, hah! Thanks, 2018.
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