Skiing in Sicily: Mount Etna ski resort
Skiing on the Etna Volcano
When: Dec. - March (Every year)
You will not have to fear avalanches, but you might want to look out for rolling tides of flaming lava as you surf down the snow-covered slopes of active volcano Mount Etna. Enjoy the thrilling view as you zoom down the slopes and listen out for the grumblings of the slumbering goddess of fire and flame beneath your feet.
There are two sides to Etna, in more than one sense: quiet and raging, hot and cold, but more importantly in this case, north and south, which are the two slopes you can use to ski down. Each slope is in a different district: the northern one ends in Linguaglossa and the southern one leads down to Nicolosi. There are ski-lifts on both slopes, with the northern one ascending from 1800-2300 metres and the southern one from 1900-2600 metres. There are also hotels and ample facilities on both sides, including instruction and rentals.
A settimana bianca (white week) on the slopes of an active volcano - who could resist it? Etna has been rather active 
recently and it might be a good idea to check with the tourist office before heading there. Make sure you bring some asbestos clothing with you, just in case...
Lifts & Slopes: Highest lift: 2314m (7592ft), Lowest lift: 1816m (5958ft), Vertical drop: 498m (1634ft), Number of lifts: 5, Uplift capacity: 3000 p/hr, Beginner: 40%, Intermediate: 40%, Expert: 20%, Snowboard parks: 1, Cross country: 15km.
Tourist Office: Etna Nord Tourist Office, Catania. Tel: 39 0 95 730 6 239 Fax: 39 0 95 316 407
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