ETNA SUD 3: Trail Silvestri-Nero-Gemmellaro-Grosso

The route starts at the gate of Monte Concilio, climbs to Rifugio Sapienza on asphalt, and once you get to the Silvestri Mountains it is almost all downhill to the parking lot.

From the Silvestri up to Monte Nero you will always have the Gulf of Catania within sight downstream and turning 180 degrees the summit craters. Apart from the circumnavigation of Monte Gemmellaro, which you can bypass if you wish but is still worth it (there is a usable bivouac), the trail is little beaten almost giving you the feeling of privilege for a few.

The start is nice sandy and steep and once you leave the Silvestri behind you enter a rocky and sandy falsopiano that takes you towards Monte Nero, here the trail becomes more flowing and south of the crater a descent starts with significant gradients in the middle of the forest with ski-like sensations, a blast, for brakes a little less so. At the end of the descent there is a false flat, pedaling on a flow that takes you toward Monte Gemmellaro and then Monte Grosso on a forest road to the cars. The initial part up to Monte Gemmellaro the difficulty is S1 while after that S0.

The first part of this natural trail has the following characteristics: km 3.3, dsl -420 mt, average gradient -16.4%

#etna