Climbing Vulcano's Volcano

Island of Vulcano, Sicily--- We started at 8am and 1,300 vertical-ish feet later, I literally gasped when I saw it. Reaching the rim of the Volcano, looking down into the crater, sulfur smoke billowing out of multiple holes; it was another marvel to behold.

An then there was the view.

An amazing 360 degree view of the Isole Eolei (7 islands off the coast of Sicily) and mainland Sicily, including Mount Etna, where we had been only a week earlier.

The sign below warned that the smoke was dangerous and would cause extreme intoxication. I was thinking, if it’s like 3 Rum and Coke’s, I’m there. But we decided somewhere lost in translation, intoxication really meant empoisonnement…mainly because poisonous gasses tend to do that. Regardless, as a healthly asthmatic, I decided against doing the full rim when the warning signs as the peak threatened again.

But it was all worth the steep walk. I found a big rock a few steps into the crater and let the morning sun light up the smoke and the wind pass it over the East peak. I could have sat for hours.