An evening in late May 2002 bathes the numerous pyroclastic cones on Etna's western flank in a mysterious light. The nearest of these cones is Monte Scavo, covered with dense forest to its summit. In the background are (from left to right) Monte Rosso, the Monti De Fiore, Monte Nuovo, Monte Lepre, Monte Minardo and Monte Ruvolo. The black lava in the foreground was erupted in the winter of 1977-1978 from the Northeast Crater at Etna's summit

Mamma Etna's countless children
Monte Scavo
NW flank, 14.951613° E, 37.772866° N
Summit elevation: 1801 m (N rim of crater)

Known to hikers that do the marvellous round trip on the Forest Service road for the nice mountain hut of the same name, Monte Scavo rises amidst dense forest and is itself covered with trees to its summit. This cone, rising about 50 m above its surroundings, is of prehistoric age, but its summit crater is well preserved. Climbing Monte Scavo with the hope to be rewarded by breathtaking panoramic views ends with a partial delusion - only on one side, to the east, does a gap in the trees permit a view of the surrounding area, including the northwestern slope of the main edifice of Etna.
The photos displayed on this page were taken during excursions in August 2001 and August 2002; I climbed to the summit of the cone during the earlier of these occasions.

Left: panoramic view from Monte Nunziata toward Monte Scavo (center), about 1 km to the north, in August 2002. Monte Maletto is the conspicuous cone in the distance at left, and a nameless cone at extreme right lacks vegetation in its summit area, possibly testifying to a relatively recent age Center: the vegetated cone of Monte Scavo is seen against the backdrop of Etna's main edifice in mid-August 2001 as a group of hikers walks on the Forest Service road across a lava flow erupted in 1949. View is to the southeast Right: destination after a long hike, the mountain hut of Monte Scavo offers shelter for up to 15 persons. Hikers find abundand wood for lighting a fire in the evening and a cistern that nearly always has water, in this beautiful spot at the southern base of Monte Scavo, one of the most peaceful places on the volcano. Photo taken in August 2001

Views of the lower northwestern flank of Etna's main edifice from the summit of Monte Scavo in August 2001, with numerous lava flows and several eruptive fissures of past eruptions, nearly all of them undated. Right photograph shows the unvegetated summit of a nearby pyroclastic cone at center right that has no name on topographic maps of Etna

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Copyright © Boris Behncke, "Italy's Volcanoes: The Cradle of Volcanology"