11.08 Castiglione di Sicilia - Piano Pernicana

Just past Castiglione di Sicilia, the E1 winds its way uphill along a road until it reaches a T-junction. Here, turn right onto the "Sentiero delle Ginestre" (signposted). After 2 km, you will come to an abandoned railway station called "Cerro".

At Cerro railway station, you cross the SS 120 road. The route now heads straight towards Mount Etna, running alongside a lava quarry. This section of the trail is not yet (2017) marked as the E1.

You will reach the road known as “Quota Mille”. Follow this until just past a bend to the right, where the path continues uphill, clearly marked. The gates blocking the path here can be passed through and must be closed again without fail. Further on, there are two sections marked “private” which can be bypassed on the left until you rejoin the path. If you encounter any problems, you can also take the tarmac road “Mareneve”, which comes up the hill from Linguaglossa.

Finally, the E1 reaches the Ragabo and Brunek mountain huts. These are open all year round and offer accommodation and the chance to buy food. From this point onwards, you should carry enough water and food to last at least two days. There are no springs along the route up Mount Etna – only rainwater in cisterns. Only the “Piano dei Grilli” hut, which can be reached after about two days on the western route, offers the chance to restock supplies.

Last text update: 14.05.2020

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