Sicily Bike Tourist Service wants to test you… with Etna Bike Challenging.
A new adventure, a new challenge, they are waiting for you.
We have designed for you a bike tour(Mountain Bike or Gravel Bike) to discover the old roads surrounding our beloved Etna and that lead up to 2,000mt(about) of the Silvestri craters (pyroclastic cones formed during the eruption of the 1892, north of Nicolosi, at about 1.900mt) near the Sapienza refuge.
This is a bike tour… that will take us… “Towards the conquest” kilometer after kilometer, of the highest volcano in Europe, without forgetting the beauties of the small villages and small roads used by the old carters, with paths on-and off-road immersed in a past time, which now seems to fail to give way to modernity.
It will not be the usual and classic climb to the Sapienza refuge, Sicily Bike for us would not make sense…
We deliberately went looking for little Sicilian glimpses and places and flavors that will leave a strong impression in the mind.
We will leave from Catania, cycling along the most important streets of the old town and walk along the promenade, we will pass from small seaside villages such as San Giovanni Li Cuti and Aci Trezza, famous seaside town made known thanks to Omero who with the Odyssey told of Polifemo, and to the Sicilian writer Giovanni Verga, with the novel “I Malavoglia”, here you will not fail classic photo on the seashore, to witness the true departure of the Tour, which from 0mt will take us to 2.000mt (about).
Now the roads will get harder, we will climb up slopes that will also touch 20% … between dirt roads, gravel road and carriage roads, crossing the municipalities of Aci Catena, Valverde, Aci Sant’Antonio and Pedara, where we will do a long stop, to resume the forces, before the true and great climb.
After the break, will continue to pedal towards Nicolosi, called Etna Door, where only long climbs are waiting for us, between asphalt and dirt road in lava sand… we will proceed to the last 1,000mt (about) of altitude, here the splendor landscape will leave you enchanted you and nature will take over.
The chaos of the villages and the noises of the cities, will leave the place to the quiet and undisturbed beauty of Mom ETNA…
Once we reach the Silvestri craters, we will enjoy scenarios and almost lunar places, before spending a bit of our time to the innumerable gastronomic varieties that large square Sapienza offers for lunch: Arancini(classic Sicilian specialties), pizzas, barbecues, sandwiches and typical Sicilian sweets.
After lunch break, will be possible to ascend towards the top of the volcano, by cable car or for the most able ones, even in bicycle (time permitting), of course if the conditions physical, weather and/or eruptive of the volcano will make it possible.
When we return, we will descend in the direction of Salto del Cane (Mount Salto del Cane is a crater at 1.400mt), alternating asphalted trails (also used during Tour of Italy 2017) off-road trails, full of climbing and downhill techniques, never trivial, between sand and lavic sciara, until the town of Nicolosi, where the guide… according to the time and physical conditions of the group, will make the most appropriate decision for the final descent to be used in way to end the tour safely and with sunlight.
Tour Directions
Departure from our office at 7.30/8.00am(recommended time).
100 kilometers(about) of mixed path on road/off road: 35% (about) composed of dirt roads, carriageways, mule tracks and off road in general, the rest is composed of secondary roads, and in a small part also by main roads.
Difference in level in ascent 2,400mt(about.)
Duration in general: 8/10 hours max, of course depends on the ability of the group or the
individual, but it is understood that the same tour can not last for force majeur more than 10 hours, in this case, will be the guide in charge of service to stop the tour and take the most suitable solution to get back in time for sunset.
Path: Difficult(more for a physical than technical question).
It is understood that it is not a suitable tour for everyone, requires good physical preparation.
Of course this Tour is not a race and the rhythm to keep will always be managed by guide in charge of service, the real challenge will be exclusively against themselves.
Price only MTB guide service.
From 1 person to a max of 10 people, € 130.00 (total price, to divide by the number of
participants).Max 10 hours of service.
This price excludes all Extras and rental of Mountain Bike or E-Mountain Bike, which must be considered as an extra cost.
This service can be provided exclusively during the months of: April, May, June, September and October(thanks to daylight saving time).
Depending on the weather conditions (summer temperatures)we reserve the possibility of carrying out the “also” service in July and August.
Insurance coverage RC included in our services.
Extra services:
- Shuttle/Pick-up, from and to your Hotel, to our office
- Van Following the Tour
- MTB/E-MTB rental
- Energy kits
- Lunch bag
- Lunches/Dinners
- Wine tasting
- Accommodation
- Cable car for ascending to the central crater
- Vulcanological Guide