Overall rating: ★★★★☆

Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆- Fairly easy if you follow the main trail, think the final ascent could push this up to a 3 depending on conditions (if the volcano lets you summit)

Start point: Rifugio Sapienza

Distance: 15km

Elevation: 1000m (not quite all the way to the top)

Time: Approx. 6 hours - including a long stop at the top cable car station

Gear needed: Standard hiking gear, boots are helpful to keep ash out of your shoes. Crampons needed in winter if attempting summit.

Need to know: Etna is Europe's (and one of the world's) most active volcanoes and is almost constantly erupting in one form or another. There are restrictions on how high you can go without a guide, and though these are seemingly easily bypassed, it would be wise to take these into account for your own safety.

​Rising from the Mediterranean, Mount Etna stands as the highest volcano in Europe, the highest mountain in southern Italy and one of the world’s most active volcanoes. What better idea then, than to try to climb it (I am told sarcasm doesn’t translate well in writing).