No, we haven't decided to talk about astronomy...but if you haven't understood the link between the Moon and Etna it probably means that you have never been to the top. In fact, the first thing that people say upon reaching 2500 metres of altitude is “it seems to be on the moon!”. But is there water on Etna? This is a common question. Let's say that Etna is bordered by the Alcantara River on the North side (check the Alcantare Gorges and the Alcantara Gurne path) and by the Simeto River on the West side (look at the lavic ravines and at the Cantera gorges). The source of these two rivers is in the Nebrodi Mountains and many centuries ago they have seen their paths blocked by the Etnean Giant.
The Grottos carved by the two rivers make us think about the battle between the lava and the water for superiority, the sudden lava invasion against the slow eroding power of water. They are situated at modest heights, between 600/700 metres.
Going further up, the water on Etna becomes illusive. You can see its traces on the basalt polished over the centuries, as in the Acqua Rocca basalt wall. We have often been there, but we have never been able to see the waterfall in action, even if many people swear that in particular circumstances the water still flows.
If you want to find water on Etna, you should go towards the Gurrida Lake (outside of prolonged dry periods) , in Randazzo. This is the only wet area on Etna, at 900 metres of altitude, a common passing point for many migrating birds. The Gurrida Lake is a very particular site, but unfortunately we have found it in a unmaintained state. It is a shame because it would be worth it to get there just to take the picture of Etna mirrored on the lake (here on top right).
Another area where you can see some water flowing is the Sciambro Torrent, also named "40 hours", because of its short flowing time after rainfall. It is close to the Citelli Refuge, in Piano Provenzana direction, at more than 1600 metres of altitude. Watching the torrent in action, as shown in the picture, must be spectacular. But it is not an easy moment to capture: you have to wait for the right day and be lucky enough to be close by. We could not make it either, and this picture has been provided to us by one of our readers, Francesco, almost an honorary etnatracker by now.
And now, over to you, do you know other water flows, lakes, or torrents on Etna? Let us know, we will be happy to write about them.