Reaching Mt ETNA volcano summit.

CHASTA during our last runs at the sunset.

2010 CHASTADAYS, organized by Stefano Gigli, Mt ETNA event, Sicilia, Italia.
After one week without the right conditions for snowkiting here on the volcano, finaly we got the wind/snow/sun during the 28-01-2010.
Last sunday, Chasta and Dom Zimmerman managed to reach the summit, but the wind stopped before they arrive at the top.
Anyway it was a super trick they did, as was staying stuck at the bottom with really difficult gusty wind and a very great amount of unluck.
Well, yesterday was THE day, just before leaving the ETNA place tomorrow.
It was the first day with sunshine after three days of a big snow-storm on Sicilia.
We went to the Catania city on the 26th and that was rivers in the streets because of the incredible rain.
So, yesterday, the gondola which is due to carry us to 2.400m was closed for the day before clearing the icy cables.
The wind was not the best to start from the refuge, but that was the only one solution then.
West wind blowing completely downhill, so lot of distance to do for climbing our way.
But the more we were snowkiting up, the best wind we found.
I changed four times my size of kite, 12 Manta III and 6 Access XT as the wind was really stong in the Venturi pass and pretty slow in some large valleys underwind.
At the end, I managed to join Chasta and Dom Zimmerman who went straight from the bottom with 10 and 12 Manta III.
They are real alliens, for sure.
Then, Chasta was flying around in a strong wind, even flying above the summit cratere expectorating his huuuuge toxic steam.
This video image will be really impressive, I guess.
Well, impossible to write about everything happened during this wonderful day.
We went snowkiting untill the sunset, and I was filming the last sunlights before the night coming.
The red, yellow, pink, colors were amazing, and so was the quality of snow while freeriding downhill from 3.400 to 1.900 at our refuge Sapienza, Etna Sud, Nicolosi.
No fast connection here so we'll have to wait a little to have a look at the video coming soon about this super session.
Dom was carrying a GPS and the track was showing 112 km and 7.200m of climbing up and freeriding down as we did it a few times.
Now, let's move to the Abruzzo mountains, center of Italia, for great sessions as well.
See you soon.
:)
Pascal



On my way towards the Mt ETNA summit, enjoying every cratere slopes.
Self-filming, and the wind sometimes was blowing the camera/tripod in the snow...

:)