Etna at night - lava flow and snow, Sicily

I visited Sicily in February 2025 and heard that Etna was erupting. The news coverage was useless - no locations, no details on how to actually get there. I dug through local Facebook groups and found a brief mention of a trail that passed close to the lava flow.

I parked my rental car at the trailhead, slept in it, woke up at 3am and hiked two hours in total darkness through snow, completely alone.

The lava had already crossed the trail and blocked the path - you could feel the heat and sulphur before you could see anything. I headed down alongside the flow for about 10 minutes and there it was. Actual lava. Surreal experience. The flow was moving maybe a meter an hour, occasional hot rocks tumbling down, totally safe. A couple of Sicilians were there too.

I stayed until sunrise - once the light came up the glow disappeared.