Gerace to Nicoliosi

Wow what a day, it just seemed to go on forever! 

Mt Etna, which I believe is the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps, has been on the horizon since about lunchtime, and knowing that we had to climb a portion of it, before we arrived at our campsite, acted like a taunting nemesis. That said, riding along roads with vineyards and olive groves on either side has at least dulled the brain as to what is to come.  

By the time you get to the base of the Etna climb you have already ridden 80kms and climbed 1500! The heat of the afternoon sun saps the lungs and the legs of any energy despite the climb supposedly only being in the 5-6% range. That said, my Garmin indicated that there were a number of sections of in the 10-12% range. As you can see from the profile. Gerace to Nicoliosi

Anticipating when we'd reach the climax of today's climb, before we got to turn for the descent into town was very difficult, with much of the climb despite having a fairly dense forest on either side of the road, having a somewhat "suburban" feel. At this point I have to admit that I was struggling a little and hence very appreciative of Margie and Kath's company for the last 30 odd kilometres or so. 

Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity

We finally made it in to camp, just after 5PM despite leaving at 7.30 this morning. Has been a very long day in the saddle, fortunately Dammo & Kenny ensured I had a beer in my hand the minute I dismounted. Has definitely been the toughest day so far, but the spectacular scenery and sense of accomplishment make up for it somewhat! 

Tomorrow, something I am not necessarily looking forward to, we climb Mt Etna (assuming it's not erupting) a climb of some 1900 metres before we then proceed predominately downhill to the coast and a town called Taormina.