Spectacular Sicily

SPECTACULAR Sicily The author explores the volcanic island on horseback, nearly summiting Mount Etna and sampling plenty of Italian food along the way.

By ANN JAMIESON

At first it’s far away in the background, seemingly unreachable.

Mount Etna, at 10,922 feet above sea level, dominates the eastern coast of Sicily. Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, it erupts roughly every other year.

Yet despite its many eruptions, it is warmly regarded by Sicilians. The inferno within those eruptions produces volcanic soil, forming the base of rich agricultural lands. Thriving at Mount Etna’s base are orchards of olives, apples and peaches, grapevines, and almond, pistachio and hazelnut trees.

In addition, Mount Etna’s eruptions seldom affect those living near it. Although lava flows wipe out trees and an occasional ski area, only 77 fatalities have been recorded over thousands of years, with the most recent occurring in 1989 when two tourists were killed by an explosion near the summit. Most eruptions do occur at the summit, and, although spectacular, rarely threaten the surrounding inhabitants.

This tumultuous peak is our goal. Mount Etna. Starting from Castelbuono, the Transiciliana ride takes us across Sicily, crossing two nature reserves—Sambuchetti Campanito and Lake Gurrida—and three regional natural parks, Madonie, Nebrodi and Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The goal, weather permitting, is nearly summiting the volcano at a height of 9,340 feet. With an ever-changing landscape, we will experience each of the many faces of Sicily.

Ten of us embark on this journey: a French couple from Marseille, six Brits who keep us in stitches with their wit, and my friend Alice Fisher and me from the United States.

FRANCO BARBAGALLO PHOTO

Sicily On Horseback’s Transiciliana tour leads riders across smaller mountain ranges, all with unique foliage and landscapes, and through woods before approaching, and usually summiting, Mount Etna on the final day.

Normally led by Franco Barbagallo, founder of Sicily On Horseback, our ride is instead led by his partner Paolo Cricchio. Franco injured his ankle and isn’t up to hours in the saddle.

As one who knows “like his pockets” Nebrodi mountain range and Mount Etna, Franco partnered with Paolo, who contributed his extensive knowledge of the Madonie mountains, enabling the two to perform the prodigious feat of putting

ALICE FISHER PHOTO

“This trip is not just about the riding, but, as it should be in Italy, is about the food as well,” says Ann Jamieson.

Though some of the terrain across Sicily limits the horses to walking, dirt roads allow for lengthy canters.

together a route across Sicily to Mount Etna. Having hiked, mountain biked and snowshoed Etna, Franco is intimately familiar with the volcano.

The trek takes place on horseback alone, a tour of the natural features and tastes of Sicily. To see the man-made delights of this island, I recommend you schedule some time before or after the ride to visit Palermo, as its Palatine Chapel is often named the most beautiful in the world; Agrigento, for its remarkably preserved Greek temples; or Syracuse.

Be forewarned though, as the description notes, this is a ride suitable only for strong riders in good shape. Not only are you in the saddle for six hours a day, but the

ALICE FISHER PHOTO

PAOLO CRICCHIO PHOTOS riding is often over difficult terrain and can involve long trots and canters.

The tour begins in Castelbuono, where we stay in a restored hermitage, and I enjoy one of the best meals of my life. This trip is not just about the riding, but, as it should be in Italy, is about the food as well. Each meal on the trek consists of four courses: appetizers, pasta, meat entrée and dessert, all based on traditional Sicilian food. Local wines are served.

Chef Vincenzo Antista, who has cooked in major restaurants throughout Europe, begins our meal with a tortino di patate. A potato cake. It sounds a bit pedestrian, yet it is anything but. Mashed potatoes are blended with and topped by provola and pecorino cheeses and herbs—from local ingredients, as are all the meals on the trip. The result is nothing short of heavenly.

I’m a big fan of risotto, and I have to say, the risotto here is hands down the best I’ve ever eaten. Creamy and delicate, yet intense in its flavor and perfectly cooked with no descent into starchiness. It is followed by a lightly breaded, tender pork chop that is, as well, off the scales in terms of flavor and texture.

The meal alone was worth the trip to Sicily. SUREFOOTED AND KEEN

Of course, the most important part of a riding tour is the horses, and we couldn’t wait to meet ours. What kind of horse would we ride? And how were these horses uniquely suited to the terrain we would be negotiating?

Three types of horses are commonly found in Sicily: the Sanfratellano, the Sicilian indigenous and the Sicilian pure oriental. Sicily is inordinately proud of its foot-sure native horses, and most of the horses on this ride are Sicilian indigenous.

Our first morning arrives, a clear,

“Truly they have mountain goat stock bred into them; they pick their way carefully through and get us safely down to the lake,” says Ann Jamieson.

lovely Sicilian day. At the stables, we meet our horses. I ride Tatarella, an Appaloosa-Sicilian indigenous cross mare. The saddles, specially designed for trekking, are quite comfortable— although seat savers are still highly recommended considering the long hours of saddle time.

Soon we are riding on an ancient Roman trail through Madonie Regional Natural Park. Madonie is home to Sicily’s highest mountain range. Although I know that Sicily is mountainous, the stark and wild beauty of Madonie’s jagged peaks takes me by surprise.

It seems odd to find cars parked high in the mountains on roads that can’t possibly be navigable. Porcini mushroom season, it turns out, is in full swing, and mushroom gatherers are seeking their prey. While we spot plenty of porcini, they aren’t the only fungi we encounter. Vivid yellow-spotted scarlet mushrooms stand out in the muted woods, and we quickly learn the most important rule of mushroom collecting: Eat no red mushrooms.

High in the mountains we pause for a photo opportunity. There it is: Etna. We’re covering about 25 miles a day, and we’ve gained on it. It still doesn’t seem possible that in a few days we will actually ride on it, summiting this massive mountain.

Each night’s accommodation varies, ranging from cots in a shared forest preserve shelter to a modern hotel overlooking Mount Etna. A lovingly restored villa features the beauty and history of ancient hardware, furniture and fixtures, blended with modern comforts for the best of both worlds. All are clean and comfortable, with extremely welcoming hosts, and good food is a given.

As we enter the Sambuchetti Campanito Nature Reserve, we move from mountainous open land to forests, which get thicker as we enter Nebrodi National Park. Small cyclamen and crocuses bloom on most of the trails and roads, providing pink and purple patches of color in the darkness of a forest or a muddy stretch of trail.

Our horses aren’t the only equines in this wild area. Sicily is home to many free roaming herds of horses and cattle. The horses, beautiful black Sanfratellano, graze along the trails or stand like statues monitoring our approach.

We are now two days from Etna; the mountain looms large and clear.

The lake area is beautiful, flatter—hilly rather than mountainous. Four lakes, Maulazzo, Biviere, Cartolari and Trearie, comprise a completely different landscape than the mountainsides and forests of the past days.

At one point we have to make our way down a steep hill littered with rocks large and small. A landmine, it would seem, for the horses. But truly they have mountain goat stock bred into them; they pick their way carefully through and get us safely down to the lake.

Author Ann Jamieson and borrowed mount Tatarella cross a creek on the trail.

ALICE FISHER PHOTO

As horses and riders near the summit of Mount Etna, the landscape grows more volcanic—almost alien.

Our gaits vary according to the terrain. Sometimes we walk for lengthy periods on roads or down long hills. Other times we trot for extended periods. A brisk gallop along a ridge populated by wind turbines proves an adrenaline rush for horses and humans alike. As we go through Lake Gurrida Reserve, we have the opportunity for a long canter through springy green pastureland. Despite the long hours, the horses are always keen to go.

Horseshoes suffer short life spans on these rides due to the pavement, rocks and hard Roman roads. As Franco says, “The trails eat their shoes.” Paolo, in addition to guide duties, serves as our farrier and sometimes spends lunch hours hunched over horses’ hooves.

Now it’s right in front of us. Sitting by the fountain at the Fucina di Vulcano hotel, Mount Etna is up close and personal. What a view! With Prosecco in our hands, relaxing after long days of riding, we admire the volcano, breathtaking against an azure blue sky. Life is good.

Tomorrow, we will climb it.

THE FINAL DAY

After five days of clear, sunny weather, there are clouds surrounding Etna’s summit. Any rain would render the top too slippery and dangerous.

Yet after glimpsing the mountain in the distance for nearly a week, it feels exhilarating to be riding on it. Volcanic soil provides great footing for spirited gallops, and tall pines shade narrow trails— another amazing Sicilian landscape.

Stopping at a forest cabin, we eat our lunch out of the saddlebags. But the wind gusts, and clouds cover the small clearing and grove of beech trees to which our horses are tied. As it gets worse, we don our squall gear and face facts.

There will be no ride to the top of Mount Etna. We’ve reached a height of about 6,600 feet; that’s as far as it is safe to go in this weather.

Hammered by hail and surrounded by an eerie mist, we ride into lava fields, as the scenery takes on an otherworldly character. Craters line our path; we clamber down four-foot lava drops to get to the next section of trail.

It’s surreal, yet beautiful.

Passing trees and a ski resort that Mount Etna felled in a 2002 eruption, we ride down, not up, and arrive at a tourist area parking lot. Here we spy the van that will take our horses away.

Despite our general disappointment that we will not experience the epic views from the top, it has been a fascinating trip.

The feedback is overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Alice, who was been on countless rides throughout the world, states, “It was certainly one of my best treks: perfectly matched horse, diversified and historic country, scenic lodging, fabulous food and interesting riders. I had asked for a forward-moving, flatwalking horse, and Renaldo certainly was. Also he was very surefooted and had a lovely canter.”

Julia Frankcom from Great Britain adds, “Probably one of the best riding holidays I have been on, and I’ve been on a few. Stunning and very wild terrain—we only went through one village in six days. Foot-sure and willing horses and delicious food. It was all fabulous.”

For information on Sicilian horseback treks, you can contact: Sicily On Horseback at info@sicilyonhorseback.com.