Sea Kayak and Volcano Trekking

In three intense days me and Charlie paddled along the lava cliffs of the Catania coast and climbed on the top of the highest active volcano of Europe: Mount Etna.
The first day, paddling 15 km of black cliffs, from Catania to the protected area of Acitrezza's archipelago, was relatively easy despite the 35° Celsius and the high humidity, close to 90%.
Than, the meeting was at 5:00 am, and we started to walk with our backpack and mountain boots at 7:00 am from 1741 meters a.s.l.. Following the 1928 lava flow, the landscape change from the birch woods to the grasslands and than to the volcanic desert. Except us, only few ladybugs are here.





With surprise the smoking summit craters were sprayed with snow and we reached the top (3300 meters a.s.l.) after five hours of hard trekking. On the crater rim we finally hear some loud explosions and we can sense the depth of the pit.
Before we reached the summit the clouds started to pile over the south flank and on our way down hail and lightning started to fall. Reached the old rim of the Ellittico Caldera we started to run down into a canyon with a sandy bottom, the lightning touching the rocky ridges...





The third day we have 20 km to paddle but despite the heavy humidity it is like playing after the effort of the climb. We just start the day with an almond granita with brioche, a sicilian classic breakfast, and we finish with eating in the same place some salty food. In the middle there is paddling, swimming in a sea spring cold water, more paddling and a lovely break with a plunge in the past in the fisherman village of Santa Maria La Scala.

Two friends comes from Malta by kayak

Albert and Dorian call me in the evening to say “Ehi, Francesco, we will leave tomorrow morning to paddle to Sicily, can you pick us up in the evening at the Punta Secca lighthouse?”. After all the normal safety equipment they carry with them a SPOT (personal satellite tracker) and I will be able to follow their progress into the Sicily Channel crossing. It is a 54 mile distance but they already done that in group and with safety boats, for charity. Now they are alone into their beautiful double kayak.

At the sunset I am on the wharf of Punta Secca, the village that was used for the set of the Montalbano TV series, between Santa Croce Camerina and Marina di Ragusa. I’m a bit warried because I know that they had some drifting in the second half of the crossing. Now is dark, the lighthouse will guide them into the little harbour. After one hour waiting I spot a flashing light on my right and I’m sure they are, but... coming from West instead South!

A cold beer to welcome them is the minimum I can offer! Phone calls to friends and families. They are tired but happy and they tell me all the best moments of the crossing after we loaded the kayak on the roofrack of my Land Rover and we drive home. A shower, a pizza and a deep sleep.

The next day we have more relax, washing equipment and an interview to the local television. The ferry to Malta in the evening is the end of this beautiful adventure...
The next should be a crossing to Tunisia and I’m invited to go with them!

Aeolian Islands dreaming...

With a lovely couple from Rome I paddled around three of the Mediterranean seven pearls.

Four unforgettable days paddling from Vulcano to Lipari to Salina along the west coast and back, along the east coast, admiring beautiful sunsets. All the tour presented increasing difficulties becoming the perfect sea kayaking school. At the end of the trip an afternoon walking to the rim of the Vulcano Big Crater and a delicious dinner under the porch of dear friends' house.

The pictures will tell you the story...

Rope Gymnastics

Between an olive tree and a carob tree I finally tied a long rope to try some exercises... They really aren't nordic trees (probably in Greenland there are no trees) but after giving olives and carrubbas they are very good and strong enough also for this use.

I think it is great to become very fit and to increase the strength and the balance... above all on the arms!

Very, very tired at the end of the first attempts!!!

My daughter wanted to try too the rope gym, but with some help from daddy. I guess that very soon she will be better than me...

Aeolian Islands Short Tour

Only three days to check some locations and talk with people for the organization of the Vulcanoa Symposium of next october 2009. The excuse was good to go paddling a little bit around Vulcano, Lipari and Salina. Stuffed in my Land Rover there were gear and kayaks for 5 people. We arrived late in the evening at the Milazzo harbour and with horror we discovered there were no more room for us in the ferry! Luckily, only 5 minutes before the departure time a place was empty and we rolled into the ship.
First night in the beach near the Vulcano harbour, joining a couple of friends coming from a crossing from Stromboli and Panarea islands. Early in the morning we dismantled the tents to fill up the kayaks with water and food, to launch only after have a ferry ticket for the way back...
Temperature: 35° C in the morning, increasing...
A pause for a granita in Lipari, than a second stop in Canneto, close to the campsite, swimming around, and a lunch break under an ancient pumice quarry. Two amberjack fishes goes into the cooking pots and after a peaceful nap and a coffe we start to paddle again.




The 4 km crossing to Salina is difficult only for the tremendous heat and another 4 km after the Lingua lighthouse we spot a beautiful cove for a bath. For the evening a pizza is waiting for us in Rinella.The following day about 18 miles under a cooking sun are on the roadbook. Circumnavigation of Salina, crossing back to Lipari and paddling down along the west coast. In the afternoon a group of caves offer us shadow, even darkness and fresh air. We finally land in front of the camping site of Vulcano just before the sunset and quickly eat something and go to sleep.

Excursion with friends

The decision was taken. The meeting was moved from 6:30 to 10:00 (5th July 2009) to let Salvo driving back from the Catania airport. The aim was to check our paddling ability, after one year with very few training, to paddle 20 nautical miles in a short day.

From Bruca's beach we headed for Punta Secca, that was impossible to see in the distance due to the mistiness. We followed a direct route behind the GPS traking of Vincenzo.

Nuccio turned back at about 3 nautical miles from the start, leaving me, Vincenzo, Salvo, Gianni and Pino. A composite group of friends with strange hats under the burning sun.

The light head wind started to blow with increasing force, lifting waves over the bows. The paddling become to be wet and fresh. When I reached alone the harbour of Marina di Ragusa, after three hours of paddling, I had the time for a swimming to empty the bladder and climb back into the cockpit before seeing Pino and Salvo approaching with Vincenzo and Gianni in the distance. It jumps out that Gianni was using a self-made 2 kg heavy paddle and was going to leave for exaustion! Luckily Vincenzo has lent his spare one...

One hour more and we land near the famous (after the movie of Montalbano Commissioner) lighthouse of Punta Secca.

Under the shadow of a tent we ate our food. Some cold beer, salade, bread, cheese, ham, cold tomatoes, fruits... A good lunch. Somebody start to snore collapsed in the sand, others chatting quietly. Good time: 9.4 nautical mile, four hours and 10 knots wind. A coffe is needed in order to paddle back to Bruca!

With the backwind the paddling is faster. We slow down and follow the protected beach of the Irminio River mouth to have a closer watch of a beached vessel, probably used for a landing of illegal immigrants.

Than we land for one more coffe but the bar is still closed. Eat a bar and back to the sea, until our final destination. Four hours to go, three hours to paddle back. Nice friend, nice day!

Introduction to sea kayaking

On saturday 4th July, Marcello had an introduction to sea kayaking, learning as well the wet exit as the low brace and conduction of the kayak with light winds. In the afternoon sea conditions turned to advanced level and we moved to another day to continue with base rescue skills...

Basic-surf sea kayaking class in Bruca

"Just one day late!" I told to my pupils from Sweden... "yesterday was the perfect sea for a surf course!". At the end the day was really fun, after some little surfing and a rescue lesson, so much exciting for the nordic guys that they asked me for learning more and to continue for learning a bomb proof eskimo roll...

small surf at the Bruca's beach

Paddling in the fog

Great paddling! With Vincenzo and Salvatore, we paddled in a 15 knots NW wind with patches of fog that reminded me Scotland! A lot of fun paddling downwind, a little bit less coming back to home... And nice breakers on the beach!

We all were not able to remind an end of June so cold, foggy and windy!

Kayak for Cancer

Two double kayak teams crossed the sea channel from Sicily to Malta. 19th June at 16:00 they launched from the harbour of Pozzallo heading south towards Malta. The sea conditions were perfect with a very light wind but, as reported from Dorian, the night was very dark and the sea full of jellyfishes.

I visited them in Pozzallo to give them a good luck. The teams were composed by Dorian J. Vassallo with Albert Gambina and Michael Gellel with Mark Bugeja. A sailing boat and a safety boat followed the kayaks. After 15 hours and 25 minutes they landed safely in Valletta after an open sea crossing of 51 nautical miles.

The challenge has done to collect money for the cancer research and it is the third one after the crossing in single kayaks from Malta to Sicily in 2008 and with double kayaks around the Malta archipelago for a distance of 60 nautical miles in 18 hours in April 2009.

The next crossing will see the teams attempt to paddling from Malta to Linosa to Lampedusa and Mahdia (Tunisia), covering the total distance of 182 nautical miles in three days. Me and my friend Rino decided to join the maltese teams in a double... but to join them we have first to perform the crossing from Sicily to Malta!

Dorian, me and Albert