We didn't just hike Mount Etna, we CONQUERED it!

It's one thing to stand at the base of a massive volcano and admire its sheer size. It's a whole other thing trekking to the summit, feeling the its lava-like heat on the soles of your shoes and breathing the steamy vapors spewing from the crater. The views from the summit at just over 10,000 feet were unimaginably cool!

Reaching the top of this monster mountain was not enough for us adventurers. Would we hitch a ride back to the bottom? Forget it! We did an about-face at the summit and barreled down the steep slopes, plunging our shoes deep into the course volcanic sand that quickly filled our shoes and skinned our knees as some of us not-so-graceful hikers experienced a tumble or two. After this extreme adventure, we're ready for just about anything life throws at us!

Nicole Prainito

In my freshman English class we read "The Odyssey," which is a very, very old epic poem about a hero named Odysseus. In this story, he encounters a Cyclops named Polyphemus who loves and owns a giant herd of sheep. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that Mount Etna was the home of this monster -- and that is exactly where my friends and I went. We trekked all the way up to the very peak, and then came all the way back down. Although we did not meet any mythical creatures on our adventure, standing at the edge of a crater on the top of the second most active volcano in the world, you can't help but think that it was created by the hands of a monster. And when we got to the bottom of the mountain, we saw a sheep running down the mountain "Baaah"-ing the whole way down as if he was talking to his heard that was waiting for him at the bottom of the mountain, warning them that the monster is not far away. This was a very exciting activity for me, especially after making a connection between this and school! It still seems surreal that we actually went that far up a VOLCANO! This was an accomplishment that I will remember and be proud of for the rest of my life!

Danielle Carr

Because I am such a competitive athlete, victory is something I always strive for. When reaching the top of Mount Etna, the victorious feeling inside of my bones was stronger then ever. I climbed to the top of a volcano's peak with my four best friends. It's an experience I will never forget it! My children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren will ALL hear about. We worked together to get through the hard parts. I have rocks in my knees to prove how challenging the climb really was, Anna does as well! It was definitely worth it and will forever remain forever in my positive memories!