When you’re in Naples, this is just a part of the itinerary, something
every tourist here is expected to do. But when you think about it, it just
blows your mind – you’re walking up a volcano. Sure it’s dormant, well, as of
now. But dormant means it’s still active somewhere below; a sleeping giant just
lying low, quietly simmering and may just decide to awaken anytime.
As images of erupting volcanoes go, thanks to Hollywood movies, nothing
could look more different than this – calm and
peaceful, with a surprisingly huge
number of people living at the base and around it in beautiful town houses and
villas, like a regular hill station. As
mountains go, this one is barely a bump on earth, a little under 1200m (at
least 25 eruptions since 79AD bringing down its height each time.)
A disappointingly well laid out winding walking trail (one would expect
a breath-stopping arduous climb), complete with hand rails and kiosk shops
selling trinkets and munchies (can it get more placid?) takes you up to the
rim.
Despite the lack of drama, the
climb is not exactly easy; the path is fairly steep and takes about an hour of
deep breathing, slow climbing, and gets quite damp and chillingly cold as you
go up. But the sight from the top on a clear day is an awe-inspiring crater of
immense proportions. The belly of the volcano holds no brimstone and spewing
fires, at least none that’s plain to see; the smell of sulphur is faintly
perceptible.
Yet, this languid and picturesque volcano is one of the most dangerous
ones on earth. The first time it blew to a height of 33 kms, it virtually
buried the town of Pompeii, about 6 kms away, under about 20 feet of ash. The
horror of its enormity is seen in the amazingly preserved town, excavated
centuries later. The entire town, including some of its citizens, caught
completely unawares, the bodies preserved intact in plaster casts still eerily remain
the way they were.
This is no means a very unique experience. If you are a globe trekker,
there are at least a dozen active volcanoes, some having erupted within the
last few years that one can climb. But this, by no means diminishes the beauty
of the experience of climbing the Vesuvius.
Naples is one of the most beautiful regions of Italy and is one place
that you can combine a number of other exciting experiences. Stay tuned for more.
