Tagara del Leone

The route unfolds on a cart track built by private initiative around 1972 to facilitate the transport of tourists to the high altitudes of the Volcano with motorized vehicles, an activity that was never carried out. Subsequently, the whole area became part of the State Property, which forbade the transit of these vehicles. Once abandoned, the cart track remained intact in some sections, while in others only a faint trace remains.

The trail begins South-West of Monte Baracca at an altitude of 1,715 8 m a.s.l., along Hiking Trail no. 724. Its surrounding environment is characterised by a notable rare scrub of Etna birch settled on volcanic substrata, and develops for 6,900 m. Above 1,900 m of altitude. The trail’s multiple hairpins turn overcome the steep slopes of the North-Eastern side of Pizzi Deneri and, after passing some impluvia, the track reaches Piano delle Concazze at an altitude of 2,791 m North-West of Pizzi Deneri, in the middle of the lava desert typical of the summit areas of Mount Etna. An average gradient of 15.5% with peaks of 20% makes the “Tagara del Leone” among the most difficult hiking trails of Mount Etna.