Heading from Edinburgh down to Rome next week (Tue 16-apr) after playing “ Tourist in Rome” would like to escape out to the mountains for some SOTA. Since this is all very on the fly, was hoping for some Public Transit (or walkable from Transit) options for peaks, or if any of the locals would even be up to play tour guide. Also thinking about trying to put together some walking/bussing between Catania, Cefalu, Palermo and Agrigento. I am thinking I will be on the ground for at least 2 weeks, I need to be back in Scotland the 1st week of May.
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Hi Jamie,
You might ask N0IPA or KX0R How they got Mt. Aetna on Sicily, years ago.
It’s a tourist destination; maybe a tour operator would be willing to drop you off on top and pick you up with the next group. Notice that there are some local, private guides to the top as well. Flew by Aetna in my puddle-jumper plane in 1985, and landed at Catania. Good vibes in Sicily even before landing!
Ken
Hi Jamie,
I don’t know the area near Rome and the Sicily. Surely, @IW0HK Andrea will be able to advise you for some summits easy to reach near Rome.
Mt. Etna, you should put in the wish list… to date it is the summit most activate in the region.
73!
Oh, Etna is on the wish list, it does look like a guide of some sort would be required?? This is all very fly by the seat of my pants as my original plan for this trip was tossed out the window less than 36hrs ago. If I can pull off Etna I would definitely love too. On that note, since you mentioned Etna being the most activated in that region; are all those Zero Ack peaks an ownership/access related problem, or just a lack of interest/operators in the area?
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I’ve spent a little time in the region including 4 weeks driving around Sicily. I would forget Etna, it’s currently erupting and the chances of getting into the activation zone are zero. When we visited we were kept far from the summit. Only those with hard hats and in organised parties were getting anywhere near the summit.
But there is a railway which runs around the island which could be useful. For example the very attractive town of Cefalù a bit east of the the capital Palermo is reachable by train and has a summit I/SI-281 within walking distance of the centre of the town. It’s on the right of the photo shown but there are paths avoiding the cliffs. 
Alternatively, there are summits near Rome which could be accessed by taxi.
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I think that in Sicily there are a few activators, maybe only 2 activators active in 2023-2024. some summits are in very wild area not easy to reach by public transport or without tracks.
But it possible that some sota summits overlap with medioeval village.
73
Hi Jaimie
My YL (WB7ULF) and I spent 2 weeks on Sicily in Sept.
She was doing family history research in the mountain town of Petralia Sottana.
Angelo IT9EWP offered to take us to activate while there, but we ran out of time. Also spent time in Cefalu and Giarre at the base of mount Etna. Look me up on QRZ if you would like to learn more about our adventure.
Carl
WB7ULD
Hello Jamie
summit with easy “pubblic trasport” around Roma there just a few, one is this: Monte Patulo – Sant’Angelo Romano I/LZ-187
SOTLAS that you can reach with the “Cotral” bus or this one: Monte Razzano [I/LZ-180] (SOTLAS)SOTLAS again with Cotral Bus. All the other are not so easy to reach… the best sometime it’s rent a car for a day. In the next days i will be in Udine and my only “free day” can be the 21th, tell me if you want to go togheter to do an activation
73 de IW0HK Andrea
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I climbed Mount Etna last summer with my younger son. I used a guide (without a guide, you can’t get close to the summit). I had my KX2 in my backpack (which I could have used handheld portable) but just in case really; I knew the chances of activating this summit were very slim. We were indeed in the activation zone and for quite a long time but we kept moving and had lunch well below the summit; the activation zone is clearly not a safe zone. The guide was focused on safety and well being of the group, I can’t imagine to ask him for a longer break just for my hobby.
It was a pretty expensive (4x4 + guide) but an incredible experience… well recommended!
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