Apart from a small part of the S.W. and the coastal strip, Sicily is a mountainous country. However, the only distinctive range of peaks lies parallel to the north coast between Messina and Cefalù and is called the Nebrodi Caronie. It resembles the Pyrenees in outline and the richness of its greenery.
Several passes carry roads from the north coast to the inland plateau and all are above 1,000m. Excellent maps are available with details, for example from Stanfords. I might mention though that the San Mauro Castelverde road is still largely unsurfaced, though there are signs of modernisation. Also the road from the coast to Mistretta is being altered with, it appears, several longish tunnels.
I would also mention Mt. Etna. I had a lovely climb to the Rif. Citelli from Milio (1,724m), descending to Linguaglossa. There is a slightly higher road, to the Rif. Sapienza, but as the chairlift starts from there I suspect it might be rather busy.
Sicily, in general, is a delightful and unspoilt country but care must be taken in planning as there are few hotels in the interior. The Italian Tourist Office (1 Princes St., London WlR 8AY) will supply a complete list of accommodation.
The main roads are busy and noisy, as are the few large towns. Yet I went for miles on the 'B' roads without seeing a single car. Cost of living is fairly low - about £8 a day staying in 3rd and 4th category hotels or "albergos" (1979 prices).
The whole island is hilly or mountainous with few plains. Many of the inland towns and villages are on hill tops, as they are on mainland Italy too. Consequently the roads do not follow the valleys but cross ranges of hills between the settlements. Where the roads cross a main valley there is usually a considerable climb to the next town, which is sometimes situated at the equivalent to a pass through a range of hills. Thus, on the road between Mount Etna and Enna we passed through at least three hill top towns with the biggest climb at the end of the day, a hard one, to the superb belvedere town of Enna.
Monte Pellegrino is a mountain dominating the Bay of Palermo, and there are superb views over the bay from the sanctuary of Santa Rosalia high upon it.
The minor roads on the slopes of Mt. Etna do not always agree with the map, and there are often diversions where the road has disappeared under a lava flow. The climb to the Rifugio Sapienza from the coast is a continuous drag such as on any Alpine pass if taken from sea level, but we stayed the night at Zafferane Etnea at about 650 metres.
Sicily really deserves a more detailed exploration than we were able to give it in seven days. I accompanied X and Y of the ZCC on the first few days as far as Enna before X branched off to continue a two week tour and Y had to retire with mechanical trouble. They were more keen on bashing along instead of savouring the atmosphere of the fascinating towns and exploring the many historical sites. Fortunately on the last day I was able to visit the magnificent cathedral and cloisters at Monreale (?). This has been described as the most beautiful Norman church in Italy, with the entire interior covered by gold mosaics depicting stories from the Bible, and the whole building dominated by a gigantic figure of Christ over the apse.
Unfortunately we missed much, although we did see the Greco-Roman theatre at Taormina (east coast) with its unforgettable view over the Bay of Naxos and towards Mount Etna.
It is apparent that one's first tour of an area is no more than a reconnaissance. Although we have visited the islands of Madeira, Majorca and Sicily, it is clear that all three deserve further exploration..
In the last magazine we had Mike's account of his ride up Vesuvius. For completeness and entertainment rather than climbing here is the earlier part of the letter.
"Having been rather spoilt by the luxury of the plane trip to the States last year I decided to forego the long train trip to Italy In favour of air. The fare was a bit pricey ... I could have visited the eastern U.S.A. at the same cost... but that's European air travel for you! As usual the various air-line baggage personnel attempted their demolition job on a greatly stripped and protected bike. A mangled milometer (which I had forgotten to remove) slightly buckled wheel and scratched forks (despite the padding) resulted. To reach Catania involves a stop off at Rome airport. As usual my trek took place in the school holidays ... August ...temperature in Rome 300C and a warning of things to come! By the time I reached Catania it was the early afternoon and the temperature had fallen somewhat.
"I must admit to having felt something of a culture shock at my first cycling in Italy (if you don't count the Italian Alps, that is). Sicily is certainly very picturesque, if a bit primitive in places, at least to my spoilt N European view. The road conditions leave a very great deal to be desired in the towns although they are quite good in between. This is on account of the Italians not charging rates on the majority of dwellings... I'll never complain about paying rates again! The cobbled roads are especially tiring ... when half the cobbles are missing!
"The first day of cycling in Italy was rather overwhelming through the number of different hazards that assaulted you - the heat, the cobbled roads. (Does the human body suffer from too much vibration? Will the frame take the strain and the panniers remain in place? Is that a hole or is that the road?) Then there are the lunatic drivers, the idiotic pedestrians and the barking dogs - thankfully all tied up... but they are a bit of a worry when they run 10 yards at you before their chain tightens!), the confusing road signs (or lack of on minor roads, the lack of cartons of fresh orange juice (my staple cycling drink) and most of all ... the noisy honking traffic and the weaving lunatic moped riders.
"From Catania I started to assault the slopes of Etna but owing to tiredness, the heat, the poor roads ... which disappear altogether before you get too far, I called it off and headed for Messina instead. The coast road is very pleasant in between the towns, undulating enough to be interesting but not too much to be tiring. The heat was also moderated by a cool breeze. However I must admit to being disappointed at not seeing any Mafioso black cadillacs!
"From Messina a car ferry takes you across to the mainland where the road continues its large undulations northwards. (I am sure there must have been some 200-300m claim along here but my maps did not show spot heights.) I stayed close to the coast for the journey up to Salerno. I must admit to not having liked Italy at all for the first two or three days. Nevertheless, after acclimatising to the temperature and the temperament of the locals (i.e. don't do today what you can put off until tomorrow) I really did enjoy the country for its differences.
It is unfortunate, and not I understand in keeping with the experiences of other Members who have visited the Island, that our visit will not be remembered solely for its scenery and culture. However, with the benefit of hindsight I can afford a wry grin at my own encounter and offer others the charitable view that I was probably unlucky and that the island does have plenty to offer the OCD Member. So there is a challenge!
Sarah Cutler and myself booked a £99 charter from Manchester to Palermo, but there our good fortune ended. The flight was delayed, and so it was dark when we arrived at Palermo Airport. We then found that the airport is 20 miles from the town and the only road to anywhere is a motorway and the first exit is six kilometres to the east. Suffice to say we got away with it.
Palermo itself was noisy, dusty, hot, full of traffic and apparently bereft of signposts and cheap accomodation. In fact accommodation anywhere away from the coast is hard to find, and this coupled with our difficulties in extricating ourselves from Palerrno largely thwarted our plans to explore the island's interior.
Palermo behind, we eventually reached Cefalù (see map) on our third day, and the prospect of a few days in a pleasant cosmopolitan coastal town seemed too good to miss. We found some acceptable accommodation (£18 a night!) and chose to book in for four nights, thus ruling out our original intention to visit Etna and explore well inland. The map indicated a number of cols inland from Cefalù affording a series of short loops, and we planned three days of climbing.
On day one ambitious plans were thwarted by the weather. Our start was fine, heading due south and upwards out of Cefalù on the road to Gibilmanna (altitude 755m). It is amazing how quickly the bad times can be forgotten. Once on the hill, commencing at our pension, the road twisted and looped at a steady gradient throughout - absolute bliss for me - quiet roads, reasonable scenery - we even managed to hear birds singing! The road surface was good and so we snaked our way upwards, pausing at a bar situated by the 10km post. It was here that our Sicily began to re-assert itself. We couldn't have a cappuccino because of a power cut, allegedly brought on by the previous evening's deluge. We continued on a further six kilometres to the col, then forked left by the Gibilmanna Sanctuary, maybe a hundred metres higher but not a claim. By the time we reached the summit, clouds began to gather and the temperature plummetted. A steady drizzle started, so we elected to head for sanctuary in the church where a service was being conducted. An hour later we were still shivering inside, and my tendency to feel uncomfortable in such holy places cost us a free meal. A monk took pity on us, offering us some food if the inclement weather persisted until 1pm. At 12.59 I pronounced conditions rideable and so we squelched back down to the bar in the rain, arriving to find the power cut's grip maintained and the host insistent on speaking German. Conditions eventually dried and we managed a speedy descent into Cefalù.
On day two a circular tour took us along the coast to Castelbuono Station where we saw a man screech his car to a halt, leap out onto the railway tracks and pick up a dead seagull, then carry it back to his car. Hmm. Then we turned south on to the gentle climb up to the Portella di Montenero (304m), along an untidy valley inhabited by a dog with a very loud bark. At the summit, seven kilometres from the coast a magnificent view opened up into the mountainous interior, tempting us a further seven kilometres to Castelbuono. Our stop of an hour in the town was punctuated by a downpour.
From Castelbuono we embarked on the climb to Aquilea (472m) , an easy gradient, witnessing the impressive development of storm clouds gathering above the mountains to the west. We also caught a glimpse of Pollina to the north, a curious village crowning a pyramid closer to the sea. The summit easily tackled, we defeated the oncoming storm (just) and dived into Isnello ready for lunch. This was an intimidating place. Dark, moody, hostile, agressive, ultra macho. Just to add to the atmosphere a wide eyed little boy seemed to pop up everywhere we went - he ought to have been in a Clint Eastwood movie. I half expected to hear his footsteps (Clint's) echoing around the valley as he splashed along the streets watching our every move. Isnello certainly captured the mood of Sicily to perfection. Sarah was the only woman we saw, except for a barmaid who delighted in having cigarettes stubbed out on her arm. Nice place.
At least we survived and as the storm blew over, we returned to the Gibilmanna by the southern route, another glorious twisting ascent made even better as Isnello drew further away at every turn. Or did it? Suddenly Isnello appeared to be getting closer. Fortunately a precipitous gorge now separated us from that hell-hole, and at last our route curved northwards and Isnello disappeared behind the mountains. This seven kilometre climb was most enjoyable, as was the descent to Cefalù.
On day three we reckoned Pollina, appearing to grow out of the top of its mountain, to be worthy of investigation. We took the previous day's route up to the Portella di Montenero, turning east at this point on to a narrow lane which led us into real "Jean de Florette" country - this was the business. It was also very steep, making it hard to evade the enthusiastic dogs guarding the smallholdings clambering up the valley sides. When they weren't barking we came perilously close to total silence. Magnificent mountain scenery opened out to the east as we meandered up to Col Pisano (500m) in glorious sunshine. At this point we forked on to the Pollina cul-de-sac, 3.5 kilometres of zig-zagging ascent up the mountain. Predicting a route to the summit proved more difficult than the actual climb, but once into the village, a reasonable surface gave way to cobbles and we chose to push to the summit at 764m, winding our way upwards along very steep streets until arriving at a flattened area affording stunning views in all directions. An elderly chap identified the points of interest to us, including Isnello, which looked quite charming twenty kilometres distant.
We took a fast but bumpy descent down to the coast near Finale, which appropriately signalled the end of our climbing activity for the holiday.
Whilst dismantling our bikes at the airport, a uniformed official approached us speaking in perfect Chicagoese. He told me he liked to "drive" his bike around Palermo. His response when I tackled him on the quality of driving was deliberately considered. "They take care of you", he said. His English was good enough for a double meaning to be intended.
So Sicily is a sometimes too exciting place for the only slightly adventurous cyclist. Or perhaps you may prefer the Galibier, 1'Alpe d'Huez and Croix de Fer, magnificently laid out below on our flight home? Not every time, surely!
Cycling was excellent. Lots of relatively quiet and well maintained roads once away from Palermo/Catania/coastal roads. Several passes over 1000m in the Nebrodie and Madonie national parks in the north of the island, including one at 1600m.
Cycle-Climbing: Good climbs up Etna to about 1800m, but presumably this does not count as a pass. Lava fields are amazing. Most inland towns are on a significant hill, so be prepared for a climb at the end of the day.
Cols - Madonie National Park:- · 1428m on the Polizzi Generosa/ Piano Battaglia road. · 1600m at Piano Battaglia (alpine hotel beneath this but near to summit; Batte Faglia.)
Cols - Nebrodie Nat. Park:- · Capizzi - Coast 1503m spot height · Cesaro - S.Fratello 1524m spot · Selle Contrasto, Nicosia/Mistretta Road, N 117, 1120m
Other Cols: Agira/Troina road has a 990m spot, but possibly higher points.
Getting there: Palermo airport not in Palermo, being a few miles to the West; this makes it much more accessible by bike than the alternative at Catania, which seems to be surrounded by busy main roads. Try to fly direct, if possible, so as to avoid the bikes staying in Rome. Carry everything essential as hand luggage, preferably everything, when flying to Italy. Persistence and politeness seem to work better than rage, if things do go wrong. Keep at them, and the bags do eventually arrive.
Maps were useless for this however as no contours and a few spot heights at apparently random points. Map used was Touring Club Italiano 1:200,000. Not all the roads that exist are on this map.
Water and Food: Water fountains not as prevalent as elsewhere in Italy, and we were warned off more than one by the locals (why?). Tap water sometimes tasted like Epsom salts, but seems safe to drink, though bottled water was more usual for the locals, at about 40p/litre from supermarkets and £1/litre from hotels. Well stocked supermarkets in most towns of any size.
Food is superb, magnificent, wonderful and probably even better in Sept/Oct as June still early in the growing season. Restaurants good value too.
Climate, Fauna and Flora: June is better than autumn for the wild flowers; summer gets very hot and dry. Wildlife; the island is seemingly almost entirely dog free. Porcupines wander the mountain roads at night, and squashed porcupine remnants can be found on the roads. Vipers are allegedly both poisonous and present (warning signs at archaeological sites). Moderate Mosquito nuisance in coastal areas, but no malaria.
Language: English rarely spoken, except at the expensive Hotels, so Italian needed even if only basic; German more widely spoken than English.
Accommodation and Money: Hotels very varied in standard, and little relation between quality and price (poor and expensive near main tourist areas - Etna, North and East coasts).
Alternative Hotels; the Atelia sul Mare is a uniquely decorated hotel at Castel di Tusa on the North coast. Many of the rooms are works of art in themselves, and hence it is a little more expensive: but English is spoken and bikes are welcome. Unfortunately the Auto-route is still under construction here, so a brief stretch along a busy main road to get there. Phone 0921334295/fax0921334283. Watch out for the giant sculpture in the valley.
Cashpoint machines could be found, if the banks were open (mornings, not Saturdays), especially in Palermo/Catania. Prices quite high, despite strong pound, for anything not grown locally. Restaurants are good value.
Camping should be possible, but full kit needed away from the coast as no formal provision; possible to live very cheaply on local produce and goodwill of the locals (please reciprocate!).
Other Road Users Rural drivers are very considerate by UK standards. In Catania/Palermo you need to be mad or extraordinarily self-confident to cycle or drive. (The taxi drivers will tell you "We are all a little mad here..."). But it is not aggressive even here in the English sense; nobody will try to run you over because you are in the way, it is simply a matter of confidence and style and being their first. And the local cyclists certainly have style...cycle touring is clearly not stylish.
Cycling is widespread and bike shops in most towns or cities of any size; very helpful, even if not the approved technique/ part etc.
Women Cyclists will need to be a little careful; we only ever saw one lycra clad lady on a bike other than our group, and the locals obviously found the sight very novel, and the males could get over- interested; suggest dress ' modestly' (cover legs, the local women are very prudish over legs) and cycle with a male companion. Perhaps these are the consequence of Arabic influence?
Medical Matters (Doug is a doctor.) Local medical care seemed chaotic, except in the very specialised units; take insurance, because if anything does go wrong you will need the agent's help; E111 ignored by local hospitals.
Superb beaches, but apparently sewage disposal near built up areas. Get your Hepatitis A booster before you go. Sunlight intense; think UV protection, especially mid-day in the hills. (There is very little shade, as very few trees; few buildings also away from towns, just the occasional disused sulphur mine towards the middle of the island.)
Law and Order: Public inebriation very rare and disgusting to the locals; " like the animals...". Theft a constant concern in the towns, though we had no problems with this; perhaps we were assumed to be very poor - no local would dream of touring with panniers, touring bikes etc. Carabinieri seem harmless enough, but often carrying automatic weapons, so try not to do anything that would alarm them: the older ones are quite chatty once they realise you are only mildly eccentric and not actually mad. One-way streets mostly optional for mopeds and cyclists; watch out for that moped!
Some towns towards the SE of the island as poor as 3rd world; you should avoid these if you are squeamish or nervous.
History: Wonderful ruins; I'd recommend visiting the more remote sites as they are less touristy and have less traffic, e.g. Eraclea, Minoa (views, beach etc). Everybody was in Sicily; Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Normans, Arabs, Bavarians, Spanish, even Garibaldi - so history buffs will have to get off their bikes for a while.
The Valle dei Templi at Agrigento is reputedly a superb historical site (temples etc) but is also horrible to get to on a bike and Agrigento is simply horrible. The other 'big' temple sites at Selinunte and Segesta may be more accessible by bike as more remote, but we did not go to either.
Acknowledgement: thanks to Anthea and Maurice for organising the trip
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