 | Vesuvius with winter snow above the harbor of Naples (photographer unknown) <click to enlarge> |
Vesuvius
(Monte Vesuvio)
4203 ft (1281 m) . |
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| Location: | Western Italy, 10 miles (15 km) east of Naples | ||
| Lat / Long: | 40.8° N, 14.4° E | ||
| Volcanic Type: | Stratovolcano within caldera | ||
| Volcanic Status: | Active, last eruption 1944 | ||
| First Ascent: | Ancient times, Roman or earlier | ||
| First Ski Descent: | |||
| Skiable Vertical: | perhaps over 1000 ft (300 m) | ||
| Vesuvius is easily the most famous volcano in the world, with a well-documented history of numerous explosive outbursts since the catastrophic eruption of 79 AD, which buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The volcano towers above the metropolis of Naples and its busy harbor, and future activity will certainly threaten the inhabitants of the region. A volcanological observatory constantly monitors Vesuvius for any signs of increasing activity or imminent eruption. Thousands of tourists flock to it, making the quick and easy ascent to the crater rim from a parking lot at 3300 ft (1000 m) on its north side. With its modest elevation and its location in sunny southern Italy, I'm not sure if Vesuvius ever receives much snow, but this photo shows that there is at least some hope of skiing on Vesuvius! | |||
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Some useful links: Vesuvius Observatory (volcanological info) Vesuvius Online Portal (historical and other info) Vesuvius Webcams Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio (official national park site) Tourist map of Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio |
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| Topographic map of Vesuvius (1:250,000 scale) from Joint Operations Graphic Map NK 33-11 <click to enlarge> |
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More photos and info about routes, access, etc. may be added in the future ... |
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