GR20 Trip Report – Sept 2016

Introduction

The GR20 (Grande Randonnée 20) is one of the large network of waymarked walking trails found throughout France, especially in mountain areas. The route follows the spine of the central mountain chain of the island of Corsica. Running roughly from NW to SE, it covers a distance of about 180km and incorporates ascents of some 12,000m (with the same in descent). Due to the nature of the terrain and the facilities available, it is generally regarded as one of the toughest of all the GR routes. The “path” has been characterised as walking along a dry rocky riverbed for 200km. It’s not quite that bad but it is certainly a rugged mountain path that requires constant attention. The route is usually described as being 16 stages which translates into 16 days. However, there are a few short ones where it is possible to double up though doubling up means longer days of 10 – 12 hours.

Summary

On our journey from 1^st to 9^th Sept 2016 we travelled (N to S) as far as Refuge d’Usciolu. See the map above with the Refuge circled. At that location, according to our plan, we were two days from the finish but, due to a knee injury sustained on the stage into Usciolu, we opted to bail out. While that was a bit disappointing, so close to the finish and with the hardest sections done, overall it was a really great trip. The mountain environment is exceptional. We met interesting people and enjoyed their company and stories. The weather was excellent except for one day and we enjoyed each day’s trekking experiences. We used the hired tents at the refuges / bergeries and took the (luxury) hotel options at Asco and Vizzavona. We especially liked the northern section where the dramatic and wild beauty of the terrain is first revealed. We were less keen on the forestry sections the further south we travelled. The route was challenging, as expected, but perfectly doable for your average fit walker. Our preparation was good and that paid dividends.

We’d planned to do the GR20 in 2015 partly because we were attracted by its reputation and partly in memory of a friend who had passed away 10 years previously. Unfortunately, a broken hand sustained on a training run put paid to that. A convenient and acceptable alternative at the time was the Tour de Mont Blanc – no scrambling, no need to use the hands, better paths etc. On that occasion we set out from Chamonix with our hopes high and though the weather was poor, we hoped for better to come. Unfortunately it didn’t and we arrived a few days later in Courmayeur, roughly halfway, in a day long downpour after days of seeing little of the famed beauty. With the forecast remaining poor and a niggling knee problem (precursor to 2016?), we decided to pack it in at that point. A TMB without seeing Mont Blanc just didn’t seem worth it. Comparing the GR20 and the TMB (what we did of each) we can say with certainty that the GR20 is a far more challenging proposition.

Preparation for the GR20

Fast forward to 2016 and the effort we put into preparing for Corsica Mark2. We did our research; we selected our gear and we got into shape.

Research was reading Paddy Dillon’s Cicerone guide and trawling through just about everything we could find on the net.

Gear-wise, we already had most of what we needed and, looking back, we feel we got most things right. Our packs weighed in at less than 10kg for Antoinette and 12kg for me. Plus water which was never more than 2 litres. We started out with some food and that got variously added to or subtracted from as the days went by.

That’s a big bag, Sir. Does it weigh much?

In the 3 months leading up to the walk we each ran almost 1,000km and we did some hill walks and climbing. Some of the running was trail running. Overall we felt in pretty good shape though we still worried about not spending more time carrying heavy bags and/or doing some multi-day hikes.

Logistics

We had already travelled to the French Alps a few days before the walk so we began by driving to Toulon and taking a ferry to L’Ile Rousse, 30km east of Calvi. Our plan for the return journey was an overnight sailing from Porto Vecchio (PV) – just south of Conca – back to Toulon, thereby avoiding a long trek back north. The PV/Toulon route appeared to be new for the 2016 season but only had two sailings per week. The outgoing ferry was on 31^st Aug and the return was set for 15^th Sept. This already meant at least one double stage to avoid the risk of missing the ferry, though with a sailing time of 6pm, the risk looked small. For anyone contemplating a similar approach, make sure to book a flexi –fare for the return.

In Toulon we were able to park our van in the multi-story Mayol carpark beside the ferry port for a special rate of just over €6 per day, worth it for peace of mind. Plus we were able to sleep quietly in the van the night before sailing at 7.30am. Crossing took 6 hours.

From L’Île-Rousse we got a train to Calvi followed by a taxi to Calenzana, the starting point. We hadn’t booked accommodation in advance in the Gite d’Etape and as it happened Antoinette got the last bed while I got to sleep on the kitchen floor. We’d taken a last minute decision not to bring a tent and while that worked out fine, having a tent would have given a bit more flexibility and would have saved some money. We did bring sleeping bags and mats.

img_3103-ed — Gite d’Etape Calenzana. Starting out in hope and anticipation.

Due to the alleged presence of bedbugs (subsequently confirmed), we planned to stay mainly in hire tents on the route itself and that posed no issue. We were usually offered a choice of tents. Being in Sept, the number of walkers was already declining fast.

Using public transport on Corsica can prove challenging, as we found out when we took the decision to leave the route. We headed from Usciolu to a village called Cozzano and on arrival there discovered that the Mon to Sat bus service leaves at 7am or so. As we arrived late on Saturday morning, we faced the prospect of looking for accommodation for two nights before (hopefully) making it to Porto Vecchio on time for the Monday ferry. Luckily after 2 hours of trying to hitch a lift from the village (with one vehicle every 10 mins or so) and then walking in the midday heat for over an hour, we were blessed to be picked up by a French couple (Merci Beaucoup) who drove us to a town on the Ajaccio / Porto Vecchio road where we were able to connect with a bus to PV. That bus journey was an adventure in itself. Glad we had had a couple of beers beforehand, they helped calm the nerves.

img_3131-ed — Luxury Accommodation. Refuge d’Ortu di u Piobbu . We slept in a tent in the dry stone compound.

Arriving in PV, we found, to our horror, that the only hotels available were costing €300+. It was a long night before we found a place to rest our heads – that too was an adventure.

Next morning, we were able to change our ferry from Thursday 15^th to Monday 12^th giving us a couple of pleasant days in PV to gaze at the gleaming yachts and ponder what it might mean to be really wealthy.

img_3160-ed — Early morning on some slabs. Best avoided in the wet!

In retrospect, since we bailed out after 9 days, we couldn’t help asking ourselves if the possibility of finishing in 11 days had tempted us to push too hard. On balance, we don’t think so. We always expected to finish in 13 days or less if the weather was kind, which mostly it was. Also, we had little interest in some of the low level stages towards the end and we would always have extended ourselves to finish with a long day instead of another overnight. We enjoyed each day (with the exception of the bad weather one) and we never felt overly challenged or tired. We were very fit after all our preparations. The only day we wished away was the double stage from Petra Piana to Vizzavona. That was our one bad day but as we had arrived in Onda (end of the first of the two stages) at 11.20am it was just too early to stop. Unfortunately the wet and windy conditions slowed us down on the seemingly never-ending descent into Vizzavona. 11 hours.

img_3189-ed — Typical terrain in the northern section. Spot the path….

Finances

Doing the GR20 is not the cheapest holiday available! This is roughly what we spent for the two of us, excluding cost of getting to Toulon:

Ferry: €130 (incl recliner seats for the return).
Train, bus, taxi: €60
Accommodation and food in Gites/ Auberges/Refuges: €400
Hotels and meals at Asco, Vizzavona and Porto Vecchio: €600
Total: €1,200

This was for 12 days on Corsica so roughly €50 pp/day. Not cheap but well worth it.

img_3193-ed — Awesome scenery. Faint path visible heading over to the left foreground.

Kit

Our gear was good. Osprey rucksacks, NeoAir Thermarests, down sleeping bags, quality lightweight clothes etc. We used walking poles and they were helpful on the long descents. We also used water bladders which meant we didn’t have to stop to drink. Most importantly, we paid attention to our footwear…we used approach shoes (Five-Ten and Scarpa) matched with Superfeet insoles and good wool socks. We brought plenty of ‘stuff’ for blisters in a pretty comprehensive first aid kit.

Things we brought but wouldn’t if we went again:

2 plates and 2 mugs. We could have done with 2 bowls or even one.
A little too much toothpaste, ointments, sunblock, insect repellent – all semi-liquid and adding weight. Better estimation needed next time;
Paddy Dillon’s Cicerone guidebook plus the French GR20 topo guide. In the end we tore up the Dillon guide (it was the Cirque de la Solitude version) as we completed each section. Maybe photograph key pages?

Things we should have brought:

Ear plugs to block out snoring (not just me!) and other noise, including on the ferry;
Spare camera batteries instead of a charger.

Luxuries we did bring:

Solar charger,
Extra socks,
Sleeping mats though they were in fact needed in a couple of places.
A blow up pillow (Vango) weighing virtually nothing but really comfy.
Tea bags and powdered milk especially to make the mornings a little more humane.

img_3221-ed — Auberge U Vallone. Stunning location. What a place to spend the night.

The Stages

The table shows the stages we completed and in the times shown. The exact distances and ascents / descents are not our calculations. We’ve taken them from other sources so can’t vouch for their accuracy.

In relation to the guidebook timings, we were generally 15 – 20% faster on most stages but we did find one or two where we needed pretty much the full allocation for whatever reason.

Day	From	To	Distance(km)	Time (hr:min)	Ascent (m)	Descent (m)	Comments
1	Calenzana (275m)	Ref d’Ortu di u Piobbu (1,520m)	12	05:30	1,360	60
2	Ref d’Ortu di u Piobbu	Refuge de Carrozzu (1,270m)	8	06:00	780	917
3	Refuge de Carrozzu	Haut Asco (1,420m)	6	04:40	790	640
4	Haut Asco	Auberge U Vallone (1,440m)	9	07:00	1,250	1,230
5	Auberge U Vallone	Refuge de Manganu (1,601m)	32	11:00	1,260	1,350	Double Stage
6	Refuge de Manganu	Refuge de Petra Piana (1,842m)	10	05:50	830	580
7	Refuge de Petra Piana	Vizzavona (La Foce, 1,100m)	22	10:30	1,200	1,700	Double Stage
8	Vizzavona	Bocca di Verdi (1,289m)	32	10:00	900	800	Double Stage
9	Bocca di Verdi	Refuge d’Usciolu (1,740m)	16	07:30	1,290	880
10	Refuge d’Usciolu	Cozzano + road walk	15	05:00	50	1,200	Escape
		Totals	162	73:00	9,710	9,357

Some Highs and Lows

After so long in planning, we were psyched to begin (to borrow a phrase from our American friends). The first 4 days blessed us with magnificent scenery and walking, made even better by great weather and the sense of embarking on a big adventure.

The guardians at the refuges were friendly and helpful and the people we met were interesting. We hope the Swiss lady who left her wallet at Ref Manganu got it back. A tribute to the honesty of all who stayed that night…the wallet was still hanging unclaimed on the door to reception the next morning.

img_3245-ed — Beautiful, but frozen for 6 months of the year.

It was nice to see a few (literally, 3) Irish faces. It was also nice to meet a few “father and son” teams and it was great to see some young people on the trek. In fact everyone was very friendly even where language barriers made communication more difficult.

Seeing some of the wildlife (people excluded!) added to the walk. The black and yellow Corsican Fire Salamander was spectacular to see in the wild, as were the Mouflon near Asco. On the other hand we were forced uncomfortably close to feral pigs on the final descent into Cozzano.

The low points included when Antoinette developed a stomach bug and all that goes with it on Day 2 at Carrozzu. Being unable to eat dinner, this looked serious but fortunately all was well again by morning. Phew!

We tried to stay in the Bergerie de Vaccaghja about 40 mins before Manganu. They refused to take us even though we could have slept outside. At that stage we had been walking for 10 hours and really didn’t want to pick up our bags and begin climbing again. It was a bit strange as it didn’t look at all full.

img_3324-ed2 — Share the love. It’s not all about rocks. Doesn’t look a day over 300 years old (the tree, that is).

Day seven was misery weather wise. Taking the unplanned and longer low level route due to mist, rain and high winds, we arrived in Onda at 11.20am. There we took the decision to press on, despite the arrival of two walkers who had set out earlier and who were forced by the bad weather to return to Onda having reached 1,900m. We were a bit worried what we might find high up but they told us others had gone and so we figured we had a chance. As luck would have it, the wind eventually died down, though the rain and mist got worse. In the end it was two miserable walkers who arrived at the quaint and historic Hotel D’Oru, at the Col de Vizzavona where we enjoyed a lovely meal in the restaurant and a sound night’s sleep.

img_3348-ed — Dawn at Refuge d’Usciolu, our last one. Level campsites at a premium.

Our final disappointment was in having to quit. We know we could have completed by turning a planned two days into three or four but we had no real interest in just struggling on. The GR20 is a great trek but to be honest, it’s not that good, especially on the southern low level options.

What’s Next?

With retirement from work now looming on the horizon (actually, shining like a welcoming beacon) we will hopefully have more time, good health and resources to repeat the experience of stepping away for a while from the complexity and stress of our 21^st Century lives. The Sierra High Route? Torres des Paine? Manaslu circuit? Who knows…

Mediterranean dawn in Porto Vecchio on our last day on Corsica.

Corsica’s GR20

(by Denzil Jones, from IMC Newsletter Autumn 2004)
15 days on the "toughest of all of the Grande Randonnée routes. … Nothing can equal this route in intensity as it crosses the most majestic sites at the heart of this most versatile and highly coloured island”.

The GR20 runs for 170 kilometres over the mountainous spine of the “Scented Isle”. One guidebook says that “it has the reputation of being the toughest of all of the Grande Randonnée routes, crossing extensive slabs of bare rock and involving some quite exposed scrambling. In a few places there are fixed cables, chains and even a steel vertical ladder to assist hikers, taking them into the sort of terrain usually reserved for rock climbers. Nothing can equal this route in intensity as it crosses the most majestic sites at the heart of this most versatile and highly coloured island”. It sounded interesting.

The route is spread over 15 daily stages, accommodation being provided by way of refuges. Not all of the refuges had “gardiens” in attendance, although all were open and had gas. Supplies are few and far between, particularly in the northern half of the route, necessitating carrying enough food for up to four days. You also have to carry a tent and a stove etc in case a refuge is full. Our sacks weighed in at 18 kilos each at Dublin Airport. With a minimum of two litres of water on board, we were carrying 20 kilos each.

Day 1 got off to a bad start as my companion Charlie didn’t feel at all well. A delayed start gave us an opportunity to talk at length with a Belgian pair who had just completed the route in the opposite direction. They gave us a “heads up” on what to expect and were encouraging. A later start than planned, but once we got going we were fine. Uphill all day to the first refuge at 1,570 metres. It took us 7.5 hours to walk 12 km. This was an introduction of what was to come. To add to our suffering, about a quarter hour from the refuge the heel started to come off Charlie’s boot (a very old pair of Meindl). He tied it up with a spare lace.

One guidebook describes Stage 2 as “having its finger on the pulse of the GR20, leg-breaking but grandiose this stage is physically demanding with scree, narrow ridges, exposed scrambles, steep climbs and tricky descents”. It was all of that. Reaching a col at 2,020m we viewed the snow-covered range of mountains that was to be our home for the next few days. At the refuge that night the gardien produced a tube of glue and Charlie’s boot was good for another day or two.

The next day saw us scrambling over rock slabs and ascending a snow slope before having to descend steeply again.

Stage 4 is the one the highlights. Described in one guidebook as being “of Dantean proportions, it will go down in the annals as the memorable feat of the courageously intrepid hiker”. I took solace from another guidebook which said that it was no worse than what we had come across so far, just more of it and advised to take care but to at least have a look. However, it did say that a traverse of the Cirque de la Solitude should not be attempted if there is snow and ice present or if it was wet. Snow was inevitable but we had decided to at least go and have that look. There was snow but it was definitely “on”, so we descended into the Cirque and, of course, it started to rain but we were down before it made the conditions too bad. On the ascent back up out of the Cirque the fixed chains and steel ladder were buried in snow and couldn’t be seen, never mind being of any assistance. We got by with kicking steps into the snow and trudging up slowly. A good day out and not half as bad as I was anticipating, but then we couldn’t see the exposure for the cloud.

Stages 5 and 6 were somewhat easier, although long. The refuge at the end of Stage 6 had settled down for the night when a group of teenagers arrived late in a bit of a state, being ill-prepared and poorly equipped. The refuge was full so most of them had to sleep on the kitchen floor, with some bivvying outside. You couldn’t help feeling sorry for them. Charlie’s boot was glued together again but it was obvious that it wasn’t going to last another 9 days.

Day 7 was a day of mixed fortunes for us. We started out in sunshine and soon were ascending snow slopes. We crossed a ridge at 2,225m and were rewarded with a fabulous view of mountains and lakes and snow-covered ridges etc. A great day out and the highlight of the trip, until we heard thunder below us. We were off the ridge and away from any lightning, but descending snow slopes in cloud and heavy rain with thunder crashing about makes you think that maybe a sun holiday wouldn’t have been such a bad idea after all. The pits of the whole trip was when we reached the refuge. It was small and very crowded with everyone trying to dry gear without success. We were out of supplies and decided that we would rise early and walk the next two stages in the one day. This would put us a day ahead of schedule. We could use this “spare” day to get the train from Vizzavona to Corte, where Charlie could buy new boots, and still be on schedule.

Up at 5am and on the hill early. We completed the two stages in 11 hours on the strength of a Twix bar each.

Corte proved to be quite a change from the previous week. We enjoyed sitting down in a restaurant and having a long leisurely lunch. More importantly, new boots were bought.

The southern half of the GR20 is not as spectacular as the northern half, though it is still a tough walk. Not all of the stages are particularly difficult, but they are long. The first two stages are through beech forests. Nice enough walking but not mountaineering so we decided to kill them both off in the one day. The new boots were well and truly broken in that day.

Stage 12 saw us back up above the 2,000m mark. Another tough day, switching backwards and forwards over the same ridge for most of the day. The refuge was busy but we got sleeping space on the kitchen floor.

The next day saw us seeing off the end of that ridge before starting on a new range and ending with the customary long steep rock descent to a refuge.

Definitely downhill now as we were getting closer to the end of the GR20, but Stage 14 had a sting in the tail……a steep ascent in hot sunshine. We finished early in the afternoon, had something to eat and spent a while watching rock climbers at play at Col de Bavella.

Because of the heat we decided on yet another early start on our final day. Essentially a 1,600m descent, with a few short, sharp climbs thrown in. We reached journey’s end to a round of applause from fellow successful hikers and a well earned beer (or five).

The next day saw us bus it up to Bastia for a couple of days rest and recovery by the sea. I spent almost a whole day asleep.

Corsica is a beautiful island. Its mountains are majestic, its small sandy beaches unspoilt and its people very welcoming. I have fond memories of fabulous vistas, of hard rewarding days in the mountains, but also of birdsong, beautiful wild flowers and of the heady scent of the maquis on the lower slopes. The route is challenging but you are rewarded for your toils.

Perhaps best avoided in the busy season of June, July and August, because of the number of people on the route, the heat and the threat of thunderstorms, we felt that a late May start was ideal with the presence of snow a real bonus.
Corsica's GR20

(by Denzil Jones, from IMC Newsletter Autumn 2004)
15 days on the "toughest of all of the Grande Randonnée routes. … Nothing can equal this route in intensity as it crosses the most majestic sites at the heart of this most versatile and highly coloured island”.

The GR20 runs for 170 kilometres over the mountainous spine of the “Scented Isle”. One guidebook says that “it has the reputation of being the toughest of all of the Grande Randonnée routes, crossing extensive slabs of bare rock and involving some quite exposed scrambling. In a few places there are fixed cables, chains and even a steel vertical ladder to assist hikers, taking them into the sort of terrain usually reserved for rock climbers. Nothing can equal this route in intensity as it crosses the most majestic sites at the heart of this most versatile and highly coloured island”. It sounded interesting.

The route is spread over 15 daily stages, accommodation being provided by way of refuges. Not all of the refuges had “gardiens” in attendance, although all were open and had gas. Supplies are few and far between, particularly in the northern half of the route, necessitating carrying enough food for up to four days. You also have to carry a tent and a stove etc in case a refuge is full. Our sacks weighed in at 18 kilos each at Dublin Airport. With a minimum of two litres of water on board, we were carrying 20 kilos each.

Day 1 got off to a bad start as my companion Charlie didn’t feel at all well. A delayed start gave us an opportunity to talk at length with a Belgian pair who had just completed the route in the opposite direction. They gave us a “heads up” on what to expect and were encouraging. A later start than planned, but once we got going we were fine. Uphill all day to the first refuge at 1,570 metres. It took us 7.5 hours to walk 12 km. This was an introduction of what was to come. To add to our suffering, about a quarter hour from the refuge the heel started to come off Charlie’s boot (a very old pair of Meindl). He tied it up with a spare lace.

One guidebook describes Stage 2 as “having its finger on the pulse of the GR20, leg-breaking but grandiose this stage is physically demanding with scree, narrow ridges, exposed scrambles, steep climbs and tricky descents”. It was all of that. Reaching a col at 2,020m we viewed the snow-covered range of mountains that was to be our home for the next few days. At the refuge that night the gardien produced a tube of glue and Charlie’s boot was good for another day or two.

The next day saw us scrambling over rock slabs and ascending a snow slope before having to descend steeply again.

Stage 4 is the one the highlights. Described in one guidebook as being “of Dantean proportions, it will go down in the annals as the memorable feat of the courageously intrepid hiker”. I took solace from another guidebook which said that it was no worse than what we had come across so far, just more of it and advised to take care but to at least have a look. However, it did say that a traverse of the Cirque de la Solitude should not be attempted if there is snow and ice present or if it was wet. Snow was inevitable but we had decided to at least go and have that look. There was snow but it was definitely “on”, so we descended into the Cirque and, of course, it started to rain but we were down before it made the conditions too bad. On the ascent back up out of the Cirque the fixed chains and steel ladder were buried in snow and couldn’t be seen, never mind being of any assistance. We got by with kicking steps into the snow and trudging up slowly. A good day out and not half as bad as I was anticipating, but then we couldn’t see the exposure for the cloud.

Stages 5 and 6 were somewhat easier, although long. The refuge at the end of Stage 6 had settled down for the night when a group of teenagers arrived late in a bit of a state, being ill-prepared and poorly equipped. The refuge was full so most of them had to sleep on the kitchen floor, with some bivvying outside. You couldn’t help feeling sorry for them. Charlie’s boot was glued together again but it was obvious that it wasn’t going to last another 9 days.

Day 7 was a day of mixed fortunes for us. We started out in sunshine and soon were ascending snow slopes. We crossed a ridge at 2,225m and were rewarded with a fabulous view of mountains and lakes and snow-covered ridges etc. A great day out and the highlight of the trip, until we heard thunder below us. We were off the ridge and away from any lightning, but descending snow slopes in cloud and heavy rain with thunder crashing about makes you think that maybe a sun holiday wouldn’t have been such a bad idea after all. The pits of the whole trip was when we reached the refuge. It was small and very crowded with everyone trying to dry gear without success. We were out of supplies and decided that we would rise early and walk the next two stages in the one day. This would put us a day ahead of schedule. We could use this “spare” day to get the train from Vizzavona to Corte, where Charlie could buy new boots, and still be on schedule.

Up at 5am and on the hill early. We completed the two stages in 11 hours on the strength of a Twix bar each.

Corte proved to be quite a change from the previous week. We enjoyed sitting down in a restaurant and having a long leisurely lunch. More importantly, new boots were bought.

The southern half of the GR20 is not as spectacular as the northern half, though it is still a tough walk. Not all of the stages are particularly difficult, but they are long. The first two stages are through beech forests. Nice enough walking but not mountaineering so we decided to kill them both off in the one day. The new boots were well and truly broken in that day.

Stage 12 saw us back up above the 2,000m mark. Another tough day, switching backwards and forwards over the same ridge for most of the day. The refuge was busy but we got sleeping space on the kitchen floor.

The next day saw us seeing off the end of that ridge before starting on a new range and ending with the customary long steep rock descent to a refuge.

Definitely downhill now as we were getting closer to the end of the GR20, but Stage 14 had a sting in the tail……a steep ascent in hot sunshine. We finished early in the afternoon, had something to eat and spent a while watching rock climbers at play at Col de Bavella.

Because of the heat we decided on yet another early start on our final day. Essentially a 1,600m descent, with a few short, sharp climbs thrown in. We reached journey’s end to a round of applause from fellow successful hikers and a well earned beer (or five).

The next day saw us bus it up to Bastia for a couple of days rest and recovery by the sea. I spent almost a whole day asleep.

Corsica is a beautiful island. Its mountains are majestic, its small sandy beaches unspoilt and its people very welcoming. I have fond memories of fabulous vistas, of hard rewarding days in the mountains, but also of birdsong, beautiful wild flowers and of the heady scent of the maquis on the lower slopes. The route is challenging but you are rewarded for your toils.

Perhaps best avoided in the busy season of June, July and August, because of the number of people on the route, the heat and the threat of thunderstorms, we felt that a late May start was ideal with the presence of snow a real bonus.