Among European trekkers, Corsica’s Grande Randonnée – the GR20 – enjoys near-mythical status. It’s the long-distance haute route every mountain enthusiast from Biarritz to Berlin aims to complete at least once in their lifetime. Around 17,000 succumb to its allure each year. Barely half, however, manage all 16 stages between Calenzana in the north and Conca in the south, a total distance of around 170km. The first three days alone, which involve a relentless series of ascents and descents of over 1250m, claim a drop-out rate rivalling that of the French Foreign Legion.
Physical challenges aside, the essence of the ‘big GR’s’ appeal lies in the fact that, perhaps more than any other comparable walk in Europe, it takes you to places normally only accessible with ropes. Wriggling along the island’s jagged watershed, it links ancient transhumant paths between valleys with a series of astonishing ridge-top traverses from where the full beauty of the Corsican interior is revealed in all its granitic glory. That these high, exposed sections over bare rock are rarely more taxing than an easy scramble is testament largely to the ingenuity of one man, the alpinist Michel Fabrikant, who devised the GR20 in the 1970s.
These days, under the stewardship of Corsica’s Parc Naturel Regional (PNRC), Fabrikant’s red-and-white waymarked route is as well set up as it was conceived. Between each of its étapes stand staffed refuges offering basic shelter, water, toilets, washing facilities and bivouac areas. Most also stock essential food supplies, and helicopters are on hand to remove rubbish left behind.
Trekkers used to wilder mountain routes where you have to rely on your own maps, compass skills and equipment, may find this level of infrastructure (not to mention the volume of pedestrian traffic in summer) somewhat intrusive. But the regular waymarking and accommodation does allow you to trek with a lighter pack – a godsend given the 19,000m or so of total altitude gain and loss on the route. Wander away from the marks and you’ll quickly appreciate how helpful they are, especially in bad weather.
Any foray into mountains at this altitude has to be undertaken with a certain degree of caution, but don’t be intimidated by the GR20’s reputation. The severity of the route definitely tends to be exaggerated (not least by the Corsicans themselves, few of whom ever actually attempt it). The main reason for this reputation, ironically enough, is the very infrastructure that renders it so safe. Being without technical obstacles, the GR20 – which can be neatly slotted into a two-week holiday with time to spare for a break on the beach at the end – attracts a large number of trekkers for whom it is the first real taste of high mountain terrain. Ill-prepared for the physical effort involved and carrying far too much kit, many fall by the wayside. Others tackle the route as if it were some kind of competition or army assault course to be completed as quickly as possible; they too like to talk up the trail’s rigours.
The reality is that if you’re moderately well equipped, keep your eye on the weather and are up to walking six to seven hours a day over steep gradients, the GR – or ‘Jay-Er’ as it’s referred to in French – should pose no insurmountable problems. In fact it is hard to think of another long-distance route in Europe where such untainted wilderness is so easily accessible.
When to trek
The text in this guide applies uniquely to the summer months, from early June until late October. During the winter, when its waymarks become buried under snow and ice, the GR20 is transformed into an extreme alpine route requiring crampons, ropes, ice-axes and, above all, the necessary level of expertise to survive and navigate in sub-zero conditions. It is only practicable for non-specialist trekkers after the spring snow melt. Large névés still cloak the approaches to some of the higher passes well into July, but by then safe routes across them are well trodden and easy to follow.
The main climatic problems in high summer are the heat, which can be intense, particularly at lower altitudes (the last stage to Conca is notorious for claiming sunstroke victims) and electrical storms. Lightning poses a constant threat from mid-July until early September and is most common around mid-August, when a pre-dawn start is advisable so as to reach the end of the étape before the clouds bubble up around midday.
Apart from the weather the key factor when planning your GR20 expedition is the crowds. At the beginning of the season, just after the refuges open in June, and from mid-September until the first dusting of snow in late October, numbers are manageable. Camping space around the huts during these periods is adequate and the atmosphere along the trail relaxed. Once summer is in full swing, however, the GR20 becomes inundated. The past three or four seasons (since a French hit comedy film, Les Randonneurs, brought the route to the attention of a mass public) have seen the refuges swarming with trekkers. In addition to overburdening the very rudimentary facilities they offer, such congestion seriously detracts from the locations’ natural beauty. The PNRC recently announced plans to revamp several huts to accommodate the upsurge in popularity but this is only likely to attract still greater numbers and will do little to alleviate congestion at notable bottle-neck sections – all the more reason to avoid July and August if at all possible.
Accommodation
One important decision to make before leaving home is how you intend to sleep along the route. There are several options. The first is to bed down in a refuge. Although varying in size, all the huts punctuating the GR20 are fitted out with very basic bunk beds, costing around 8.50euro per person per night. They’re warm, dry and secure; a two-season sleeping bag is all you’ll need to keep you cosy during the summer months. The fee also gives you access to a fully-equipped, gas-fuelled kitchen, and sometimes to a separate shower and toilet block. Apart from the fact they tend to fill up by mid-afternoon, the downside of refuges is the constant nocturnal noise.
However, unless you sleep like a log you should consider carrying some kind of shelter of your own. If you’re walking with partners, a tent, split down so as to share out the weight, is the simplest solution. All the refuges have camping areas served with running water and rudimentary washing facilities. The 6euro camping fee also includes use of an external gas stove, or the refuge’s kitchen.
If you’re trekking solo, the way to avoid lugging a heavy tent is to take a bivouac sack. With a good two- to three-season sleeping bag, an outer cover of some kind should be enough to keep out the cold and, depending on its design, light rain. For more advice on bivvy and sleeping bag combinations, see p31.
Gîte d’étape and hotel accommodation of varying standards is available at five points along the GR20. Anyone intending to pamper themselves with a night on a comfy mattress should reserve ahead as demand outstrips supply for much of the season.
Eating and drinking
Time was when everything you ate or drank on the GR (other than spring or stream water) had to be carried in your backpack, and when re-provisioning meant carefully planned food drops or long detours off the trail to villages. These days, however, the gardiens of most refuges offer trekkers a selection of essential supplies: typically charcuterie, local cheese, tinned fish, pâté, pasta, noodles, condensed milk, chocolate and biscuits. Some also do a roaring trade in luxuries such as fresh bread, wine, beer and soft drinks, while others cook up hot soup, omelettes or coffee. Keeping these little businesses stocked at peak season means near-daily trips down to road level with a mule or two, which explains the sky-high prices of food in refuges. Rely on the gardiens’ supplies and you’ll rip through your money very quickly indeed.
You can re-stock more cheaply at Asco, Castel di Verghio, Vizzavona and Bavella, where the trail crosses tarmac. These hamlets, and stations de ski, also have small restaurants, which we review in the relevant sections.
Money
At none of the refuges or villages along the GR20 will you find an ATM, so take enough cash to get you through. Only at those places where the path dips down to road level (namely Asco Stagnu, Castel di Verghio, Vizzavona, Bergeries d’E Capanelle, Bocca di Verdi and Conca) are debit or credit cards accepted. It’s worth noting, however, that some hoteliers may agree to a cash-back bill – ie, add an amount on top of what you owe them which is then paid to you as cash.
If you need to visit a bank to change or withdraw money while on the GR20, Corte (an easy hour-long train ride north from Vizzavona) is likely to be the nearest place to do it.
Safety and equipment
General advice on mountain safety and trekking equipment appears on pp28-43. However, it’s worth reiterating the importance of being adequately prepared for sudden and extreme changes in weather, which can strike at any time on the GR20. In the late 1990s, seven trekkers perished in a snowstorm while descending from the Cinto Massif in early July, one of them a matter of minutes from the station de ski at Asco. Mist, high winds, rain, hail, sleet or snow can descend with little warning, radically transforming the state of the trail in an instant.
The golden rule if you get caught out by bad weather is to never lose sight of the waymarks unless you’re absolutely confident of finding them again. Apart from the obvious fact that they present the quickest and most dependable route to safety, the red-and-white paint splashes offer your best chance of rescue should you fall into real difficulty.
If in any doubt about the weather ask the advice of the gardien before setting out. They will have the latest méteo report and can alert you to possible danger spots along the étape where flooding or lightning have struck in the past. While on the trail, always remain alert to what the weather is doing and bear in mind the dangers of crossing high, exposed ridges in storms (see p43 for advice on what to do in lightning strikes). When unsure, always go for the safest option.
Network coverage for mobile phones is very patchy along the GR20 so don’t rely on yours for anything more important than booking a hotel bed.
Trekking styles and route options
One of the curious things about the GR is that seemingly everyone – whether they’re doing the route in five days or sixteen, with or without a tent, from the north or the south, alone or in a group – thinks their style is the way to go. Ultimately, of course, the best way is the way which most suits you and it pays to find out what that is early on.
To a large extent fitness will determine how much you can take on each day. Don’t overstretch yourself. If your schedule means you have to double up days, ensure you combine easy, short ones rather than long étapes involving tough climbs. Above all, try not to be swept along by others walking at a faster pace than you’re comfortable with, merely to arrive at Conca a day or two ahead of time.
One thing lots of trekkers regret after they’ve finished the route is that they didn’t attempt one or more of the hugely rewarding side trips. Some of these, notably the waymarked trails up the big summits flanking the GR, take you into truly awesome landscapes that are a step up in every sense from what you experience along the main path. Bear in mind that some optional routings, such as the Variante over Monte Renoso, are far more inspiring than their lower-level equivalents (which were originally envisaged only as poor-weather alternatives).
The majority of those who complete all 16 stages do so in 10 to 12 days. Do it any quicker and you’d have to be doubling or tripling up lengthy étapes. Take any longer and you’ll have plenty of time for detours and for lazing around on the high spots. It’s amazing how many people race off at dawn to arrive at the refuge by lunchtime when they could be enjoying sublime scenery up on the trail.
Also worth considering are itineraries that tie together sections of the GR20 with the other long-distance routes outlined in this book. Two of these – the Mare a Mare Nord (and its variant) and the Tra Mare e Monti – intersect the GR, giving access to radically different coastal or valley scenery and villages. Following them, even if only for a few stages, will give you a far more rounded picture of the island than you’d get from just the GR20. Suggestions for such combination routes are featured on pp26-7.
With less time, say around one week, you might opt to cover certain sections of the GR20. From Calenzana, Castel di Verghio is easily reachable in five days. With six to seven days you could press on to Corte via the Mare a Mare Nord (see pp204-46). This would take you through the most rugged and toughest stretches of the GR20 route, where the landscape is at its most spectacular. Alternatively, pick up the trail at Vizzavona, from where you can cover the more restrained (and correspondingly easier) southern section to Conca in six days.
North or south?
Many trekkers follow the Grande Randonnée from south to north, ie, in the reverse direction to that described in this book. The advantage is that you begin with the least strenuous étapes and build up to the more gruelling ones. On the other hand, walking northwards will present you with the more subdued, sun-blasted south faces of the massifs rather than the eternal snows and darker crags of their northern slopes. The waymarking is equally dependable in both directions. Ultimately you might end up following the trail from south to north just because your flight landed at Figari Airport, from where Conca is far more accessible than Calenzana. To avoid confusion, stage timings on our maps are given only from north to south.
The route
Calenzana
Calenzana, the largest village in the Balagne region, has been a major centre of olive production since the time of the Romans. Set against the awesome backdrop of Monte Grossu’s massive north-facing cliffs, its nucleus of old granite houses, grouped around the grand Baroque belfry and facade of the Church of Saint Blaise, preside over a swathe of gnarled trees that tumble downhill to meet the coastal maquis behind the Golfe de Calvi. It’s an archetypal Mediterranean hill village, with twisting lanes that open onto a square where you can join the old boys in their blue overalls sipping strong coffee in the shade of plane trees.
But beneath Calenzana’s sleepy feel, broken only by the steady stream of trekkers that plod through to begin the GR20 and Tra Mare e Monti trails, lurks a decidedly dubious underbelly. Among Corsicans the village is infamous as a taproot for organized crime on the Côte d’Azur, the so-called Milieu. It is often asserted that its prosperity, which has endured generations of emigration and economic decline, derives from gangsterism in Marseille, a short ferry hop across the water. This might merely be jealous slander but few would deny that Calenzana remains discernibly better off than its neighbours. Come here in August and you’ll notice a disproportionate number of luxury German cars sporting ‘13’ (Marseille) number plates.
After a nose around the church, whose ornate, gloomy interior is dominated by an early eighteenth-century altar and very gory tabernacle, there’s not much to do other than fortify yourself for the trials ahead.
Orientation and services
Advice on how to get to Calenzana by public transport from Calvi appears on p107. A taxi here will set you back around 20euro one-way. Heading in the other direction, from Calenzana, call Taxis Biancardini on tel 04.95.62.77.80 or tel 06.08.16.53.65.
Anyone who didn’t stock up with supplies before leaving the coast can do so at the large Spar supermarket on the main Calvi road. Fresh bread and pastries are sold there and at the small bakery, five minutes’ walk east of the square.
Where to stay
In peak season, Calenzana struggles to cope with the influx of trekkers, in spite of the fact its Gîte d’étape Municipal (tel 04.95 62.77.13; open May–Sept) was recently upgraded and enlarged. Situated just below the village proper, a stone’s throw off the main road, this is where most people heading off on the GR20 hole up. Its four-berth dorms, ranged around a gravel-chipping courtyard, have en suite bathrooms and cost 13euro per head.
Bivouackers are charged 5.30euro for a pitch under the trees in the garden, plus 3.80euro per tent, for which you also get the use of an impressive power shower and toilet block. Self-catering facilities are limited to a tiny kitchen equipped with a single electric hob and some pans – a move obviously designed to encourage you to eat in one of the restaurants up in the village. For the same reason, breakfast is not available here (see p115).
Two hotels up in the village centre offer more comfortable alternatives. Neither is particularly swish but their rates are low compared with Calvi. Hôtel Monte Grossu (tel 04.95.62.70.15, fax 04.95.62 83.21; open May–Sept) stands to the left of the main street, a short way beyond the Spar, and has 10 simple, clean double rooms (all with en suite showers but toilets à l’étage). Rates range from 38euro to 42euro depending on the month.
Opposite the square, Hôtel Bel Horizon (tel/fax 04.95.62.71.72; open May–Sept) is in much the same mould, with rates from 30.50euro to 45.60euro.
Where to eat
There’s only one restaurant worthy of note in Calenzana. Situated opposite the main facade of the church, Le Calenzana ‘Chez Michel’ (open daily March–Dec, but closed Mon in Jan–Feb) offers staunchly traditional, delicious Corsican mountain cuisine and wood-baked pizzas. If you’re not expecting to be within range of a decent meal for a while, splash out on one of the set menus (15euro and 16.70euro). These kick off with a rustic soupe corse (complete with the bones) or terrine de figatellu (fragrant liver-sausage pâté), followed by wild-boar spaghetti, pan-fried veal with broad beans, or the restaurant’s signature dish, tender suckling lamb and wheat-rolled roast potatoes.
Although marginally cheaper, neither of its competitors down the road, Pizzeria Prince Pierre and Café-Restaurant Le GR20, offers comparable value for money, nor the same degree of hospitality. You may, however, be tempted by Café le Royal set breakfasts, served on a terrace behind the church. Since the gîte was forced by the municipality to stop serving breakfasts (in order to faire travailler les cafés), something of a price war has broken out in the village. A string of places now open at 6am to catch the dawn trekking exodus; the Royal is the friendliest and best situated.
On your way up the hill towards the trailhead, another place to carb up is the stark Pâtisserie E Fritelle, on a lane called U Chiasu, which runs to the right off the main street just after the bend (if you’re approaching the centre via the Calvi road). Open from 6am, it’s renowned for its hot Corsican doughnuts (beignets) and Calenzana’s own speciality biscuits, cuggielli, made with appropriately calorific chestnut flour. Ask for a bag hot out of the oven.
GR20 Stage One: Calenzana TO Refuge d’Ortu di u Piobbu
[MAP 1, p117]
Overview
Leading you from the coastal olive belt around Calenzana to the windy heights of the watershed, the first day of the GR20 is an unremittingly tough slog involving a net altitude gain of 1245m (think of Ben Nevis and then some). Weighed down with two or three days’ provisions and three litres of water (there’s no dependable source along the route once out of sight of Calenzana), most trekkers find it a gruelling introduction to the joys of Corsican trekking. You’ll certainly make life a lot easier for yourself by getting an early start, which will enable you to cover the first major climb in cool shadow.
The stage’s highlights are a succession of extraordinary panoramas revealed from the passes. Encompassing a large chunk of the Balagne coast, these grow steadily more impressive as you climb, culminating in your first glimpse of the Cinto massif and Paglia Orba, which flag the onward route.
Because of the length and overall difficulty of the next (second) étape, this is not a leg of the GR20 to double up unless you are already fit and comfortable with the altitude. Anyone arriving early in the afternoon at the Refuge d’Ortu di u Piobbu would do better to consider the ascent of Monte Corona (see box on p120) as an extension.
A Variante route to the refuge runs along the Tra Mare e Monti trail to Bonifatu and thence up the Melaghia Valley (see p118). Keeping to easy gradients for most of the way it has little to recommend it other than as a safe bad-weather approach to the main trail. Basically, if the first étape seems too much for you in favourable conditions you should probably think twice about attempting the GR20 at all.
Route guide
PNRC signboards dotted along the road from the gîte and around Calenzana’s square point the way to the GR20/Tra Mare e Monti trailhead at the top of the village.
The official start is marked by a tiny chapel, the Oratoire Sant’Antoine (275m), opposite a gushing spring of the same name where you can fill up your water bottle. Beyond it a paved mule track squeezes between old retaining walls to start a steady climb through a mix of Laricio pines, ferns and maquis dotted with lightning-charred chestnut trees.
A stately old pine, roughly 45 minutes up the trail, heralds your arrival at a second spring, the Funtana di Ortivinti, which stands to the left of the trail a short way before it splits; this is the last dependable source of drinking water before Ortu di u Piobbu. At the junction (550m), the orange waymarks of the Tra Mare e Monti/GR 20 Variante run west (to the right). The main GR20, meanwhile, presses south (left) uphill through spiny maquis to cross a shoulder pass, the Bocca di u Ravalente (616m), from where you can see up the whole Figarella Valley to the Cirque de Bonifatu.
Once over the spur a steady traverse sweeps around the eastern flank of the valley to a distinctive rock outcrop, the promontoire d’Arghioa (820m). Take a break here to steel yourself for the hard, zigzagging ascent of more than 400 metres through scruffy heather and pines to the Bocca a u Saltu pass (1250m). Affording grandiose views across the wild Frintogna Valley to the summit of Monte Grossu, this pass forms the GR’s gateway to the high mountains and is a great spot from which to admire the panorama of the Balagne coast (clearest from atop the outcrop immediately north-north-west of the pass itself; see Map 1, opposite).
The Bocca a u Saltu also heralds a marked transition in the trail. After a short, easy descent through a beautiful Laricio pine forest (Le Bois de la Fratte) the waymarks thread steeply uphill though a messy mass of exposed granite that should be approached with caution, especially in wet weather. A stanchion cable has been fixed to one of the trickier pitches. Although a welcome help in slippery conditions it can prove a bottleneck in peak season.
Above it, more enjoyable scrambling across rocks dotted with spotted orchids and helebore brings you eventually to the second major pass of the étape, the Bocca a u Bazzichellu (1486m). The col is more rounded and wooded than the previous one but has less imposing views; you’ll probably want to get straight on with the climb through the pine forest above it. Once clear of the trees, a wonderful panorama opens up to the south across the Melaghia Valley to Monte Cinto and Paglia Orba on the horizon.
With the last significant ascent of the day behind you, the traverse that follows, contouring around the headwaters of the Melaghia River, is a real joy. After crossing a stream the path rounds a boulder-strewn spur and ascends for one last push to the plateau on which Refuge d’Ortu di u Piobbu is situated.
Refuge d’Ortu di u Piobbu
Nestled below the summit of Monte Corona, the Refuge d’Ortu di u Piobbu (1570m) is one of the most attractively sited on the GR20. A perfect spot for sunset, the refuge sits on the site of an old bergerie at the head of the Melaghia Valley, looking west over ranks of receding ridges towards the coast. Arriving here from sea level in fine weather you’ll be struck by the clarity of the light and shimmering silver birch wood that spills down the stream gully nearby. The high-mountain ambience is accentuated by prayer flags fluttering from a cairn behind the hut; the flags were erected by the gardiens and some Nepali friends they met on an expedition to climb Mansulu in 2000.
The refuge itself accommodates 30 people, with a spacious dining area and adjoining stove room. Dry-stone bivouac and camping shelters are dotted around the building. If you’re sleeping in the open without a tent, expect to be hassled by cattle during the night. Note, too, that this mountainside can get especially chilly in the small hours as the warm westerly from the sea dies off and cooler air currents drift down from Monte Corona; so bed down in one of the round, tall-walled shelters rather than semi-circular wind-breaks if you can.
Hot drinks and cooked food, such as soupe corse and omelettes, are available here, in addition to the usual range of basic supplies when the refuge is staffed (from June until mid-September).