UKC

GR20 in April?

Fear not I am not an amateur I have my winter Ml and have done MANY long and ultra long distance hikes.

I climb and have soloed the Black Cuillin ridge in summer so steep exposed rock is no problem, steep snow routes of up to grade III are also things I am OK on.

My question is how feasible will it be logistically, in terms of transport to and from start and finish. Local shops to resupply being open. Places to stay being open at the half way point. I know/have read that the huts will be open but with no guardian, so no food, will the gas stoves be working outside or do i need to bring my own.

Are they a case of more like the Alpine winter rooms, is the main building open but the kitchen locked up?

I know May/June would be better but my only other time free is the end of July and start of August and not sure I want to deal with the crowds then.

Anyone been there in April?

Can't help much, did it in June c2007. 

Transport at each end easyish by taxi, not too far to be reasonable priced from memory.  Taxi to or from the coast, buses run round the island perimeter to get to airport or port.

Only shop is basic at Vizzavona station i imagine, open? don't know.

Snow might be a problem but otherwise it might be doable. 

The railway from Ajacchio across the island is superb, we used it to get to the start.

TLDR: Will require a lot of stamnia

Huts are completely open except the guardians room; toilets are locked. So stove/oven available but you can't rely on gas/wood/anything working. There are mattresses, but no covers.

Earliest I've been on Corsica was May, but I suppose in April all and everything is closed. So count on carrying provisions for 3-4 days minimum and plan time for food organisation.

While in May you may encounter only few soft snow fields that are perhaps manageable without snowshoes/skies, in April this might be very different. Wet snow avalanches and of course rotten, waist deep snow are likely to make hiking difficult.

Some passages also will get more difficult under snow/ice but my understanding is that this is not your problem.

If there's any ice about, this descent into the Cirque de la Solitude could be harrowing.

I believe that way is avoided these days.

Things close up quickly after the season at end of September, I can well believe the infrastructure is not in place in April and the assessment of carrying food for 3-4 days at a time is right. Don't konw about access to huts or winter rooms during this period though. 

We had a very respectable ice-climb all the way up to the top of Punta Minuta. Weather can be a bit iffy too in April.

Christina at 

https://www.corsica-aventure.com/en

should be able to give you some advice. We used them for GR20 logistics this year and their service was great. I’m sure she’ll answer some questions. 

In case you took the route from Haut-Asco via the Bocca di Pampanosa couloir... this I did years ago at end of May and it was still full of soft snow. 600m elevation gain with up to 40, shortly 45 degrees, no way without piolet & crampons!

(This is *not* part of GR, just to illustrate... pics cf. my summitpost page on that trip:
https://www.summitpost.org/couloir-de-trimbolaccio/202160/c-201698 )

There's a Facebook group called GR20 Aventure Corse

Questions like this get asked all the time. You'll get stacks of good info.

E

I know but posted to illustrate the quantity of snow on these northern hills in April.