UKC

Hello all, next year we are planning to do the GR20 in Corsica. Here are some questions you might be able to help us with. I've had a scan on UKC but some of the threads are getting old.

Guide: is the Paddy Dillon one the best to use? What does it include?

Date: we would be looking towards the end of the season but how did you find the crowds?

Are the huts much better than a camp? Not all places we have trekked are.

We love mountainous terrain, would you recommend just doing the northern half?

Any kit you regret taking or anything you wish you'd had?

We are looking to do other things on the island, is there a bag drop at the start or a suggestion for this?

Has anyone done any sea kayaking on the west side? We are thinking a couple of days paddling.

Any other info would be greatfully accepted. Many thanks.

We did the northern section at the end of the Season (last 2 week of September), in 2008. Everything was gearing up for the close, the crowds were minimal and all the huts had space. 
We took a tent, stove, the works. And apart from using it for a couple of nights (and away from the trail), quickly moved into the huts.  The hut fee comes with cooking facilities included - and there were often pans to cook in. 

Meals were basic and expensive, and towards the close of the year the guardians will be using up stock so the ability to buy provisions from the refuge is limited. They nearly always had cheap and rough wine you could buy by the pichet. 

So if you are going at a similar time of year (and subject to advice on how things have changed), I would take a down bag, but no tent or thermarest.  I wouldn't take a stove either, probably just a pan that could double as tableware.  

Use the extra weight for things like a small down jacket, gloves etc - it can easily freeze overnight in September, and carrying decent food.  

Away from the trail (we walked the W coast from Propriano to Figa in the South of the Island) everything was already shut, campsites, restaurants. Life on the trail was, frankly, easier! 

Commented on what I can remember. I did it about 11 years ago, fairly hill fit, group of 6 of us.

Guide: Only looked at this one, but we hated him by the end of it, I vaguely remember some sections being described to sound easier than they were. I think we only doubled up one or two of the stages, so they were pretty accurate.

Are the huts much better than a camp? I only camped in my TN Laser Comp. Most of it was pretty hard ground or rocky. Bonus of huts, you don't carry as much, but couldn't say what the inside is like.

We love mountainous terrain, would you recommend just doing the northern half? The northern section is amazing, but I enjoyed the whole thing. 

Any kit you regret taking or anything you wish you'd had? Wish I had a thicker matt to sleep on. Had an old school thermarest (about a inch thick) and full size, not 3/4 length. Also, the Northern section does get cold at night, only had minimal 'sleeping bag' with me. I did it in approach shoes, had issues with fitting (causing me to roll my ankle), but would do the same again, but with proper fitting shoes.

Edit: They treat Cosicola the same as Coca-Cola, it is not the same... Beer was also expensive, if you felt like treating yourself.

We did the whole thing in early June 2006 in 12 days (a bit of doubling up of stages) so we could fit it into a 2 week holiday. Cicerone guide was fine. We mainly camped outside the refuges which was fine, occasionally buying a meal, often buying beer. The southern half is well worthwhile IMHO, I wouldn't be happy stopping halfway. Very stony ground trashed our Inov8 fell shoes quickly. I believe it is crowded at peak times so yes go as late as you dare. 

When we went in June rain was unlikely so I just took a flysheet, no over-trousers. I would imagine the Northern refuge at Calenzana would look after your bag, a taxi to there from Calvi was é30 for 3 people in 2006. 

Thanks for the replies so far, very useful. I keep hearing of 'doubling up' on stages, what does this mean?

Also boots or trail shoes?

There are 15 stages in the Cicerone guide which all end at manned refuges although some others exist. Careful reading of the guide (buy it now to begin whetting your appetite.) will suggest alternatives. There are other places to stay (private auberges etc.) There was a ruined fire-destroyed refuge (during stage 13) where we camped. Stage 9 the unofficial high level route is better and quicker than the low level. We did 8 and 9 easily in a day but it did mean getting to Vizzavona a bit late to enjoy the best stop on the route. We bypassed Bavella (stage 14 and camped at refuge D'Paliri for an easy final day. 

After a couple of days you will be able to gauge where you might get to the following day. 

For me fell running shoes, but it's personal preference. 

The train journey form Ajaccio to Calvi is memorable. 

1988 since I did the northern part so no up to date info re huts etc. However, I remember lots of people had taken harness, slings and helmets for the chains in the Cirque de Solitude. If you are competent scrambling you don’t really need these. A considerable weight saving!

Enjoy your trip.

Sadly I believe it has been rerouted to avoid the Cirque de Solitude due to rock fall, but you are absolutely correct no rock gear is required. 

Sad to hear that.  Can't believe rockfall is a persistent problem, but for climbers the Cirque is nothing to be concerned about. Yes, groups of walkers could get quite excitable, leading to delays at the chains and ladders. 

One thing to be clearer on - the refuges are basic, and mainly run on a very entrepreneurial basis. Not to be equated with the standard of huts in the alps. 

Seems the Cirque is open again, but at your own risk.

http://www.le-gr20.fr/en/blog/14th-june-2018-the-opening-of-the-cirque-of-s...

It was in 2000 that I did it, so my info would be of limited use, but one thing won't have changed and my top tip is - start each day seriously early, 4 or 5am sort of thing, and get your day's walking finished by lunchtime. Even in mid-September the afternoon heat was oppresive.

Thanks very much for all the replies on here. I was reading about the Cirque and we're quite happy to use the standard bypass as it seems to skirt a summit we're looking to do anyway.

I'm also wondering how escapable the route is. Are we looking at an Anoach Eagach where once you're on the horse you make for the finish line or plenty of bailouts if a week of storms hit?

Kit wise we're looking at taking a tent and the usual stuff with us as we're not wanting to be tied down to hut bookings. So far all the info suggests it should be quite straight forwards. Thanks again.

Escape wise in mountaineering terms no real problem although there would be some long walks especially from around stage 4 to 8. Many of the refuges are visited by walks from other coastal directions. We took the two IGN 1:100,100 maps in case we needed to plot an escape as we had a tight schedule. Completely agree about the tent and non-reliance on huts. 

We did the northern half SN from Vizzavona in 2011 with three teenagers. We stayed in the refuges.

Make sure you have printed evidence of any bookings before you go. Despite several attempts beforehand, we could get no such thing from the website/office through which such bookings had to be made. This made for an awkward arrival at more than one of the refuges. Curiously, a few of them did have our names on a list, but others claimed to have no record of our booking. None turned us away, however, and not all were full, even in  late July. Some were rammed, however.

All the refuges were fine, and I was happy to be in them. There was camping around most (maybe all?) the refuges - I think these are the only places you can camp - but the people in them seemed to not be allowed to use the cooking facilities inside the refuges. Whether they had separate facilities outside, I am not sure. However, there were quite a few campers, and they seemed to be having a jolly time.

The prepared meals are very expensive and not always much good. Another time, we would have taken more food with us and cooked for ourselves more often.

We had the Paddy Dillon guide, but I also bought the german and french guides which had better maps. I also bought maps.

The peak above Ciottulu di i Mori (Paglia Orba?) is well worth a scramble up. I was up and back before breakfast.

Thanks again for the continued info.

What is the bug situation like? Are long trousers recommended? Bug repellant?

My wife is very susceptible to bug bites but I don't recall there being a problem at all that holiday, and she wore shorts the whole time. We were on the GR20 the whole time, apart from the first evening at Bastia and the last at Calvi.

Hi there. We did the GR20 in june this year. To be honest, I thought it was too hard to be enjoyable! We carried heavy rucksacks, with tent, food, crampons ( there was still quite a bit of snow on some sections) etc. We mainly camped outside the refuges which cost 6euro per person usually. We used paddy Dillon's book which is ok, but I found it really hard to follow the description as there were so many references to 'rocky notch' when there were loads of them or 'spiny broom' just repeated hundreds of times. It was better to follow the map and markers and not read the route description. The southern part was definitely easier, but no less spectacular, and if you can manage the time for the whole route that's what I would recommend. Some people with limited time 'doubled up' by doing 2 days in 1. But with the weight of the packs 1 day was enough for us! We tried to climb Monte Cinto, but there was so much soft snow and it was very misty, so we turned back. A couple of guys tried Paglia Orba and did the same. Later on in the season snow wont be a problem though. We had a rest day in Vizzavona at half way and then a couple of days in Ajaccio at the end.

Have a good trip. If I can help any more then please ask!

Thanks for the reply. We're looking at going early Sept when things cool slightly and the crowds dip a bit. Bag weight is always a big issue on treks but we're fairly lightweight, looking at below 10kg's each. I've got the Ciccerone book you mention and we're just using is as a basic overview of the route rather than a detailed description.

One thing I am wondering is what type of sleeping bag to take in early to mid Sept, syth or down, what comfort rating as well.

Take lots of money, the Corse love money, taxis are typically Porsches and mercs

We took the sleeping bags we use in the alps, with a silk liner and apart from a couple of nights we were too warm. We could probably have got away with lighter sleeping bags

did it in 2nd week of Sept. a few years ago, ~100 people started on our day

we carried < 10kg each (more like 8). PhD minimus and minim 300 sleeping bags. Terr nova Solar Comp2 tent, short Thermarests. Ate in huts in the evening for some (many evenings) took porridge for breaky and bread/cheese/ chorizo and bars for lunch. The hut food was generally pretty poor (in stark contrast to the wonderful food on the HRP) bought food from shops on way, cooked occasionally meals (noodles style). Camping was 6Euros and varied from v.poor to great always crowded. Don't think we slept in any huts. Doubled up a few days.

Did a couple of summits, used the Cicerone book, was fine on all but 1 day.

unedited pix:   https://photos.app.goo.gl/bMjYnMsh65iTGEHT7

Fantastic, we have those bags ourselves so thats that then! Thanks again to all the replies here, UKC always delivers on these threads.

Might be slightly less busy if you can avoid starting at the weekend.

Did the gr20 last September. Thoroughly enjoyed it.  My experience was : we stayed in the huts in order to keep our sacks light (8kg). Lots of ascent and decent each day. The huts were poor, unclean and in some cases with broken toilets overflowing with pooh. The first hut was the worst,filthy with bed bugs. So if you stay in the huts buy a cheap sleeping bag that you can ditch afterwards. There are a couple of hotels en route, take advantage of these for a night in a comfy bed and a hot shower. If camping most of the huts have tents that you can hire to save carrying your own. We were cold at least one night in the hut and the campers were cold a couple of nights. Some people were carrying twice as much weight as us, don't do it unless you are a twenty something. One pair socks/ underwear on while the other set is pegged to your rucksack to dry while walking. food at huts was adequate.

Reading around the bed bugs are a stop sign for us. We're quite happy to camp as our experience allows us to do that quite comfortably with  very little weight.  We've done plenty of long distance with packs but never for 2 weeks on such sustained terrain, this one needs more planning. Thanks for the info.

Yes, bed bugs are definitely a problem. In fact, when we got to Ajaccio and got to the hotel we had per booked, they said we could not take our gear upstairs as people were coming down off the GR20 infested with bed bugs and fleas and they had had to have rooms fumigated. Eventually, they relented when they heard we had camped. The huts and toilets are generally disgusting and nothing like you would find in the Alps

The huts have pre pitched tents complete with sleeping mats. A better option than the huts wrt bedbugs, snoring etc.