Having ensured a small gap in my employment transition, I set in motion plans to take on the trek that had been sitting squarely at the top of my list for quite some time, Corsica’s GR20.
Below are a few paragraphs from the website http://corsica.forhikers.com/gr20 that was very helpful to me in planning my adventure:
“GR stands for Grande Randonnée, which means big excursion in French. It is a network of long-distance footpaths in Europe, mostly in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. GR20 is considered to be the most difficult of all the GR routes and one of the most beautiful mountain trails in Europe. Its Corsican name is Fra li monti, what means “across the mountains” in Corsican.
GR 20 is a long distance trail that traverses Corsica diagonally from north to south. It’s 180km long with variation in height of about 10 000 metres and can be walked in 15 days. Even though the GR20 doesn’t require any climbing techniques, perfect fitness level and confidence in walking over a variety of rugged terrains is necessary.”
Map of GR-20 from Cicerone’s “Trekking the GR20 Corsica” guidebook
I arrived in Nice, France on the morning of June 26th, 2022. I got across town to the port on the tram and sailed for Bastia, Corsica in the early afternoon. I spent the night and caught the early morning train to Calvi. Now yes, it would have been much easier to fly from Nice to Calvi, but I liked the idea of sailing from the mainland to Corsica. A romantic start to an epic adventure and the scenery from the train was a real bonus. With one last mode of transport to go, I caught a taxi to the GR20 trailhead in Calenzana. Being early afternoon and starting near sea level, the Mediterranean temperatures were soaring. I set out on the trail and soon understood why Cicerone guidebook author Paddy Dillon describes that first day as the GR20’s “baptism of fire”. As I approached the first camp that late afternoon, two girls were stopped and in the process of calling for a helicopter evacuation because of their severe fatigue and dehydration. I was out of water myself and could not offer any to them. I spotted the helicopter overhead as I reached camp at 7:00pm.
The next day was one of the most technically challenging with many bits and bobs to scramble over requiring the frequent use of hands and arms, but the real challenge came with the rain that was pouring down most of the day coming sideways at times. I was wondering what exactly I had signed up for as I lay in my tent that evening trying in vain to dry my sopping wet clothes.
But things improved from that evening. I trimmed down my pack weight a bit and felt a little more “in the groove”. A typical day saw me on the trail before 7:00am after breaking camp and enjoying a petit-déjeuner of cafe, jus d’orange, et croissant avec beurre et confiture. Lunch was typically self-catered on the trail with items purchased from tiny shops along the way like saucisson, fromage, nuts, baguette, bars, and dried fruit. The day’s trekking was usually done by mid to late afternoon. I would set up camp and enjoy a Pietra Bière Ambrée or two with my fellow trekkers. There were often shower facilities available, though hot water was not a guarantee. I would hand wash my clothes and hang them up to dry. I usually opted for the dinner service offered by the refuge. Dinner was always a healthy serving of carb rich deliciousness with things like veau aux olives avec macaroni, vegetarian or meat ragu, potatoes, lentils and lardon, soup corse, and lasagna followed by a dessert. It was then pretty easy to turn in and crawl into the sleeping bag.
There were some challenges, of course. I developed blisters on both heels that required some TLC, I got severely lost the morning of my biggest day burning up valuable calories and mental fortitude, I missed a few refuge meals and shop opening hours and went hungry a couple of times. And there were plenty of long slogs and difficult uphill grinds that seemed to go on forever. But the challenges were all part of the adventure.
I met so many great people from all over the world sharing food and drink and trading trekking stories. My skills at the French language were constantly put to the test, but it was good practice. Aside from that second day, the weather was amazing delivering that Mediterranean blue sky and pleasant breeze.
GR20 northern terminus trailhead in Calenzana
Into the groove on Day 4
Setting up camp at Bergeries Vaccaghja after a 32 km day
A swim near Petra Piana on Day 7
Pizza dinner in Vizzavona marking halfway point
Rachid, Luca, and Dan enroute to Bocca di Verdi on Day 9
Above the Aiguilles du Bavella
Dan and the Swiss couple Martina and Damien
Beer drinking partners Dan and David at Refuge di Praliri
I made it! Bar du GR20 in Conca
I completed the GR20 in 13 days descending into the southern terminus village of Conca around noon on Saturday, July 9th. Celebratory drinks were shared and goodbyes were said as people boarded buses or otherwise dispersed. My dear wife pulled up in her electric car and silently whisked me away to the nearby coastal town of Solenzara. She had flown in from Greece that morning. It was so nice to be back in civilization thoroughly enjoying a long hot shower, massage, restaurant meal, and a comfy bed. My feet and ankles were swollen and I was completely exhausted.
The next morning we relaxed at the beach in Solenzara before driving south to Bonifacio, the famous, picturesque cliffside city. We spent two nights at Hotel Santateresa and enjoyed catching up with one another in the historic city. At breakfast, I introduced Bec to the beignets au Brocciu, a Corsican specialty, a mini fritter or donut filled with a soft local ewe’s cheese. So delicious. We also managed to meet up with David and Anya, a couple I met on the GR20, for an afternoon at the nearby San Giovanni beach.
Welcome back to civilization seafood meal in Solenzara
A dip in the Med
Sunset in Bonifacio
Beignets au Brocciu
White cliffs of Bonifacio
Tiny streets and alleyways of Bonifacio old town
Seafood meal in Bonifacio port
Clifftop buildings of Bonifacio
On our last day, we drove north to Ajaccio, stopping at Domaine Fiumicicoli Winery, dropped our electric rental car after a re-charge, and spent a night checking out the capital including the Maison Bonaparte Museum. We caught a flight to Nice early on July 13th and then it was back to AD to report in at my new job.
Bec and Dan's Overseas Adventure 