GR20

>>1049138
Corsica?

>>1049138
Hi op, I would recommend you to wait for september or May/June. August will be crowded as fuck I heard. One of the best hikes I heard also. Enjoy les refuges avec des bonnes pates du bon saucisson et du bon pinard.

>>1050373
Yeaaaahhhh
>>1050384
Not too fussed about crowds desu. I usually hike isolated routes solo so I am quite interested in walking something that has more people on it.

However, getting to Corsica is turning out to be more expensive than I thought so I am probably going to look at walk all or some of the GR11.

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>>1050427
I hiked part of the GR in Sardinia and it was really nice, with zero people.
The problem is it's really poorly marked, so if I did it again I'd take a guidebook which describes the route.
I mention that because I thought it would be similar to Corsica, but it's probably not very similar now that I think about it.

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>>1049138
I don't know if you speak French OP but if you do here's a nice article about it
http://www.carnetsderando.net/gr20-mythe-a-realite/

I'm Corsican it's pretty hard if you're not trained and didn't have the good equipement

>>1050500
Je parle une petite francais
How much would I need to survive in this area.

>>1049138
I've done the north section 3 years ago and I'm going back in 1 month to do the complete trail solo starting from the South. I'm fully prepped so yeah ask away.

>>1050471
I know Sardinia very well. Have spent a lot of time there. Once I've walked the GR11 I'm going to look at the GR20 or Sardinia.

>>1050536
I have only been able to find pretty scatty info on resupplying food. That's really the aspect I have most stuck on. How much food did you end up carrying on your back?

Also what sort of mileage were you able to do per day?

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>>1050535
>How much would I need to survive in this area.

Not much I guess
Corsica is pretty wild for Europe and the mountains may not be very high but they are verry rugged, but there are accomodations along the trail if you don't want to carry too much with you. The GR20 has a reputation as a difficult trail but it really depends on how you plan your trip, like how many km a day, do you want to sleep in a tent or in a hut at night, etc
I think trails like the one crossing the Pyrenees from east to west are much more difficult
Also I've heard one of the hardest part of the trail, the Cirque de la Solitude, is closed now. Don't know if that's true tho

>>1050615
Yeah I read that part of the original trial has been closed.

There are three major routes in the Pyrenees, the GR 10, the GR 11, and the HPR.
The GR routes are hiking routes but the HPR is more of s mountaineering route.

>>1050587
There is a supermarket at the start (Calenzana) and the end (Conca or Porto Vecchio). The smaller huts (just basic wooden cabins with gas stoves and bunk beds) sell basic hiker food: bread, canned food, dried fruit, chocolate, etc.. This stock is limited and might run out in July/August near the end of the week.

If there is a camping, or a road that leads up to the hut, you can also find bigger shops there. These have more stuff and are almost always in stock. I think you could pull off the entire trail without even carrying food if you had to.

I personally carry most of my food because I just snack all day. Oatmeal porridge for breakfast, trail mix and dried fruits during the day. I'll buy bread, sausage and cheese while passing the huts to eat while I set up camp. That's it.

Mileage depends entirely on how fit you are, and how well your body will adjust to the height. The first day (starting north) is a serious climb and last time I did it I had serious issues with altitude sickness. It's possible to do the entire tail in 7 days, doing 2 stages per day, but don't underestimate this. It's a lot of climbing and you might end up being a lot slower than you think you are.

It's a fucking gorgeous trail though.

>>1050700
There was a deadly accident with a thunderstorm in 2015 iirc. Multiple people died.

Sad, because it was a great view (without any fog).

>>1049138

I went solo on the GR20 in October 2013 when i was 19 yo. I've plenty of stories and anecdotes to share but I'll keep it short and only give you tips and pointers.

I did it North to South and I do think it is the best way to do it (it seems to be the accepted opinion there too), I'd suggest to buy everything you need before you arrive as Corsica is a small island and things can be expensive there. If you come by plane to Calvi, beware of taxis they'll charge you 40€ for a 15 min ride to the start of the trail. Just walk it.

August is still the high summer season there'll still be quite a lot of people and there are more thunderstorms at this time. If you can, go later, around the end of September is perfect, later is possible until end of October (there shouldn't be snow yet) but you won't find the warmness of the Mediterranean island anymore.
Going later in the year will also allow you to stay in refuges free of charge as the guardian
leaves around September but they have to keep them open for winter.

Do or do not buy a guide book, I personally think it's useless but people like the reassurance it gives. In any case look up the topographical maps (in french IGN, jgn.superheros(dot)fr) of the region you're gonna trail and look where you can deviate from the GR onto side paths to peaks and more interesting regions. I'm saying this because the GR20 alone sometime doesn't go through the most beautiful places, you'll have to look at the map and decide what the best paths is. Be critical. Peaks are also not included in the GR20 trail and I found them to be quite easy and really astonishing. This is my main advice and the one that'll really change your hike.

If you can, take more time to enjoy the beaches at then end of your hike, they're beautiful and some are really in the wild.

The beauty of this hike is carved in my memory.

>>1051066
The GR is actually on that pic brother. It's green. It even says MMM next to the blue one.

Anyone have any info on climbing Monte Cinto (highest mountain of the island)?

I'm leaving for Corsica next tuesday to go hike the northern section of the GR20, and I'm still wondering whether or not to take a detour from the main trail to go climb it. Sadly my itinerary is quite strict, so I can't spend an extra day on it. I'd have to do it on the same day that I'd hike from Haut Asco to the Refuge Tighjettu. Anyone know if this is possible?

>>1053491
I'm >>1051075
I actually climbed Monte Cinto on the same day I finished a main trail stage. But not the same as you described.

I did Carrozzu(8am)-->Asco(11:30am) then I left my pack in Asco's refuge and went light to Monte Cinto. I left a bit late, I think 2pm and got back around 9pm but I really was taking my time desu.

It is pretty nice that way because it is a quite short stage and there is less to see in that one than in the next (where there is the cirque de la solitude). Either way it is entirely possible if you're a tad bit trained and if you're an early enough bird)

I did it late in the year, there was no one around and snow on top, it was a bit difficult to spot the markers of the path. One piece of advice (if it is still the same path as in 2013), in the last stage of the climb, do not follow the red circles markers (the ones that indicates the peak from the beginning) but follow the cairns (small piles of rock that indicates a path) it will be better for you. But this time of year, it should be full of people so you should be "fine".

>>1053969
What I call the last stage of the climb is from the last pretty lake onward.

>>1053969
Mate thanks a bunch for your writeup! Doing the climb at the end of a main trail stage seems pretty logical actually.

Is the hike from Carrozzu to Asco really only 3.5 hours though? Some other sources i've found list somewhere between 4,5 and 6 hours.

Anyhow thanks a bunch for the info! It's good to be aware of all the options. I guess I'll have to see how the first days treat me, and make a decision based on that.

Just wondering by the way, did you take an iceaxe with you?

>>1054429
From what I remember, Carrozzu to Asco is just one ascent, a bit of walk on the ridge and one descent. It's pretty steep but not very long. I remember to have walked quite fast that morning as I did this stage with an Estonian ultra-marathon runner that I met the evening before who was doubling or tripling stages, I don't really remember. But we were far from running and we took some nice breaks.
Anyway, this stage is 750m + and 640m -. It really isn't that big. I don't know your condition but if you're somewhat physically able and not too heavily loaded you should be able to do it easily in less than 4.5 hours. I hope so for you if you wish to add the Monte Cinto ascent on top of one of your stage.
I actually hesitated on taking an ice axe with me to this GR but after consulting the local weather office I decided not to, the only icy peak was the highest of Corsica. But to be very honest this icy solo ascent of the Monte Cinto was one of the scariest walk I ever did (there was snow, ice under it and it was windy and stormy). And I mountaineered, climbed glaciers, winterhiked after that. I didn't have the proper equipment nor the experience nor the proper weather conditions to do it but i still did.
You shouldn't have too many problems though, there isn't going to be any ice (forget the ice axe right now), Corsican mountains are unforgiving but that you should already know and as I said before there is very probably be people around you so you won't get lost.

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>>1054429
I'll advise you on one more thing.
In the main trail stage from Tighjettu to Ciottulu di i Mori, leave early from the former and climb Paglia Orba the same day. It is a pretty short but difficult climb so leave your pack at the refuge but it's really fucking beautiful. It is (or was in 2013) a cairned paths first to the "Col des Maures" then still cairned to the peak Paglia Orba.

I really hope for you the trail is not going to be crowded with people. In any case, godspeed anon!

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threads like this is why /out/ is the best forum on 4chan.

i almost went last September but as has been previously mentioned, Corsica is really expensive to get to! did the much more chill via di san francesco instead.

>>1050535
I'm a native French speaker and it didn't help me. Never ask a Corsican for directions they will troll you. I asked an old guy with a cane that I crossed on a country road how far the village was and he told me 20 Minutes away. I found the village 2 hours later. There was no fork in the road where this guy could have been coming from. This happened to me many times. I met other travellers and they said the same thing happened to them.