Will do. and once again, thank you so much for all the help, i hope it will be as great as i expect it to be. Guy
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My wife and I would like to do GR20 at the beginning of May. Altogether, we have reserved a 4-week period for our Corsica holiday. Do you recommend to do the trek from S to N or vice versa?
We arrive in Bastia. How do we get to the trail head without the need to hire a car?
Is there some kind of public transport to the trailhead?
Probably it's a good idea to have one overnight there, so we could start the trail in the early morning.
In May the "refuges" are open, but obviously you can't buy anything to eat/drink there. How can we possibly carry around food and water for 15 days??? Plus sleeping bags, ice axe, crampons etc.?
We might consider buying crampons (or can you hire them there?), but an ice-axe would again add weight.
We thought the "refuges" had some kind of heating (log-fire, gas-oven etc.). That way we would not need heavy sleeping-bags. So, would it be ok to take only warm clothes and maybe a thin blanket?
We only plan to take one large rucksack, camera-rucksack and one daypack.
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 Starting the GR20 at the beginning of May will require ice axe and crampons. Best to take your own, as I don't know of anyone hiring them on the island. South to North - North to South - entirely your choice. Both approaches have pros and cons. There are buses that will get you close to the GR20, but you might need a taxi to cover the last bit. Check your options on Corsicabus. Get the latest timetables for any buses (and trains) running across or near the route. You never know when you might need them, and if you have the information in your pocket, then you know what's available. Nope, you own't be able to buy anything to eat or drink in the refuges in May. The buildings will be open, but there won't be any staff or any supplies until, at best, the end of May. You won't need to carry ANY water, as there will be plenty on the mountains at that time of year. Any internal water supplies at the refuges will be disconnected, so you will have to find the nearest stream for water. You won't need to carry 15 days of food either, since you'll be able to get something at the hotels at Haut Asco and Col di Verghio, and at the village of Vizzavona. There is no heating at the refuges, so you'll be relying on your sleeping bags for warmth. I've used a couple of those refuges in winter, on my own, and they get VERY cold. Best of luck!
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 To jump on this....
Map buying; in the guide book it recommends the Top25 maps, but the whole route is on 6 sheets. I cannot find the Didier-Richards but have located Libris maps at 1:60,000 (http://www.cordee.co.uk/CMF601.php). Has anyone used them?
My girlfriend and I are going early September, working out the best way to get to Corsica is a bit of nightmare, without staying a night somewhere. If only the ferries left Nice to Calvi late morning!
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Well... regarding maps... no matter whether you buy the Top25, Top50, or Didier-Richards, you'll find the contours are all squashed together and then have lots of rock scribbled on top of them, so that the net result is something that's almost impossible to interpret. In other words... maps so detailed that you can hardly use them! Good job the waymarking is pretty foolproof!
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Thanks for that!
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Get an overnight ferry from Marseilles to Ille Rousse. Gives you all day to get to the start.
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I've heard of people walking from Ille Rousse to Calenzana... then Conca to the coast at the other end, so that it's a proper coast-to-coast trek.
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I hitched from Ille Rousse to the Calenzana road junction (not far from the sea) and then walked the rest. I was there by midday.
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| Edited: 12/04/11 19:33 |
 This June we're going: OUT - Liverpool - Nice, Nice to Calvi. RETURN - Figari - Nice, Nice to Leeds. It's a bit expensive but means we only use one day travelling each end and can arrive on a Friday and return on a Monday rather than be tied to the Easyjet direct flights that only go on a Sunday.
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Don't forget to talk to the bloke at the gite in Conca as soon as you finish, and get your name down for his morning transfer to the bus... otherwise you'll be looking at an expensive taxi ride.
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Duncan why not take a train to London Gatwick and go to Bastia/Ajaccio, I am pretty sure two advanced returns is less than amount going from Nice to Corsica. In regards to Sunday flights, I am just going for three working weeks, more relaxed and can do some off walks (and climb Mt Cinto)
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A friend and I are flying to Bastia on Sept 18th and hiring a car to get to Calvi. Then taxi to Calenzana....anyone out there fancy sharing the car & taxi with us?
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