I guess both are OK, but I wouldn't like to have to cross the Cirque de la Solitude against the current (that is, from south to north), especially not during the peak season - most people walk from north to south, and you'd be stuck in traffic jams a lot in the Cirque walking in the opposite direction. I guess the same is true for many other scramble parts. Also, if you like to interact with people, I'd reccomend walking from north to south, as most do it that way.
I did it Sth-Nth - that way you tend to meet a group of people about halfway through the stage and are then alone again(ish).....I go for 'mild' interaction
I was not stuck in any jam on the Cirque...but then again I did not use the chains and climbed up besides them.
Thank you for the replies....I think S-N is the easier way to go for me...though I wont decide until I get to Porto Vecchio I am not big on making plans in advance.
I walk alone anyway, you make plenty of friends in refuges /bars etc after a few beers
I only did the northern part, so I'm not sure how the southern is, but according to what I've read and heard, it's a bit easier. So you might want to consider if you want to leave the most difficult stages for the last days, when your body is tired.
Walking S-N will however save you from descending on scree on the second stage of the N-S route, by far the worst experience I had on GR20! Probably easier to tackle this part walking up...
I've walked the whole route in both directions... and both have their pros and cons. If you walk N-S, you'll almost certainly walk several days with the same people, which is fine if you want a sociable walk. Walking S-N, as has already been mentioned, you just keep meeting total strangers for a couple of hours in the middle of each day. Walking southwards means squinting into the sun. Walking northwards means that things look more colourful. Then again, nothing to stop you turning round to make the most of the views, whichever way you walk! Starting at the southern end means that you build up more gradually to the tougher northern parts, but on the other hand, it means climbing Monte Alcudina on its steep side. The bonus with heading northwards is the relatively easy descent to Calenzana, feeling a twinge of pity for the sorry sights you see on the lower slopes, where people have clearly over-estimated their abilities and are paying dearly for it!
Don't want to sound a sour note but spoke with somebody in the Pyrenees last week who'd done the GR20. He had some negative stories about the refuges. Poor food/conditions/guardian attitudes. Maybe he was just unlucky.
Unlucky might be the word here, but I'd rather say the person was expecting someting GR20 is not! I did a part of GR10 in Pyrenees this year, and its pure luxury compared to GR20. So if the person expected the same, then it's his own fault. The Gr20 is very basic, but that's part of its charm! You don't get to sleep at hotels or refuges with beds and hot water, as you do in Pyrenees, but you're supposed to be prepared for it and don't complain! And how gourmet the food can be if it has to be carried for hours up the mountain? Still, I myselelf liked the food, and the basic atosphere of the Gites d'Etape!
Phil - 'Basic' is 'standard' on the GR20. Always has been and always will be. When I first walked the route, you had to carry all your food with you. At least now you can get it at the refuges. So you have a choice... pay over the odds for a basic meal in a basic hut... or carry ALL your food ALL the way. I've seen deliveries being made to the huts by helicopter and on mules... and it ain't easy... and it ain't cheap. First time I saw a helicopter dropping off supplies, the helicopter crashed, killing the pilot and one of the national park staff. So, the price of basic commodities up there sometimes comes at a VERY high price.
