No problem Duncan Do. I got lots of help from forums like this, so I am happy to recipricate.
You wouldn't be able to buy them along the way. We took them out with us. There is this Scandanavian make that does these delicious packs with strawberries (I'll try to remember the make). We found one pack split between us.
Remember you're not actually in refuges every night. You spend a few nights in gites or hotels where breakfast is provided as part of the demi-pension rate (see my blog if you're not clear about the difference between a refuge and gite). So you'd only need about 5 of these packs. We had the odd morning just eating dried meat/chocolate etc, but that was fine.
Your travel plans sound fine. Your taxi could cost Euro60. I say this only because you need to carry A LOT of cash (no machines til the end!) so you will burn through quite a bit just getting to the walk!
Btw, do bear in mind you now have to book all refuge nights on the Parc website. You get contradictory messages about this but, based on my Sept experience, you definitely need to.
You'll have a great time - best of luck. Some answers below......
1. Do you need your own plate, mug and cutlery if eating in the refuges? If you're actually paying for the hut's paid food (which is expensive!) then, yes, you'll be provided with cutlery when you sit down to eat. However I'd still recommend carrying it (titanium pan instead of plate). You might decide you want to cook for yourself occasionally (in which case you do need these), or even just prepare some soup for yourself when you first arrive at a hut.....yes, there'll be some bits provided for this but, with your own, you won't have to be waiting for other people.
2. Is there food available to buy from the refuges to make up a lunch for each day or do you have to carry more than one day's worth in some sections? Basically 'yes' you can get what you want rom refuges. With the combination of what you can buy in huts, and what you pick up at the odd shop etc, you'll be fine. However we always carried a little bit more than we needed for the day (ie buy a big sausage, when a medium one would have done) just to give us that 'buffer'. We also carried some extra energy bars and chocolate.....basically so if we hadn't found anything one day, we would have been fine. You'll find yourself finishing at 2ish most days so actually, having lunch isn't as big a deal as you might think.
3. What do the breakfasts generally consist of? Not much! A bit of dry bread, a bit of fruit....maybe a small bar. One of the best things we did was carry some packets of dry porridge for breakfast rather than rely on the huts. This worked really well and, combined with about a litre of tea, set us up for the day.
4. Does it get cold in the refuges at night? We were surprised how cold it got but we were there in September. Going again, I'd have carried something like a lightweight softshell or a Primaloft top. As soon as the sun had dropped, it was cold. Otherwise, see my kit here: http://gr20andotherwalks.blogspot.com/p/gear-list.html Light is good !!
5. Do you know if you can take hiking poles on a plane in your hand luggage? No, you won't be able to. We wrapped ours in duck tape and checked them in.
Cannot help with your last two points, though definitely don't carry a GPS out of necessity. The track is so well marked, you definitely don't need it. I didn't see anyone using them. Glad you've sorted travel though, when you say "Both legs are doable in a single day's travel", I'm guessing you giving yourself another day to get to and from the beginning/start of the walk?
Have fun! Feel free to email about anything else: ygarnygarn@gmail.com
Many thanks for your comments, and for taking the Blog in the spirit it was intended. I was trying to provoke discussion as it seems to me that issues such as 'should a major overhaul of the refuges take place' etc are worthy of more discussion. The taxi cartel is an example. I am certainly not asking for high-speed rail all over the island. But the Corsican authorities do need to hear of the consequences of handing so much power to their taxi drivers, to the detriment of buses and trains.
Re-reading my Blog in light of your comments, I can see I made some points a little too strongly (!) - perhaps a result of a late night rush to publish! I'll probably be editing a bit in retrospect. Certainly, I would like to stress that your book was not only very useful, but also an illuminating guide.
Paddy - you'll see that I have put a link to this thread on my blog, as it is only fair that readers should also see your response.
Pedro - your reading is, indeed, 'magnifico'! Some edits to Conca/Corte coming up!
One final comment: I also speak pretty good French, and used it throughout when speaking to the locals (I also appreciate the importance of doing this). I even have a friendly face, so nothing really to inspire the ire of the locals!
I have not tried to chart my day-to-day GR20 in great detail. Many others have done this better than me.
But I have tried to raise some points about some big issues on the GR20. How about rude guardians, out-of-condition refuges, terrible public transport, the booking systems and the seeming ambivalence of the Corsicans toward the walk and its walkers, for starters!
I am not trying to be negative - I really enjoyed the walk - but I was extremely frustrated by how much better the walk could have been. If we just turn up on the GR20, and except the way it is run, we can never improve conditions for future walkers.
I have even tried to suggest that Paddy Dillon - is he reading! - starts to take a stronger stance in his book regarding some of the GR20's deteriating aspects.
Do let me know what you think - maybe we can get a campaign going!
I have created a GR20 Blog, with a bit of difference: http://gr20andotherwalks.blogspot.com/
I have not tried to chart my day-to-day GR20 in great detail. Many others have done this better than me.
But I have tried to raise some points about some big issues on the GR20. How about rude guardians, out-of-condition refuges, terrible public transport, the booking systems and the seeming ambivalence of the Corsicans toward the walk and its walkers, for starters!
I am not trying to be negative - I really enjoyed the walk - but I was extremely frustrated by how much better the walk could have been. If we just turn up on the GR20, and except the way it is run, we can never improve conditions for future walkers.
I have even tried to suggest that Paddy Dillon - is he reading! - starts to take a stronger stance in his book regarding some of the GR20's deteriating aspects.
Do let me know what you think - maybe we can get a campaign going!
YGarn
