Luxury lodgings
There are a few hotels and gîtes d’étape on or near the GR20. Trekkers can indulge themselves at these places, enjoying comfortable rooms and hot showers, and eating in restaurants or dining rooms. It is possible to phone ahead and book accommodation at most of these places, and telephone numbers are given throughout this guidebook.
Village life
Detours off-route for accommodation, food and drink in nearby villages are heartily recommended, as the course of the GR20 allows little interaction with native Corsicans. Information is provided about spurs and loops taking in a handful of fine little villages, listing their facilities and transport links.
Back-up
For those wanting vehicle back-up for their trek, road access is possible at the start, finish, and at seven points in between: Calenzana, Ascu Stagnu, Hôtel Castel di Vergio, Vizzavona, Bergeries d’ E Capanelle, Bocca di Verdi, Bassetta/Matalza, Village de Bavella and Conca. The back-up driver would need to find some other occupation for the days between supplying trekkers’ needs, but there is plenty of interest around Corsica.
Food, drink and fuel
The amount of food and drink, and what sort of supplies to carry, is entirely a matter of personal preference. Food and drink are available at every refuge along the way, but only when they are staffed from June to September. Most of the bergeries, as well as gîtes and hotels also stock food and drink, so there is no need to carry anything apart from a packed lunch and emergency rations each day. You can see where the next food is available along the route, whichever direction you choose to trek it, by consulting the tables in Appendix A and Appendix B.
Those who will eat anything, and who don’t mind paying over the odds for food that has been carried on horseback to the refuges, or dropped from helicopters, can travel extremely lightweight. Fussy feeders, or those with special dietary requirements, may not find much to their taste, and may find appropriate supplies rather limited in some places. Fresh food is a rarity at remote refuges, and it will never be haut cuisine, although more imaginative meals may be obtained by moving off-route to a nearby village.
Always be aware of where your next water source is located, and guard against dehydration at all times.
When cooked meals are available, as they are at almost every refuge, bergerie, gîte and hotel, be sure to order one as soon as possible. If breakfast is required, order it the night before, which seems to be essential even if it turns out to be nothing more than bread, jam and coffee. Prepared meals are of course expensive, partly because everything has been carried into the mountains, but if you don’t feel like cooking or washing up, then they are good value. Picnic meals can be bought, or you can buy items to make your own.
Those who wish to carry food supplies should think lightweight, and choose freeze-dried and high-energy foods to keep their pack weight down. When given the chance to obtain more substantial fare, it makes sense to eat heavy foodstuffs on the spot and carry lighter items away. Carrying glass bottles can be dangerous and messy if they break. Drinks in plastic bottles or cans are safer, but the containers need to be disposed of at the refuges. Take careful note of re-supply points along the way. Remember that while supplies can be obtained at frequent intervals along the GR20, there is little or nothing available for long stretches outside the peak summer season.
Those who have special dietary requirements, or suffer from serious food allergies, would be well advised to have someone re-supply them at intervals along the trail, rather than run the risk of finding no suitable food available. Corsican food, or at least that which is generally available in remote refuges, tends to be based around pork products, pasta and cheese, with many foodstuffs containing plenty of sugar, nuts or salt. Packets and tins of food are likely to be unfamiliar brands, which is fine for those who like to experiment and sample new foodstuffs, but a nightmare for others! Vegetarians would struggle to find appropriate food at some points and vegans would struggle even more. Don’t expect the refuge gardiens to provide alternative meals. Even if they do, it will be done with ill humour!
Water is available at all the refuges and bergeries along the route. It is spring water, straight from the mountainside, and considered safe to drink without boiling or treating, unless advised otherwise. Water from streams may be seasonal at best, and may need treating if used by animals or for bathing.
Bottled water is scarce in the mountains, but the two main Corsican brands are St Georges and Zilia. There is a bottled drink called Corsica Cola, for those who like a variation on a theme! Corsican beer, or bièra Corsa, on sale in the mountains includes Pietra, Serena, Torra and even a brand of chestnut beer, or bière chataigne. Wine is sometimes on sale, either from labelled or unlabelled bottles of varying quality.
Fuel can be a problem along the GR20. Those who fly to Corsica will not be allowed to carry fuel, so will need to buy it on arrival. The most common types are alcool à bruler, which is the nearest equivalent to methylated spirits, Camping Gaz and other types of gas canisters. If you are doing your own cooking, you will need a stove that uses alcohol or gas. When places sell out of a particular type of fuel, they may not restock immediately, in which case start asking in advance, so that you aren’t left without fuel when your supply finally runs out. If that happens, it is possible to use the gas stoves outside the refuges, although there may be queues.
Lighting fires is forbidden along the GR20, as signs along the way will remind you.
KEY POINTS ON FOOD SUPPLIES
All the refuges sell meals and food supplies.
Most bergeries, gîtes and hotels sell supplies.
Supplies are very limited outside the summer.
Order cooked meals as soon as you arrive.
Order a prepared breakfast the night before.
Supplies of fuel can be difficult to obtain.
Language
The Collectivité Territoriale de Corse has a distinct language and culture of its own, and a greater control over its affairs than any other region of France. The native island language is Corsican, which has its roots in the Tuscan dialect of Italy. However, French is spoken throughout Corsica and this is the language that visitors will use most. Many Corsicans are also fluent in Italian, but it is best to assume that English is not widely understood by the islanders.
Most placenames on maps and signposts, and in this guidebook, are in fact Corsican words, although often there is a variant French form, and there is a lot of variety in spellings in some locations. Corsicans use words like bocca where the French would use col. Corsicans often use the letter ‘u’ as the last vowel. The Corsican guttural compound ‘ghj’ is entirely unknown in French. These traits make it easier to distinguish between the two languages. (The Corsican name for the GR20, incidentally, is ‘Fra li Monti’, meaning ‘Through the Mountains’.)
No one expects visitors to learn Corsican, but a few words of French are useful. You may start by greeting everyone you meet with a hearty bonjour, only to find out later that none of them speak French! In fact, trekkers from a dozen nationalities or more are likely to be met along the route, and English quickly becomes a common trail language. A knowledge of French, however basic, and a willingness to use the language is a distinct bonus when dealing with local people. While trekking the GR20, only a minimal amount of French is needed, but anyone travelling elsewhere around the island will require a wider vocabulary. See Appendix D for a basic selection of useful words and phrases.
Currency
Cash