In 2015, the standard price for a bed in the PNRC refuges was €14 per person, or €11 for two people in a hire tent, or €7 per person to camp near the refuges. Evening meals were around €13 to €20 and breakfasts €8. Private bergeries often match the refuge prices for camping and meals, but may be a little cheaper, or more expensive. Expect a demi pension rate in a gîte d’étape to be around €50 per person, while demi pension in a hotel could cost over €100 per person.
Using this guide
This book contains all the information needed to follow the GR20. The classic route from north to south is described from start to finish in 16 stages, and full details of high- and low-level alternative routes are given, as well as route descriptions for the ascent of nearby prominent peaks. It is therefore possible to pick and choose which sections to complete, and to compare and contrast any alternatives that are presented. You will probably use only half of the book, but you will have access to all of the options.
Information on the route is given near the start of the route description. Distances are given in kilometres and miles, but for the most part these are irrelevant. What really counts is the nature of the terrain, the gradients on the ascents and descents, the conditions underfoot, and the amount of time it takes to cover each part. The total ascent and descent for each stage is presented in metres and feet. Route profiles show altitude on the vertical axis at 500m intervals and distance on the horizontal axis at 1km intervals. Conditions underfoot are noted in the actual route descriptions. The main features on the sketch maps are shown in bold type in the route descriptions, making it easier to monitor progress along the route.
Most trekkers measure their progress simply by time, and timings for various stages of the GR20 have been promoted so often that they might as well be carved in stone. In some instances, they are at least carved in wood on signs! As most trekkers are using the same times, they are given in more or less the same form in this book, in the route descriptions and in the summary tables in Appendices A and B. Use these timings as a basic guide.
Those who complete stages a little faster in the first couple of days are likely to complete all further stages faster. Trekkers who are a long way behind the given times should work out by how much, then apply that to their onward progress. Note that the times are walking times, and take no account whatsoever of breaks for lunch, rests or taking pictures. Over roughly two weeks most trekkers will cover a distance of about 200km (125 miles) and climb some 12,500m (41,000ft) in total.
The GR20 is a slow and often difficult trek, but one where the scenery is so magnificent that you wouldn’t wish to be anywhere else. The best advice is to take it steadily. Don’t rush the route or over-exert yourself. Aim to enjoy the experience and give the trek as long as it needs for a successful completion. The two tables in Appendix A and Appendix B will help you set your own pace, knowing where food and services are available along the route, whether you are trekking from Calenzana to Conca or Conca to Calenzana.
The French Foreign Legion, which is based in Corsica, generally takes a week to complete the GR20. The record for covering the distance non-stop is currently 32 hours, set in July 2014 by Guillaume Peretti.
ADVICE IN A NUTSHELL
Don’t start too early or too late in the year.
Make sure you are fit and well prepared.
Keep your pack weight as low as possible.
Be sure to carry enough food and water.
Walk slowly and steadily with care.
Be aware of your options each day.
Obtain a weather forecast each day.
Consider using two trekking poles.
Use a high-factor sunscreen and wear a hat.
Learn at least a few words of French.
and remember...
It is a tough trek but not a rock climb.
The mountain refuges are always open.
The refuges have well-equipped kitchens.
Refuges must be pre-booked – www.parc-corse.org.
Facilities outside the peak season are scarce.
Snow can lie well into June and even July.
Mobile phones only rarely get a good signal.
Waymarking is usually very good.
Many other trekkers are going your way.
English is not widely spoken in Corsica.
Plants and wildlife on Corsica
Corsica is like most other long-established islands – it has a flora and fauna with a wealth of unique sub-species. It is unrealistic to think that you can trek the GR20 and also study the range of flora and fauna in any depth, but it is also amazing just how many things will gain your attention along the way. Be ready for surprises, such as finding a long line of pine processionary caterpillars shuffling through the forest.
Maquis
The tangled maquis vegetation for which Corsica is renowned looks colourful and smells wonderful – a heady mix of perfume and herby aromas. The classic maquis species will be seen very little, however, because the route rises so quickly into the mountains and stays there for so long. The mountain scrub is largely composed of calycotome, or spiny broom, and a ground-hugging form of juniper – they are both as prickly as gorse. Bushy growths of alder are also present, indicating a little more moisture in the ground.
Trees
Tree cover in mountain valleys is dominated by tall, straight laricio pines, maritime pines, birch and beech. There are a few localised patches of holm oak, mountain ash, sycamore and arbutus. While chestnuts may be one of the most important trees in Corsica, very few of them are seen in the mountains, but they are usually found by moving off-route to villages. Some areas of forest have been devastated in recent years by forest fires.
Spiny broom, or calycotome, is a very common plant in the scrub cover on the high mountains
An uncommon wild olive tree might be spotted, while cultivated olives are seen at Calenzana and Conca
Flowers
On the higher mountains there are interesting communities of plants. Violets and thyme can be abundant, and Alpine species include saxifrages and Alpine avens. As the snow melts in early summer, look out for delightful Corsican crocuses. Colourful orchids, big clumps of euphorbia and poisonous hellebores are also found. Corsican aconites grow only on the Plateau du Cuscione, alongside streams draining the closely cropped grasslands. Look out for curious parasitic plants. Mistletoe often thrives on laricio pines, while dense mats of dodder spread over spiny broom.
The arbutus, or strawberry tree, is found in the lower valleys off-route and bears red fruit in the autumn
Wildlife
Wild animals are