Rucksack – should be big enough to carry everything, and no more, and of course it should be comfortable
Sleeping bag – a lightweight one is sufficient, as it will never get too cold in the summer months, and one is needed even if staying in refuges
Tent – a lightweight one; it may not be used all the time and the weather in summer is often good
Survival bag – just in case it is needed, and maybe for a bit of protection underneath your tent
Sleeping mat – campsites are usually hard and stony, so use something like a Therm-a-rest mattress
Water carrier – with a capacity of at least two litres, and preferably with a drinking hose
Headtorch – there are plenty of tiny, high-power torches to choose from, and take a spare battery
Wash kit – toothbrush, soap, towel, toilet paper, etc., and maybe a biodegradable travel wash for clothes
First aid kit – a compact one for the usual cuts, sprains, blisters, burns, breaks, stings, pains, etc
Money – take enough cash for the duration, as further supplies are only available off-route. Refuges don’t usually take credit cards
Maps – IGN maps of a scale and quality to see clearly what is happening along the route and off-route
Ice axe and crampons – essential items if there is any chance of snow or ice cover early or late in the season.
NON-ESSENTIALS
Camera – for recording the sights and experiences of this remarkable journey, but keep it lightweight
Stove and cookset – to cook outside refuges, but fuel may not always be available along the way
Mobile phone – may be unusable for much of the time, and recharging opportunities are limited
GPS – sometimes fail to pick up good signals, and recharging opportunities at refuges are limited
Sunglasses – can be very useful in blazing sunshine, but are ultimately a matter of personal preference
Trekking poles – can be very useful, especially a pair of them, but are a matter of personal preference
Shoes/sandals – for comfort while strolling around in the evenings after completing each day’s trek
Slippers or flip flops – for use inside refuges, where outdoor footwear is banned
Rope – only for the really insecure on the rocky parts, or if there is any chance of extensive snow cover
Books – either field guides to Mediterranean flora and fauna, or the latest novel choice for the evenings.
Services along the route
Some say that the GR20 starts in Calenzana, passes through Vizzavona at the halfway stage, and ends in Conca. That is an over-simplification, and in fact a good half-dozen villages lie only two or three hours off the GR20. There are some good lodgings that lie even closer to the route, so don’t imagine that the GR20 involves a complete commitment to a mountainous environment for a week at a time.
People looking for comfort should bear in mind that basic is standard along the main route, and camping spaces tend to be hard and dusty, with limited facilities. Anything above basic is the exception. There are a few gîtes d’étape, which are similar to hostels, and even fewer hotels on or near the route.
See Appendix C for a stage-by-stage accommodation list.
Refuges
For trekkers staying strictly on the classic GR20, most services revolve around mountain refuges situated at intervals along the way. These are provided by the Parc Natural Régional de Corse (PNRC), and are open throughout the year, but are only staffed by a gardien and stocked with food between June and September. Basic mixed-sex bunk accommodation and foam mattresses are provided, but you must bring your own sleeping bag as no covers of any sort are supplied. Electric lights are usually operated by solar-charged batteries. There is a kitchen/dining room with tables, pots and pans, knives and forks, crockery and gas cookers. Take slippers or flip flops for use inside the refuges as boots cannot be worn.
Inside the Refuge de Tighjettu (Stage 4), which is one of the more spacious refuges provided by the PNRC.
There is always a water supply, either inside or outside the building. Toilets and showers may be primitive and there will often be queues. Showers are solar-heated, but often run cold, while the toilets are sometimes the squat-type and occasionally out of use. You may need to provide your own toilet paper.
All the refuges provide at least a basic hot meal and stock basic supplies of food and drinks, but the choice varies from place to place. Those who will eat anything will not need to carry any food supplies beyond a snack for lunch. Although it is possible to trek the whole of the GR20 and stay indoors every night, bear in mind that beds at the PNRC refuges must be reserved and paid for in advance online, www.parc-corse.org. Anyone trekking without making bookings will be unlikely to find any beds available. Note that the site is in French and bookings are confirmed only when full payment is made. Print confirmations and present them on arrival at each refuge in turn. Tents may also be hired and paid for in advance. It is possible, but not essential, to book and pay for camping spaces in advance, if you are carrying a tent. Of course, advance booking ties trekkers to a fixed schedule, which can prove awkward if anything forces overnights to be re-arranged en route. The refuges hold between 16 and 48 people, but as many as 300 may descend on them in the peak season!
Refuges are non-smoking and dogs are not allowed indoors. Quiet is maintained from 2200 and trekkers are asked to vacate the buildings before 0900. However, some trekkers like to go to bed early and rise as early as 0300! Carry a tent and sleeping bag as back-up, and packing a stove and pans avoids queues in the refuge kitchens.
To stay in a refuge, present your booking confirmation to the gardien. If you want to camp, but haven’t made a booking, explain this on arrival. If there is space free in the refuge, or in a hire tent, then it is possible to pay on the spot. If you are given a ticket for camping, or a label to fix to your tent, don’t lose these or you may be asked to pay again. Evening meals should be ordered on arrival, and breakfast generally needs to be ordered the night before. Snack meals and drinks are usually sold throughout the day, and food items can also be purchased from whatever stock is held on the premises.
Bergeries
Apart from the refuges, there are also privately owned bergeries along the way. These are working summer farms and some of them allow camping alongside, or provide hire tents. They also supply anything from basic food and drink to complete meals to passing trekkers. Some bergeries operate small cafés or bar restaurants. Camping and eating at these places costs roughly the same as at the refuges.
Simple summer farms, or bergeries, may sell food and drink to walkers, or allow overnight camping nearby (Stage 6)
Camping
For those carrying a tent, camping is available near all the refuges and some of the bergeries, gîtes and hotels, but only very rarely in other places. It is generally forbidden to camp wild throughout the Parc Natural Régional de Corse (PNRC), no matter how tempting a site might look. Bear in mind that the ground reserved for camping is usually bare, hard, stony and dusty, so pack a sleeping mattress, such as a Therm-a-Rest or similar, and something to protect the groundsheet of your tent. Those who camp near the refuges have access to the toilets, showers and outside