The GR20 North
Finally, try the experience of the GR20 North, the most mineral part of the GR20, over 7 days!
Welcome on Saturday at 2pm at Ajaccio airport.
End of the course on Saturday and return to Ajaccio around 9 a.m.
The northern slope of the GR20 promises an unforgettable experience to any experienced hiker, both for the splendor of its landscapes and for the sporting challenge it represents. Indeed, it is the most difficult hiking trail in Europe. This very mineral route will take us in particular to cross, by the highest passes, the massifs of Monte d’Oru, Rotondu, Paglia Orba or Cintu, the highest peaks of Corsica.
Due to its diversity, the GR20 North will also take you through magnificent beech forests, Larici pine forests and on high-altitude plateaus where you can discover the famous pozzines and the no less essential Lake Nino. It is also known for its wild horses in freedom and its exceptional scenery.
GR20 North Itinerary
Saturday: Welcome and transfer to the base camp in Bocognano
Welcome at Ajaccio airport at around 2 p.m. and 45-minute transfer to Bocognano village. Check-in and baggage inspection.
Sunday: Tattone – Petra Piana – 1842m
Elevation gain: +1122m
Short transfer by the Corsican narrow-gauge train to the village of Tattone, where we will start the hike. Then, after passing the village of Canaglia, we will reach the Tolla suspension bridge and its eponymous sheepfolds, before starting the ascent through a magnificent pine forest along the Manganellu stream. Finally, we will enjoy a picnic break on the edge of clear basins. The rest of the ascent, steeper and more mineral, will take us to a small high-altitude plateau where the Petra Piana refuge is located at 1842 meters.
7 hours of walking, dinner at the refuge and overnight stay in a tent.
Monday: Petra Piana – Manganu – 1601m
Elevation gain: +700m / -950m
This stage, one of the most mineral on the GR20, will begin with the ascent of Bocca Muzella at 2,206m, which opens the panorama onto a magnificent glacial cirque where several lakes nestle. This itinery at more than 2000 m of altitude will take us to overlook in turn the lakes of Renosu, Melo and finally Capitellu. After a few technical passages (including chains and handrails), we will take the Capitellu pass at 2225m to reach the Manganu refuge at 1601m.
7 hours of walking. Dinner at the refuge and overnight stay in a tent at the refuge.
Tuesday: Manganu – Castel Di Verghio – 1403m
Elevation gain: +250m / -500m
This day will begin with the crossing of the high plateau of Camputile before reaching the banks of the Tavignanu river to its source, i.e. the famous Lake Ninu and its pozzines with a thousand water holes. We will finally picnic in this magical setting. A short climb to reach Bocca A Reta at 1883m, then a descent into the beech forest to the Col San Petru before dropping into the dark forest of Valle Di Nielu to take a balcony trail to the Castel Di Vergio guesthouse.
5h30 of walking. Dinner and overnight stay at the guesthouse.
Wednesday: Castel Di Verghio – Vallone – 1422m
Elevation gain: +708m / -433m
After a quick visit to the Radule sheepfolds, we will then climb the Golo river along a good mule track to its source to reach the Ciutulu Di I Mori refuge, the highest refuge in Corsica located at 1991m. We will skirt the top of the Paglia Orba (2525m) by Bocca Foggiale before descending the valley that takes us to the Vallone sheepfolds.
5h30 of walking. Farm dinner and overnight stay in a tent.
Thursday Vallone – Ascu – 1423m
Elevation gain: +1200m/-1200m
Option Monte Cinto: +1350m / -1350m
Certainly the longest and most technical day of the stay. We will thus climb the Tighjetu valley to Bocca Crucceta at 2456m, then start a short crossing above the emerald-colored Lake Cinto, to reach the Pointe des Eboulis at 2607m. From this breathtaking view of the Cap Corse, Calvi and all the peaks of the South, the ascent of Monte Cinto, the roof of Corsica, culminating at 2706m, is offered as an option. The descent, long and challenging, will pass by the small Lake Argentu before opening onto the plateau of Bocca Borba. It will then remain to cross a few technical passages (handrails) to reach the Tighjettu stream, and enjoy a well-deserved break, with your feet in the water, before arriving at the Haut Ascu guesthouse at 1423m.
8 hours of walking. Dinner and overnight stay at the guesthouse.
Friday: Ascu – Bocognano
Elevation gain: +590m / -590m
For those who wish, we will certainly go on a beautiful round trip hike from the Ascu guesthouse. Then, we will climb to 2000m at Bocca Di Stagnu to reach the Culaghia ridge, the original route of the GR20. After a short descent through a mineral corridor, we will rejoin the bottom of the Stranciacone valley to complete the loop and return to the guesthouse. In the early afternoon, we will finally take the bus to the Ponte Leccia station.
Drop off to Ajaccio at the end of the day. End of the stay.
Important: This program is provided for information purposes only and may be subject to changes or adjustments depending on the weather conditions.
From
834 €
per person
or call-us at:
04 95 25 91 19
The price includes:
Local transfers, accommodation, meals, supervision, technical equipment necessary for the activity (see list of personal equipment and loaned equipment) from the meeting time on the first day at the Ajaccio airport until the scheduled departure time on the last day.
The price does not include:
Drinks and personal expenses, toiletries, personal insurance, and any other supplement not included in the program.
Gear to bring :
Included gear :
Gear provided : tent and mattress. These gear are previously put on each place you will sleep, meaning you won’t have to carry it.
Non included gear :
Please note that the temperature might be low at altitude and there might be some wind. In this way, take warm clothes with you. We are able to store some of your stuff at our camp base, please make sure you have an extra bag to this end.
Mandatory gear to have :
- 50L hiking bag with a fitting rain cover
- midcut hiking shoes (that cover the ankle, some you already walked with)
- sleeping bag 5°C confort (the nights are chilly even during summer time)
- 2 or 3 outfits (hiking pants, shorts and shirts)
- thermal baselayer with long sleeves
- midcalf hiking socks
- Gore-tex jacket
- Cap or hat, sunglasses
- Gloves, beanie and neckwarmer
For the evenings :
- sandal
- Comfortable pants
- woolly socks
- Fleece jacket
- Down jacket
- Warm baselayer
Other gear :
- microfiber towel
- toiletry bag (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, earplug, toilet paper)
- Swimsuit
- headlamp with its charger
- collapsible walking pole
- 2 flasks of 1.5L of water (meaning 3L in total) or a Camelback
- hermetic plastic bag to partition your gear
- kitchen kit (hermetic lunchbox such as “Tupperware” of 0.8L, cutlery, tumbler)
- a tube of strong glue
- 2 bin bags of 50L
- washing line and pegs
- adaptor with 3 outputs (classic or USB)
- dried fruits, cereal bars….
First-aid kit, recommended content :
- sunscreen for both skin and lips
- personal medicine if you are subject to specific disorders (allergies and so on)
- necessities to avoid and treat blisters (dressings such as “Compeed”, cream Nok)
- necessities to relieve ankle and knees problems (strips such as “Elasto”)
- necessities to clean an insignificant wound (soaked compress)
- Necessities to relieve intestinal discomforts due to a change in your diet (probiotics, Smecta, Imodium, Tiorfan)
- Necessities to relieve headache and sore muscles (mineral salt or electrolytes for example)
- Necessities to relieve the stings
- Necessities to relieve the seasickness
- thick survival blanket (mandatory)
Please seek advice from your doctor and from your pharmacist. Please note that you will have to carry your first-aid kit with you, in this way do only bring what is strictly necessary.
Accommodation
In tents in the refuges, sheepfolds and gites. If you use one of our duvets, it is mandatory to plan a sleeping bag sheet.
Catering
Breakfast and dinner at the refuges, gites and sheepfolds. Lunched prepared by the employes of the refuges.
The price does not include grocery items such as cereal bars, dried fruits, etc.
Guidance
Each hiking trip is led by a state-certified guide who is a specialist in hiking. With knowledge of the terrain and the environment, but also mastery of safety and logistics, he will do everything in his power to ensure that you fully enjoy your stay.
Carry
Between 8 and 12 kg. On average 8kg for the Gr20 North. Carrying personal belongings for 7 days and 6 nights, but also for the lunch picnic.
Technical level of the GR20 North: Level 3
The route may have technical or airy passages, including scree passages or snowfields. The nature of the terrain, the level of intensity and the altitude make it necessary to have experience of mountain hiking in order to fully enjoy this circuit.
Attention: you are not about to forget the magnificent and magical landscapes of the Corsican mountains, but they do not make it any less difficult, or even disconcerting for hikers used to the Alps and the Pyrenees. This raid is indeed difficult. The intensity of the program is strong and a good physical condition is therefore necessary.
Evaluation: you practice a sport twice a week and you will be able to maintain a good endurance at a regular pace, such as running 5km in less than 30 minutes while talking.
5h30 to 8h30 of walking per day. Long technical stages and possible airy passages on the GR20 North Several stages with more than 1200m of positive or negative elevation gain. Good walking pace. It is therefore necessary to have a mountaineering foot, that is to say not only a certain agility and ease off-trail, on ridge passages, but also on rock blocks chaos, maquis and scree.
For the success of the stay, so that everyone can fully enjoy it as well as for safety reasons, it is necessary that you have the required levels. . If this is not the case, our instructor may refuse you to follow the program. It may not be possible to offer you a replacement program and we will not be able to refund your stay.
This raid is aimed at a mountain audience, so do not overestimate your risks of ruining your holidays.
Access
The meeting is at 2:00 pm at Ajaccio Airport. A single shuttle is thus set up for departure. The means of access to Corsica:
→ By boat:
From Marseille: Corsica Linea www.corsicalinea.com
From Toulon, Nice, Savona and Livorno: www.corsicaferries.com
→ By plane:
Air lines from the main cities of the continent to Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari.
Practical information:
The bus station is located in front of the docks in the port area, it is a large glass building.
There is also a bus line that serves the journey between the station and Ajaccio airport. It is line number 8, the ticket price is around €7. The journey takes about 20 minutes. A bus every 30 to 40 minutes.