The GR20 Corsica. Paddy Dillon

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      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

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 is king on the GR20, so be sure to have plenty of euros when you start the trek. Mountain refuges and bergeries along the way will only accept cash for accommodation, food and drink. In fact, they must accumulate countless thousands of euros between them each summer! Hotels may take credit cards, but payment by that method is only possible two or three times. There are no banks along the GR20, and money is available only by moving off-route to one of the larger towns.

      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 СКАЧАТЬ