The GR20 Corsica. Paddy Dillon

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      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 rarely spotted in the mountains. There are herds of mouflon – wild, long-horned, short-haired sheep that graze on almost inaccessible ledges. Hundreds of them live on the island’s mountains. Wild boar are shy and seldom seen – a more common sight is herds of feral pigs, ranging from black to piebald and pink. Pigs, cattle and goats graze at prodigious heights in the mountains and can be found even on high rocky ridges. Shepherds keep track of them by listening for the bongling bells on lead animals. Foxes are nuisances around campsites, so guard your food!

      Pigs are turned loose to forage for food through the summer and are rounded up before winter

      Lizards and amphibians

      Lizards can be spotted every day that the sun shines brightly, and trekkers may also catch a glimpse of the larger, slow-moving salamander in woodland or near rivers, with its black body speckled with yellow blobs to ward off would-be predators. A curious newt-like creature called the euprocte lives and spawns in most streams on the island, even high in the mountains.

      Fish

      Fishermen are seen from time to time on the larger streams or chancing СКАЧАТЬ