Questions for GR20 planning

Hi:

I'm thinking of doing the North part of the GR20 at the end of next June (yes I know it's a long time from now, but I recently returned from one great trip and want to plan the next one).

1. We (2 of us) will be flying in from Canada. What would be the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to get to the start and out from the end of the North part of the GR20?

2. I like travelling light, therefore no tent. Are sleeping bags necessary or would sheets be adequate due to full huts generating lots of body heat?

3. Can we just call ahead from one night to the next for lodging, or does it need to be booked before the trip starts? According to what I've read booking the huts is mandatory, but not enforced. It would be nice not to be committed to specific nights in case we wanted to do more or less on a particular day, and in case the weather wasn't cooperative.

4. Is it too risky to be left without a place to sleep for the night is we don't have a tent?

5. For places where there are alternatives to the huts, would those have to be booked in advance?

Enough questions for now, any replies will be much appreciated.

K

Thanks for the info Michele.

Hi Kay,

In terms of getting to and from the trail, I would recommend flying into one airport and flying out of another instead of going back to where you started. The Corsican airline CCM allows you to book, say, an outbound flight from the mainland to Calvi and an inbound flight from Ajaccio to the mainland - and this will only cost you a little bit more than a return ticket to Calvi if you book directly with the airline.

The advantage is that it is faster to get from Vizzavona to Ajaccio by train (it is considerably closer), and Ajaccio has an airport shuttle so you don't have to take a taxi to the airport.

So, going from North to South I would fly to Calvi and, as mentioned above, take a taxi from the airport (Calvi has a bus connection to Calenzana, but you would have to take a taxi into Calvi anyway, as there is no airport shuttle). Finishing in Vizzavona, take the train to Ajaccio and the airport shuttle stops near the station!

- You might want to consider going South-North instead, reversing the flight itinerary above. I did the entire GR20 in early June this year, and it seemed that fewer people walked south-north, which meant that we had mostly brief encounters with other walkers going in the other direction and more solitude on the trail. Also, you get a real sense of accomplishment when you ascend from Haut Asco on the way to Carozzu and suddenly Calvi and the coastline comes into view!

- Not sure if you need this info, but there is a largish supermarket in Ajaccio if you need to purchase any supplies. It is situated between the airport and the station, and the shuttle stops nearby. Ask the bus driver to let you off at Super U and from there it is a relatively short walk to the station along the main road into town.

- By all means bring a sleeping bag! We brought a lightweight tent, but if you don't want to bring one, it is definitely better to stay in the refuge tents that time of the year than in the refuges. The dormitories are bound to be full, hot, smelly, noisy etc. And it gives you more flexibility that you don't have to book a bunk bed in advance but can simply show up at a reasonable time and secure a tent (that's how it seemed to work in 2010 at least). I was under the impression that "not enforced" is true, but this only applies to 'surplus' beds. It seemed that the wardens wait to see if every person who has a reservation shows up before allocating refuge spots to those without. Hence it is mostly the case that de facto only people with a reservation will end up sleeping in the refuges after all! The same practice obviously applies to the tents, but it seems that people (for whatever reason) are less likely to book a tent in advance, and therefore the likelihood of getting a tent without a reservation is much greater than sleeping in a bunk bed without reservation.

- Of course it is safer to book alternative accomodations in advance where they are available, but I would say it is not strictly necessary in June. Specifically, we showed up in Haut Asco mid-june around 7 in the evening (having been caught in a thunderstorm in Cirque de la Solitude!) and easily got a double room w. shower at the hotel. It was also possible to sleep at the hotel in Castel di Verghio without reservation, but we chose to camp that night. Finally, we got a room at the hotel in Vizzavona upon showing up around 6pm.

Happy planning,
Lizette