An incredible challenge: from Calenzana to Vizzavona (2nd part)
This morning we tackle the 3rd stage: from the Carrozzu refuge to the Asco refuge. A very technical stage that we will do in more than 8h30 and which will therefore take us to the ski resort of Asco...Another beautiful trip and beautiful photos in perspective. 850m of elevation gain and 650 of negative... We will still be familiar with the 2000m of altitude. My fall yesterday prevented me from sleeping...The knee is painful when I wake up and it is impossible to bend it...the storage of the tent is really painful. Too bad we're going like that, we'll see!! From the refuge we quickly arrive at the famous Spasimata footbridge made famous by the film "les randonneurs". If I don't have vertigo in the mountains, footbridges and other ladders always worry me a little... To believe that I trust nature more than human constructions?? Finally, we are there and despite a little apprehension everything is going well, the footbridge does not pitch too much.
We continue towards the magnificent circus of Bonifatu which leads us by dint of elevation to the lake of Muvrella below. Today's stage is even more technical than the previous one, big climbs, vertiginous slabs, steep descents... But what beauty still!!
The day ends with a dizzying descent to the Asco refuge 600m below. The station seems so close to us...it will take us more than an hour and a half to get to the end...many boulders that roll under your shoes, steps of more than a meter that you have to negotiate with caution ...All of these wear you down physically.
My knee reminds me of him... My 80 meter is not always enough to find a satisfactory point of support as some of the steps are high and the descent is steep. After a lot of effort...Finally the Asco resort. We settle down and decide not to do stage 4 (Asco - Tighettu) which is even more technical with "the tip of the scree" to descend in the middle of a rocky universe. Too bad for the ascent of "Monte Cinto" which it is possible to climb in 1h30 round trip from the GR20... My knee would not hold it, in the mountains caution is required. This last point is important and will determine the rest of the adventure...I insist...in the mountains as at sea, caution must guide your thinking...Not only for your safety, but also for that of others, your partners but also that of the possible rescuers. Unfortunately some hikers sometimes forget it.
Day 4, we take the shuttle which will allow us to bypass this stage and take the GR from the start of stage 5 at the level of the Vallone sheepfold located 45 minutes after the Tighettu refuge...The stage will be shorter from cut. An advice when you prepare your trek, always think about the possible problems that can happen (fatigue, injury, bad weather) plan exit doors. In this case, the shuttle to Asco is one of these doors. Whether to take the GR further or unfortunately like some to give up. The shuttle that we took around 8am will take nearly 2 hours to bring us to Calasima, which is the highest village in Corsica (1065m)... A bit of tourism doesn't hurt. It will take us more than 2h30 from the village to reach the sheepfold by a path that winds over 400m of positive elevation...We meet "a few locals":)
We arrive at the sheepfold. The places for the tents are on the side of the hill, staged in terrace. A little surprise awaits us, a very pleasant water point with a pretty waterfall... We will spend part of the afternoon there in the cool.
Despite this generous nature, my morale is not at the top... big knee pain, fatigue due to the extra efforts to provide these last days because of this injury, loss of appetite. An explosive cocktail that will force me to take a radical decision in order not to delay my partners ... giving up the adventure for a few days in order to recover from all this!!. A difficult decision for me who never gave up on any of my 16 marathons, but above all having to let go of my teammates for the rest of the adventure without the certainty of being able to resume... knowing that this adventure only makes sense if we share it together
But as I said before, you have to know how to be reasonable and listen to your body... It's decided, tomorrow I go back down to the valley (1h30 on foot) then the shuttle from Calasima to Ponte Leccia, from there by train to Vizzavona (ticket around 10 euros for 1h30 of travel). This forced stage in Vizzavona in the middle of GR (separation between the GR North and South) will allow me to heal and recover in 2 days. My teammates will be there 2 days later.
When I made this decision at the Vallone sheepfold, I didn't think I would recover so quickly... But how do I know? If I had been alone, I would have rested at the sheepfold to resume later...but nothing was certain. I couldn't ask my partners to wait without knowing what happened next and make them waste time that they would have had difficulty catching up with. As painful as it was, this decision was the right one. What to do with the remaining 2 days...tourism, a short train trip to Corte (45mn) then the next day to Ajaccio (1h)...I tell you about it in these links (Corte) (Ajaccio) Finally the 4th day arrives, I decide to join my group halfway in the descent (climb for me) of the Onda-Vizzavona stage... tomorrow we attack the southern part of the GR20... But that I tell you talk about it in my next post.