An incredible challenge from North to South: From Vizzavona to Conca (1st part South)
Finally the northern part is finished. We were told that we had done the hardest part!!. We will see later that this is not quite correct. If the South is less steep, less "Alpine", it is still not easy at all ... Some passages are still vertiginous. The second part of this trip on the GR20 in Corsica will still bring us many surprises. Beautiful photos in perspective... A piece of advice for those who only want to do the North or South part, you can take the train from Bastia or Ajaccio for a few euros and get off at Vizzavona station and from there go north or south on the GR20. . A nice refuge or a slightly more expensive hotel will allow you to spend your first night before starting. One last piece of advice for this beginning of the trip...stop and eat a pizza bought in the little hut near the station, they are excellent.
This time it's back ... we "attack" the southern part. From the refuge, we take the road that climbs to the right. A few hundred meters away we will find ourselves at the "crossroads" between the southern and northern part. For us it will be towards the South, towards the refuge of E.Capannelle. After crossing the N193 road, we take a steep switchback path through a small alder forest. We finish after nearly 2h30 of effort by reaching the "Bocca Palmente" pass after more than 700m of ascent.
The panorama is exceptional, we do not regret our efforts, this trip is magnificent, only beautiful photos to bring back. After this well-deserved break we leave again, the path resumes on the right in a level curve sometimes uphill, sometimes downhill for more than 7 kilometers before starting a last steep path towards E.Capanelle.
After tasting a good omelet around 2 p.m., setting up our tent and having dinner around 7 p.m., we are already thinking about our next stop tomorrow. Tomorrow is already here around 5:30 a.m., you have to prepare for a long day. 11th stage E.Capanelle/Prati A quick lunch, a last look at this ski resort of E.Capannelle and we go there for a descent in laces of more than 300m. As always in these cases, we say to ourselves that it will go up at one time or another... We have become accustomed to the terrain!!
After 1h30 of descent, we are off again for a series of "climbs" which will take us step by step to 1600m. Why not have stretched a cable it would have been faster :) :)...We came back to the level of E.Capannelle...half of the way is done for today (7 kms). Two good descents lead us to the Col de Verde at 1289m. From there we understand that the climb will be tough up to the refuge of Prati located at 1840m. After more than an hour and a half of this tough climb through the beeches we finally arrive at Bocca d'Oru. We are lucky, the weather is clear...what a view again!! A great reward
A last slight descent towards the refuge and we are there...Day over
The land is relatively flat...it changes us from the North. The sanitary facilities remain spartan as often on the GR20...but we did not expect to spend a 4-star holiday. A word of advice for vegans and other vegetarians...The owners are not very accommodating unlike other shelters...A member of our team had to adapt...finally we adapted to him...We is a team!!...Tonight it will be cheese for him and sausage for us + pietra for morale :):)...No pasta or other meats...We will resist.
12th stage from Prati to Usciolu. The day is going to be difficult, we looked at the "profile"...A huge descent of more than 600m and such a steep ascent!! I thought the North was over :(:( Good! when you have to go, you have to go!! But not before admiring the spectacle of the sunrise in Prati.
This is also why we came to this GR so difficult...A permanent spectacle, and this day will not contradict me. We start it in the "hard"...a very steep climb on the foothills of Punta Cappella until we reach 2000m. We are lucky this year, no snow.
Here we are, going down to the Bocca di Laparo will not be an easy task...steep zone, scree, small gymnastics, steep and dangerous slopes...We will take 2 hours to arrive 500m lower...The legs hurt. ..The descents are sometimes more difficult than the climbs. We have traveled 5kms and we are at 1450m... We will have to leave for 500m of ascent.
Another endless climb at almost 2000m to reach Monte Furmicula
200m downhill and we are at the Usciolu refuge. The camp is spread out by a terrace over the entire slope...You have to find a location not too far from the refuge, otherwise you will have to go up and down constantly for all the amenities (meals, WC, shower...). I told you, the South is not easy either.
This first part of the GR20 South ends for the moment at the Usciolu refuge. In my next post you will discover the rest of this adventure. Another trip, other stunning photos