FRANCE · CORSICA · 42.30°N 8.90°E · SUMMER · JUN–SEP
GR20 North
The hardest waymarked trail in Europe, taken at a pace that lets you climb it rather than survive it: nine days of Corsican granite, chained slabs, the Cirque de la Solitude's successor line, and refuge nights under absurd stars.
THE ROUTE, CHARTED
The elevation profile
GPS-logged. Camps and key points marked; the shape of the route is the honest version of the brochure.
THE SHAPE OF THE TRIP · 9 DAYS
The itinerary
Calenzana into the granite
The olive terraces last twenty minutes; the granite lasts nine days. Up to Ortu di u Piobbu, over the Bocca Piccaia's rim with the sea shining behind, and across the Spasimata slabs — chains, a swaying bridge, and the first proper exposure — to Ascu Stagnu under Monte Cinto.
The high crux days
The route's hardest ground: up the Cinto shoulder among last snow patches, through the boulder chaos that replaced the Cirque de la Solitude's chains, down to Tighjettu and on over the Bocca Crucetta's lunar shelf to the shepherd huts at Manganu. Trout streams and granite pools between.
Lakes, breaches and Vizzavona
Past Lac de Nino's grass-fringed meanders (horses, improbably), along the Breche de Capitello's knife-line above two glacial lakes, and finally down Monte d'Oro's flank through beech forest to Vizzavona station — where the little train and a large pizza both wait.
WHY THIS ROUTE
The expedition
The GR20's reputation arrives before the trail does: le fou's route, the one that breaks boots and resolves. The truth is simpler — the northern half is a mountaineer's line across Corsica's granite spine that happens to have paint marks, and taken over nine days instead of the masochist's six it becomes one of Europe's great walks rather than an endurance event. Slabs, chains and the occasional ladder link cirques of red rock over the sea; pigs audit every rucksack left unattended; refuge dinners are loud in three languages. We cross the Spasimata slabs, the Bocca Tumasginesca and Monte Cinto's shoulder, finishing at Vizzavona's forest station. Honest note: grade 5 is for sustained hands-on terrain in heat, not altitude — daily water discipline and scrambling confidence are both mandatory, and we vet for the latter.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Spasimata slabs and swaying bridge
- Corsica's spine: sea on both horizons at once
- Refuge bergerie cheese and chestnut everything
- Monte Cinto shoulder, 2,225m on the route
- Nine days where hard parties suffer six
- Swimming pools in granite — daily and glorious
STRAIGHT ANSWER
Is this for you?
You should be able to say yes — honestly — to all of these:
- You are at the hard end of what we run: sustained, committing days with genuine consequence. We vet every booking for this trip by phone.
- You are happy in a tent, in weather, with no shower and an early kettle.
- You have a steady head for exposure — there is hands-on ground here, protected where it matters.
- You would rather be told the truth about a hard day than sold an easy one.
Grade 5 means grade 5. If you're not sure, ring us — we'd rather lose a booking than carry a struggle.
THE LEDGER
What £1,190 covers
INCLUDED
- Wildtrace guide (Marta Serrano) at a max ratio of 1:6
- All hut, refuge or lodge nights as described, with evening meals
- Tents, group camp kit and all meals on trek
- Group safety kit: inReach satellite comms and expedition first aid
- Pre-trip video call, training plan and the real kit list
NOT INCLUDED
- International travel to the start point
- Personal travel insurance covering trekking to 2,225m — required, checked before departure
- Visas and permits payable on entry, where applicable
- Tips for local crew (we publish a guideline per trip)
- Sleeping bag — bring your own or hire ours (£30/trip)
- Lunches and drinks on travel days
PACK THIS, NOT EVERYTHING
Kit, previewed
The items that matter most on this route. The full list — with honest notes on what not to buy — lives in the kit room and is sent on booking.
Broken-in boots matched to the terrain. Broken-in is the load-bearing phrase.
Waterproof jacket and trousers you actually trust.
A day pack that fits — 30–35L covers almost every trip.
Headtorch plus spare batteries. Early starts are a feature.
Grippy gloves for cabled or rocky sections; a helmet where needed is provided.
Sheet sleeping-bag liner and earplugs. Dormitory diplomacy in two items.
Sleeping bag and mat rated for the trip's coldest night (hire available, £30).
2L capacity plus purification where the trip notes say so.
WHO'S TAKING YOU
Your guide
Marta Serrano
IML · SOUTHERN EUROPE & AMERICASAragonese, Pyrenees-raised, and the reason our Spanish and Andean logistics run on time. Carries a tin of saffron on every expedition and has used it at 4,600m.
HOW WE RUN IT
Max 6 walkers. inReach satellite comms carried and checked daily. Escape routes planned before we sell a single place. And the weather rule that built this company: we turn back. That's the deal. Full detail on our safety page.
NO PAYMENT AT THIS STAGE
Ask about this trip
Send this and a guide rings you back — Tuesday or Thursday evening, usually. Fifteen minutes, honest questions both ways, no hard sell.
IF THIS, THEN ALSO
