ASCU-STAGNU TO MANGANU

THE ROUTE TO MONTE CINTU

CALL THIS AS FOOTPATH?

MONTE CINTU SUMMIT

MIST AT 2,700 METRES

WALKING COMPANIONS AT AUBERGE U VALLONE

THIS IS HOW THEY GET SUPPLIES UP TO THE REFUGES

BELGIAN TOM AT GITE DE VERGIO

LAC DE NINO

According to my guide, the next stage of the GR20 is from Refuge d'Ascu-Stagnu to Refuge de Tighjettu via a place called the 'Cirque de la Solitude', reputed to be a particularly tricky part of the GR20 to traverse. Unfortunately, I would not get the chance to try it because of a disaster which occured at the Cirque in June of this year. As a result of heavy rainfall there was a rock-slide and at least 4 people were killed and double that number injured. The rocks are still considered unstable so the route through the Cirque, and consequently the whole of the stage, has been closed.

Fortunately an alternative route has been devised, but it takes two hours longer and is even tougher because it passes close to Monte Cintu, the highest mountain in Corsica. For those who didn't fancy the alternative route, there was a bus organised to bypass it - for €35.

Thus, you can interpret my decision to take the alternative route as either meaness or a determination not to leave a gap in my GR20 journey. Whatever, I set off at about 8.30am and followed the two yellow stripes that had been painted onto rocks and trees to help guide us. The path was pretty easy at first, but then it got steeper and steeper. A lot of climbing was needed as I worked my way up the Cirque de Trimbolacciu until I eventually reached Bocca Pampanosa at about 2,500m.

A large number of rucksacks had been left by a stone shelter at the col, but I knew what they were for. Walkers had temporarily discarded their heavy kit to take a brief detour up to Monte Cintu, 2,710m high and about 2 hours round trip from this point. Visiting Corsica's highest mountain was too good an opportunity to miss, so I left my rucksack with the others and did the same.

Reaching the summit involved a bit of rock scrambling, but this was easy without a full pack. I am told that the whole of the island can be seen from here on a clear day but, unfortunately, my climb was accompanied by mist. At the top was a Corsican flag and a tin box containing a book for visitors to sign. I couldn't find a pen so I stuck a business card in there instead. You never know. A low flying aircraft might pick it up!

My rucksack was the only one left by the time I got back to collect it at around 3.00pm. The higher you go, the longer the descent is, so I now had a long slow trudge down to the hostel. I had skipped lunch to save time and although I had been nibbling sugary sweets for energy (don't tell the dentist), I was getting tired. We all know the pride comes before a fall, so I shouldn't have been so pleased with myself at reaching the summit as the next bit was inevitable. I slipped on a rock and knocked my knee. It hurt, but thankfully not enough to tell me that I had done any real damage, and I had not broken the skin. Previous experience has taught me that the best cure for such an injury is to keep moving, so I carefully limped the rest of the way down to the Refuge de Tighjettu.

As I approached the Refuge I met a girl hiker leaving the place who told me that it was very overcrowded, but if I continued walking for another half hour I would find a much more pleasant place. I took her advice and soon reached the Auberge u Vallone, where I came across a group of other GR20 walkers who I'd met at the other refuges. They told me to pull up a chair and share some goat's cheese, spiced sausage and beer with them. It was a pleasant end to a full 9 hours of walking. I hoped my knee would be good for the following day.

Living in a small tent with a painful knee is hard, as doing most things involves kneeling. Still, I coped, and the following morning I managed to get myself ready to depart by 8.30pm. My knee felt much as it had the night before, which I considered good news as it hadn't got any worse.

The next stage would get me to Refuge de Ciottila de Mori in 3 to 4 hours - a short day, but perhaps an ideal duration under the circumstances. The route involved a couple of hours of easy walking down a wooded valley, and then some steady climbing up to la Bocca di Fuciale at 1,962m. From there it was just another half kilometer to the Refuge de Ciottila de Mori where I stopped to eat and drink. I considered pitching my tent as planned, but the weather was beautiful, my knee felt better and and it seemed too early to stop.

Thus, I left the refuge and continued along the GR20 route, knowing that there were a couple of other refuges further on. The terrain was roughly similar to that found in the UK, with rolling hills and gently sloping woodland paths. I was able to move much more quickly than before, and when I reached the Bergerie de Radule, a potential camping place, it was still only 3.00pm, so I kept walking. An hour later I reached the Gite de Vergio which offered demi-pension (evening meal, a bed in a dorm and breakfast) for €48. The thought of a comfortable mattress was too tempting to pass up. There was a campsite too with some rather tame pigs wandering around it foraging for fir cones. Tom was there in his tent and we both agreed that it had been well worth the extra walking to get here.

After enjoying the best hot shower I'd had for days, I felt clean again. I had dinner with Australians Jamie and Paula, and managed to get my blog writing up to date, although I still couldn't post anything as there was no WiFi (Again? When are these Corsican establishments going to get up to date!).

After a restful night, I woke up to find it raining for the first time, with dark clouds overhead and the sound of a thunderstorm in the distance. Staying in the dorm had been a fortunate decision as I didn't have a wet tent to pack away.  I discussed the weather situation with other walkers and we all agreed that we would wait a while to see if things improved. Sure enough, by 9.00am it was clearing and an hour later I was off.

The day's walk was largely on good paths with only a few rocky bits to traverse, none of which required the use of hands. The ascent was about 480m up to Bocca a Reta, but this was over a period of nearly 3 hours of walking, so the gradient was low. I had my lunch about a kilometer east of the Bocca by the waters of Lac de Nino.

I noticed that the GR20 route marked on the ground was different to what the map said for the next two kilometers, and later realised that this was to ensure that walkers passed a place selling refreshments and cheese. I wondered if money had changed hands to get that done. I finally reached the Refuge de Manganu at about 4.00pm, and pitched my tent.

It had been a lovely walking day, alternating between sun and clouds, and although rain threatened at times, it never actually materialised. I decided not to take the evening meal at the Refuge this evening as I was getting bored with pasta. The Guardian cooked me an onion omelette to eat instead, after which I withdrew to my tent for an early night.