Europe 2006 - Corsica - the GR20
All photos © David Noble. No image can be used for any purpose without permission.
September 26 - Calvi - Calenzana
In the morning I caught the ferry (the large boat to the right of
the wall - in the distance) from Nice to Calvi. This took about 3 hours
and was a nice way to travel to Corsica. At Calvi I checked with the
tourist office for buses to Calenzana. There was one later in the
afternoon. That gave me time to go to the big supermarket and buy some
food. I already had some food that I have bought in Zermatt (peanut
butter and drink powder) that I hadn't seen in supermarkets in France
and I already had coleman type gas cylinders that I had bought in Nice
(Everyone said you cannot buy them in Corsica)
At Calenzana - I stayed in the GR20 Gite de Etape - which was
convenient and quite nice. I met a nice girl Inge, from the Netherlands
who had just finished some treks - and she had just bought some food to
have a big dinner - but she had bought too much food so she offered to
share her dinner with me. We ate very well and also had some nice wine.
She had spent some time in Australia and spoke very good English.
Day 1 - September 27 - Calenzana - Refuge d'Ortu di u Piobbu
Above - The main street of Calenzana. I left the Gite about 8:30am and
set off on the walk which starts not far beyond the buildings in the
photo.
Above - The route climbs a fair bit on the first day. This is looking up from the Bocca a u Saltu
Above - From near the Bocca a u Bazzichellu - a sign of things to come....
Above - In Laricio pine forest
Above - I camp in this sheltered spot outside the Refuge d'Ortu di u Piobbu.
Above - Dusk, from near the refuge
Above - the sun sets into the Mediteranean.
Day 2 - September 28 - Refuge d'Ortu di u Piobbu to Refuge de Carrozzu
Above - After a short climb you arrive at this spectacular spot - the
Bocca Piccaia. This was the first view I had that showed the true
nature of Corsica's rugged mountains. It reminded me a bit of some of
the mountains of Tasmania.
Above - Mountains
Above - Rugged. Peaks and pinnacles.
Above - Granite rock formations
Above - Looking towards Paglia Orba from near Bocca d'Avatoli
Above - Granite ridge
Above - there were plenty of these small green lizards
Above - I went to the refuge and set up camp. Then I went to see this
bridge a short way ahead on the track - the passarelle suspendue
de Spasimata. The next day when I crossed the bridge - two mouflons
where visible on the left hand slope.
Above - Slabs
Above - Peaks above the refuge
Above - Slabs
Above - Peak above the refuge
Continue to Next Page
Return to menu