GR10: Our story
Part 3: Vizavona - Conca
Thursday June 12th: Vizzavona - bergeries d'E Cappanelle
Statistics:up: 1000 m, down: 335 m,
weather: Start rain, later dry and some sun at the end of the day.
This morning we awake with rain. After breakfast we break up our tent and drive back to Vizzavona, where we park our car at the railway station. We walk to the hotel where Jacqueline and Alex stayed and together we wait till it stops to rain. After about an hour it is almost dry and so it is time to go. The climb from Vizzavona to Bocca Palmente goes quick and smoothly. On our way up we see a black-yellow salamander on the side of the path, the only one of his kind that we will see. We have lunch at the col. In the mean time we enjoy the view. After the col the route stays almost at the same level. The streamlets we have to cross have grown due to the rain of this morning. At the end there is one more steep climb because of a tree lieing on the original path, therefore a new path is created. After the rigde of Ciufidu the route descends towards the gite. We pitch our tent behind a couple of cabanes in the neighbourhood of the gite, with permission of the gite owner. The terain is swampy, but we find a nice spot to pitch the tent. To prevent our backpacks and sleeping bag we store them wooden shelfs that are lieing in the grass and a large rock.
Friday June 13th: bergeries d'E Cappanelle - refuge de Prati
Statistics:up: 870 m, down: 635 m,
weather: Lots of sun, in the afternoon more wind.
After a good breakfast we start with what appears to be a nice stage with several more flat trajects and good paths. Between the crossing of the D169 and crête de Petra Scupina we have to cross several streamlets. Some smaller and one larger. We have lunch at bocca di Verde. After lunch the final climb of this day to bocca d'Oru. The first part of the climb goes through the woods and the final part through open landscape. In this part I notice that there is quite a lot of wind. I'm glad that most of the time I have the wind on my back, so it helps me climbing up. After bocca d'Oru a final nice walk over the plateau di Foci di Prati before we reach refuge de Prati. At the plateau in front of the refuge the wind is blowing freely. This results in a tent that clappers and snores.
Saturday June 14th: refuge de Prati - refuge d'Usciolu
Statistics:up: 740 m, down: 810 m,
weather: Cold, stormy and misty start, later also some sun but still stormy.
After a night with a lot of noise due to the wind, we wake up. The wind is still blowing hard. After breakfast we break up and start. It is really cold and due to the wind the clouds are moving very quick. This results in short moments of fine views and followed by moments you can hardly see a thing. The climb from the refuge to the ridge goes fast. On the ridge we scramble and walk to the first summit of today. The wind on the ridge is making it almost impossible for me to walk. Therefor we decide to make a small train when where walking on the windy side of the ridge - first Jacqueline most of the time walking alone, then Alex who's holding my hand, then me and finally Edwin holding my backpack. We walk like that till bocca di Laparo. Here we have a lunch break in the sun and almost out of the wind. At trees we can see that it is not occasionally that the wind is blowing this hard - the branches of the trees are all growing on the same side of the trunck. After lunch we stay on the protected side of the ridge. The path goes through the woods; this is a nice relaxing part of today where I can walk on my own without been blown away. But when we approach bocca di Punta Mozza the we can feel the wind again. At the col the wind is so had that even Jacqueline joins the train. The descent from bocca di Furmicula to the refuge is again on the protected side of the ridge, what I am glad of - it allows me to descend on my own tempo. After pitching our tent on a protected spot, we have time to recover from the past experience on the ridge.
Sunday June 15th: refuge d'Usciolu - refuge d'Asinau
Statistics:up: 1010 m, down: 1225 m,
weather: Sunny and windy.
After breakfast with porridge we break up. At the refuge we meet Jacqueline and Alex and together we climb to the ridge. The route follows the ridge for a while. Then we descend to the forest for a long traject through the softly sloping fields of plateau du Cuscionu. Although it is a nice walk, we are glad that finally after almost 2 hours we reach the suspension bridge marking the start of the climb to the former refuge I Pedinieddi. At the bivouac site near the former refuge we have lunch. After lunch we continue climbing to Foca Aparta and the summit of l'Alcudina - the highest mountain of south Corsica. The climb is an easy one, unlike the decent from the summit of l'Alcudina to refuge d'Asinau, which is a hell. The descent is very steep and long. After 3 hours, with sore feet and legs I finally reach the refuge, where the others are already sitting in the sun. Edwin already reserved a suitable spot for our tent by putting his backpack on the spot. After pitching the tent, it is time to recover from the descent.
Monday June 16th: refuge d'Asinau - refuge d'I Paliri
Statistics:up: 800 m, down: 1275 m,
weather: Sunny, in the afternoon and evening more clouds and some haze.
Today we take the alpine variant to Foce di Bavedda. Untill the signpost marking the start of the alpine route, we follow the main route of the GR20. From the refuge we first descend to the stream d'Asinau. After crossing the stream we climb a little and follow the stream through the forest. At the signpost the start climbing to just beyond Punta di u Pargulu. The climb is steep. Next follows a descent over a nice path. This part of the descent is rather crowded with a large group of hikers. After this genlte descent the route goes up and down more steeply, one climb over an enormous rock is even secured with a chain. The last descent to Foce di Bavedda is rather steep and long. Jacqueline and Alex stay in a gite at Bavedda, while Edwin and I continue to refuge d'I Paliri after a lunch break. The part to Foce Finosa goes well, but next part takes more time than the 40 min of the booklet, because we are tired from the walk over the alpine route. About 100 m before the refuge is a water source. Here we wash our faces, drink some water and fill up all our water bottles, since there is no drinking water at the refuge. After the break at the source we climb the last meters past the refuge to the large campsite. After pitching the tent we enjoy the view and sunny moments.
Tuesday June 17th: refuge d'I Paliri - Conca
Statistics:up: 450 m, down: 1425 m,
weather: Start sunny, later some rain and sun at the end of the day.
This morning we have a quietly start of the day, since Jacqueline and Alex first have to walk from Bavedda. The arrive at 8:15h. Together we continue with the last stage of the GR20. First the path goes through the woods. Later the landscape becomes more open - the trees are quiet young in this part of the route. On our way we have a last serious climb to bocca di u Sordu. After the col stays more or less at the same altitude for a while. Then it descends to the forest. On the way we see a lot of flowers and herbs. After passing a gap called bocca d'Usciolo the final descent to COnca starts. The part between the two bocca's is long and at the end getting boring, because we want to see Conca but the last mountain chain is preventing it. Finally we reach the civilised world. On the side of the road there are some huge cactusses, vegitation we are not used to see. We first walk to the gite d'étappe and campsite of Conca. Here we refresh ourselves before going to the pub for a drink to celebrate our successful tour over the GR20. In the evening we have dinner in the restaurant of the gite.
Continued in part 4
Last modified August 2009