The GR20 Corsica. Paddy Dillon
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are herds of mouflon – wild, long-horned, short-haired sheep that graze on almost inaccessible ledges. Hundreds of them live on the island’s mountains. Wild boar are shy and seldom seen – a more common sight is herds of feral pigs, ranging from black to piebald and pink. Pigs, cattle and goats graze at prodigious heights in the mountains and can be found even on high rocky ridges. Shepherds keep track of them by listening for the bongling bells on lead animals. Foxes are nuisances around campsites, so guard your food!
Pigs are turned loose to forage for food through the summer and are rounded up before winter
Lizards and amphibians
Lizards can be spotted every day that the sun shines brightly, and trekkers may also catch a glimpse of the larger, slow-moving salamander in woodland or near rivers, with its black body speckled with yellow blobs to ward off would-be predators. A curious newt-like creature called the euprocte lives and spawns in most streams on the island, even high in the mountains.
Fish
Fishermen are seen from time to time on the larger streams or chancing their arms at one of the lakes, generally fishing for trout (including an endemic Corsican variety) or eels.
Birds
The lucky few may spot an eagle circling overhead, and other birds of prey such as buzzards and peregrines can be seen. Ravens are completely at home in the mountain fastnesses, as are Alpine choughs. Most trekkers hear about the Corsican nuthatch, which creeps head-first down tree trunks in search of insects, but is rarely seen. Most of the time, the birds seen and heard are likely to be little pipits, with a delightful range of colours, notes and songs, flitting across the mountainsides as you approach.
Cattle have been grazed high in the mountains of Corsica for thousands of years
Field guides
A couple of good field guides to birds and plants of the Mediterranean are useful for those prepared to carry the extra weight. There are specific guides to Corsican species, but only in French. Most bookshops on the island stock a selection and plenty of colourful books about the mountains.
Pots and pans outside a bergerie, where cows, goats and sheep are milked
THE GR20
Towering peaks above Lac du Melo and Lac de Capitellu (link route from Stage 7 to Bergeries to Grotelle)
STAGE 1A
Calenzana to Refuge d’Ortu di u Piobbu (high-level)
| Start | Calenzana |
| Finish | Refuge d’Ortu di u Piobbu |
| Distance | 12km (7½ miles) |
| Total ascent | 1550m (5085ft) |
| Total descent | 235m (770ft) |
| Time | 7hrs |
| Terrain | Mixed, including steep slopes of maquis, forest and rocky mountainsides. This is a tough day’s trek because of the relentless ascent, and scrambling is required at times. Take it slow and steady, as some trekkers overtax themselves and finish the day exhausted and dehydrated. |
| Maps | IGN 4149 OT and 4250 OT |
| Food and drink | All necessary last-minute food supplies are available in Calenzana. There are a couple of streams on the ascent, but they dry up in the summer. The Refuge d’Ortu di u Piobbu serves meals and sells provisions. |
| Shelter | Shade is available in isolated stands of forest along the way. There is a drystone windbreak shelter on Bocca a u Salto. The higher parts are exposed in wind and rain. |
The first day on the GR20 is a shock to the system. Trekkers leave Calenzana with everything on their back, probably in hot weather, with a question mark over the availability of water along the way. Learn which plants in the maquis are the thorniest! Lizards scuttle for cover with every few footfalls. The ascent is unremitting – uphill all the way, climbing higher than anywhere in Britain, then climbing further, scrambling across a rocky mountainside. Carefully ration your water and hope that it will last. When the refuge is finally reached, take the accommodation and services as you find them, knowing that there is nowhere else within reach. This day is a fine introduction to the rigours and the delights of the GR20 – it’s your baptism of fire!
CALENZANA
Calenzana is often overlooked by those who are in a hurry to start the GR20. Try and spend at least a night there, if not a whole day, before starting the trek. Just outside the village is the Romanesque Chapelle di Santa Restituda, burial place of a revered Corsican martyr. Santa Restituda was beheaded for her Christian faith in the year 303AD, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Her marble sarcophagus is in the crypt of the chapel and was restored in 1951. The site has long been a place of pilgrimage, and although the chapel has been rebuilt and renovated many times, it contains some 11th-century stonework and 13th-century frescoes. The Festa di Santa Restituda takes place late in May alongside the old chapel, featuring a fairground with all the usual stalls and amusements, as well as food and drink.
The Baroque Église St Blaise stands in the middle of Calenzana, dating from 1691, although it took several years to complete. In 1732 the village rose up against the Genoese rulers of Corsica, who retaliated by sending in a force largely comprising Austrian soldiery. The villagers fought with whatever they could lay their hands on, from agricultural implements to beehives, killing some 500 troops. The soldiers were buried beside the church in a plot that became known as the Cimetière des Allemands. The church bell tower was planted there in 1862. There are other little chapels in the village, including an ancient brotherhood chapel at A Casazza, while U Pala was the ancient palace of the Bishops of Sagone.
Calenzana has a fairly small range of services, yet manages to cope admirably with large numbers of visitors and GR20 trekkers. There are a few accommodation options, a selection of bars and restaurants, shops selling food, drink and fuel, as well as a post office. A larger range of services, including banks with ATMs, is available in nearby Calvi.
Calenzana is well worth exploring before starting a trek along the GR20
Accommodation There is only a small range of accommodation in Calenzana. At the budget end, and the first place on the left at the entrance to the village, is the Gîte d’Étape Communal, tel 04 95 62 77 13 or 04 95 62 70 08. It has 8 small dormitories offering 30 beds, with space for camping alongside. The 13-room Hôtel Bel Horizon is in the middle of the village, opposite the church, tel 04 95 62 71 72. The Chambres d’Hôte L’ Ombre du Clocher is located nearby on Chemin U Terraghiu, tel 04 95 31 17 12 or 06 20 18 80 08. Anyone looking for a wider range of accommodation could spend their first night at Calvi, which is a busy and attractive little port.
Food and drink There is a well-stocked Spar shop at the