The GR20 North from Castel di Vergio to Bonifatu
From Castel di Vergio, the trail contoured a forested bowl and climbed into the hidden sanctuary of the wide Golu Valley, with the dramatic rock citadels of Tafunatu and Paglia d’Orba rising above. The trail rose again to contour around the upper reaches of the valley and cross a pass into a more constricted, steeper valley. Here we descended jagged slabs to enter forest and reach an elevated campsite at Bergerie de Ballone.
The penultimate day of the trek was the toughest and highest of the GR20, on some of the roughest terrain. We scrambled up hundreds of metres on rough slabs, then ascended uneven scree across two high passes, Bocca Crucetta and Pointes des Eboulis (the latter being the highest point of the GR20 at 2,607m). The path then descended eroded scree into a deep gorge, which we traversed high above its base on smooth slabs. The day was remorselessly hot, but we had brief respite on a trail through forest to reach our hotel at Haut Asco.
We had enjoyed beautiful weather for almost the entire trek, but the heavens opened on the final day as we were descending the infamous Spasimata Slabs, on sloping rocks that threatened to cast us into the abyss.
These were the toughest three days of the GR20. I was suffering from an illness and the scrambling was steep and relentless. On the final day I fell and cracked a rib, and only survived a longer tumble by keeping my hand on a chain. It was a blessed relief to reach the haven of Bonifatu.
For a trip report see: https://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2023/a-surfeit-of-scrambling-walking-corsicas-gr20-north/
For related photographs see: https://www.flickr.com/photos/markhorrell/albums/72177720311523786/
Music: Rescue Me (Instrumental) by Aussens@iter Ft: Copperhead (c) copyright 2018 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. https://dig.ccmixter.org/files/tobias_weber/57990
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😂