The GR 20 (or ''fra li monti'') is a

GR footpath The GR footpaths are a network of long-distance walking trails in Europe, mostly in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain. They go by the following names: , , , , – generally meaning "long trail" or more literally "great route". T ...

that crosses the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

running approximately north–south, described by the outdoor writer Paddy Dillon as "one of the top trails in the world". The whole trail is about 180 km long with 12,000 m of elevation gain, and is clearly waymarked throughout. Every year, approximately 10,000 to 20,000 hikers walk along the trail, typically completing it in about 15 days. The trail is considered to be the most difficult of all the GR routes and consists of two parts: the northern part, between Calenzana and

Vizzavona upright=2, Monte d'Oro Vizzavona is a village of the commune of Vivario in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regi ...

and the southern part, between Vizzavona and Conca. Vizzavona is regarded as the midpoint due to the presence of a train station, making it a convenient starting or ending point for hikers covering only one part the route. From Vizzavona, the train can be taken to

Bastia Bastia ( , , , ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest popu ...

Ajaccio Ajaccio (, , ; French language, French: ; or ; , locally: ; ) is the capital and largest city of Corsica, France. It forms a communes of France, French commune, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Corse-du-Sud, and head o ...

as well as many smaller towns and villages such as Corte. The northern part is considered by some the more difficult part because of the steep and rocky paths, though this could be an effect of many walkers beginning in the north and not being as fit for this section. The southern part of the trail is often considered easier though the lower altitude may give rise to higher temperatures in summer and so provide more difficult walking conditions. Along the trail there are

mountain hut A mountain hut is a building located at high elevation, in mountainous terrain, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineering, mountaineers, climbing, climbers and Hiking, hikers. Mountain huts are us ...

s known as "''refuges''" or

gîte A gîte or gite () is, typically, a holiday rental home in France, but there are many interpretations of the term 'gîte'. They range from a gîtes d'etape — a hostel, for walkers and cyclists — to a gîte rural, a holiday home in the countr ...

s. The standard and price of accommodations and food varies between refuges. Hikers can sleep in a tent near the refuge, but it is not permitted to pitch tents along the trail. The GR 20 is an advanced trail. Other less difficult trails on the island include the Mare e monti (sea and mountains) and the Mare a mare (from sea to sea) trails. The idea of GR 20 comes from a former general inspector for youth and sports, Marcel Schlück, and his friend Guy Degos, both hiking enthusiasts.

Route

* Northern part: Calenzana – Ortu di Piobbu or Bonifatu (alternative route) – Carozzu – Asco Stagnu – Tighjettu – Ciottulu di I Mori (or Castel de Vergio) – Manganu – Petra Piana – L'Onda –

* Southern part:

– E Capenelle – I Prati – Usciulu – Matalza (added in the late 2011) – Asinao – I Paliri – Conca

Records

Men's In June 2016, François D'Haene set a time of 31 hours and 6 minutes. In 2021, this was broken by Lambert Santelli with a time of 30 hours 25 minutes. Women's The current record by a woman is held by Anne-Lise Rousset who completed the course in 35 hours and 50 minutes in June 2022.

Citations

External links

GR 20 on the official website of the Parc naturel régional de Corse
(in French) {{Coord, 42.1271, N, 9.1328, E, source:wikidata, display=title Geography of Corsica Hiking trails in France Tourist attractions in Corsica

Route

Records

See also

Citations

External links