Worth watching out for.
 — John Cleare

Corsica Trekking GR20

Corsica Trekking GR20

Excerpt:
Independently or with a group?


Contents | Introduction | Independently or with a group? | Route options | Practical information for the visitor | Sample route guide


The GR20 is backed up by a trekking infrastructure that's second to none.

With the help of this book, the use of a phone or Internet connection and a smattering of French it's perfectly possible to organize your entire trip yourself, from purchasing your plane ticket to reserving a dorm bed in the g�te d��tape at the end.

If, on the other hand, time is tighter than your budget, you might prefer someone else to make all the arrangements.

Organized tours come in a variety of forms: larger operators tend to offer a choice between group tours, where you join a guided party for the duration of the trip, and self-guided itineraries, where you walk at your own pace along a selected route using a written guide.

In both cases transport, accommodation, meals and luggage transfer are standard. All you have to do is pay the bill, pack the equipment on the company's recommended gear list, walk and eat the hot meals dished up on your arrival at the end of each étape.

Apart from sparing you a lot of hassle, the best thing about being pampered on an organized tour is that it allows you to walk unencumbered by a heavy pack.

This can make a huge difference to your overall experience of the GR20, where it may allow you to attain altitudes otherwise beyond your fitness level.

However, the luxury of sac allege(literally ‘lightened bag') is an expensive one: your kit will have to be carried by jeep and mule up to the refuges, which explains why the cost of tours is high.

The other drawback with organized holidays, of course, is that you're tied to a fixed itinerary with little scope for detours, which can be frustrating. Depending on the people in your party, the group atmosphere can also get claustrophobic.

What you end up paying for your trek depends on a wide range of factors: the quality of the food and accommodation, the size of the group, duration of the walk, qualifications of the guide, and the time of year.

The only way to ensure a company's product is right for you is to read through its brochure carefully. Make comparisons between as many operators as you can (the book lists all those currently working in Corsica) and scrutinize the itinerary breakdowns and small print.

Corsica Trekking GR20

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