Halfway Anywhere

06/08/2026

🇫🇷 GR20 Day 7

We leave Hôtel Castel de Vergio after 9 AM, getting our latest start yet.

If we went beyond our (pre-planned/booked) destination, Refuge de Tighiettu, it would mean crossing the high point. Despite thinking that crossing this in the afternoon might be a better option since we don’t have crampons, we hope to assess it better from the refuge.

Leaving the hotel, we see a hiker approaching; the most thru-hiker-looking one we’ve seen. Trust me, you can (sometimes) tell.

We enter a shaded forest without meeting our kindred hiker spirit. It’s one of the least exciting sections of the trail so far.

Passing the still-closed Bergeries de Radule, I wonder what this place is like in the summer when it’s completely overrun by hikers. A party? Awful?

We reach the next refuge, Ciottulu di i Mori, marking the Stage 5/6 division (we’re hiking “backward” so stages are descending for us), just before a huge group of elderly French day hikers. I quickly ingest some liquid sugar calories, and we skedaddle.

Leaving the hut, we scramble past a steep snowfield at the top of Bocca di Foggialle and drop down maybe the steepest descent so far.

After hitting the valley bottom, we ascend to Tighiettu, passing another closed bergerie along the way.

The hut keeper is incredibly nice and (willingly) speaks enough English to make communication possible. He asks us if we have crampons and then offers to rent us some for €20 (to be returned on the other side). We accept. Over the high point (tomorrow) it is.

Here, we talk to other hikers (Germans) for the second time this trail. We are also joined by our thru-hiker from this morning.

Our suspicions are confirmed. He’s got a PCT tattoo. I ask him about it. He’s French P***y, Class of 2017,

We’re on the same itinerary until the northern terminus.

If we make it past the snow tomorrow, it should be (relatively) smooth sailing to the finish.

📊 Day 7 Stats

Hôtel Castel de Vergio to Refuge de Tighiettu
Distance: 10.69 mi / 17.2 km
Elevation gain: 4,455 ft / 1,358 m

06/05/2026

🇫🇷 GR20 Day 6

Today’s the first of two challenges we’ll face in terms of snow - one of the obstacles of early-season GR20 travel (a good tradeoff for avoiding crowds that come a bit later in the year).

We haven’t been able to confidently communicate with anyone who has come through southbound, but everyone we’ve seen has crampons whereas we’ve just got spikes (and ice axes). Hopefully, that’s sufficient.

The day begins with a 1,000 ft / 305 m climb over a mile (1.6 km) - straight to the snow.

Putting on our spikes and getting out our ice axes, we traverse a slope to a col, the first of today’s high points.

From here the terrain ahead (at least what we can see) is completely covered in snow, and on our way through it we pass a group with mountaineering boots, crampons, and ice axes who don’t speak English (or Italian), but who manage to remind us that the emergency number in France is 119.

We pass a confidence-inspiring number of people today, and at the day’s high point at Bocca alle Porte, where we meet a group of Italian day hikers who came up the other side with zero snow-travel gear. It’s refreshing to meet a group we can communicate with, and that’s less prepared than we are.

Descending to Refuge de Manganu, we’re clear of the snow and enter the first meadowy bit of the trail, complete with cows. Following the white and red GR markers, we pass another (closed) cheese and meats shop, a hut that was not on my map (that’s very nice compared to most of the others), Bergerie des Inzecche, and then a lake (that’s kind of more reminiscent of a glowed-up swamp), Lac de Nino.

Climbing away from the lake and all the day-hiking fishermen, we traverse below Capu a u Tozzu and U Tritore before entering a long forested section that leads to our day’s destination at Hôtel Castel de Vergio.

We had planned to camp here, but our feet are in bad shape from being wet all day, and there’s a buffet; we get a room and stay indoors (for the second time this trip).

Excellent decision.

📊 Day 6 Stats

Petra Piana to Hôtel Castel de Vergio
Distance: 17.07 mi / 27.47 km
Elevation gain: 4,790 ft / 1,460 m

06/04/2026

🇫🇷 GR20 Day 5

We’ve officially entered what’s regarded as the northern half of the GR20. Apparently, this is the more demanding, difficult section that most people choose to tackle first; the “traditional”/more common direction to hike the GR20 (for no apparent reason) is north to south, aka southbound, aka the opposite direction from which we’re hiking.

After a couple hours of hiking, I realize I’ve accidentally left my headphones behind in Vizzavona. Looks like I will have to live without my 32-hour-and-56-minute audiobook, a biography of Napoleon (who was born on Corsica).

Me and my thoughts (and the birds) it is.

The northern route doesn’t disappoint as we head up what’s probably the steepest climb of the GR20 thus far. On the way up, we meet a couple of French hikers, and we think they tell us that they hiked the entirety of the northern half, but that they used crampons for the high point (we only have spikes - and ice axes).

We’ll find out for sure in a few days.

At the top of the climb, we find a noteworthy but manageable section of snow before descending to Refuge de l'Onda for a snack.

From here we can take an alpine variant or stay on the official GR20. We choose to stay on the official route since the owner of the hotel we stayed at last night told us it follows “the most beautiful river in Corsica.” He wasn’t lying.

Today has the largest concentration of pretty decent waterfalls that I have seen in as long as I can remember. Tons of incredible swimming opportunities and even some nicer trail lower down (and a, sadly, closed cheese and meats shop).

Reaching our day’s destination at Petra Piana after a climb even steeper than this morning’s, we pitch our tent and eat dinner with a view overlooking the valley we just came up.

Tomorrow, we find out how serious the snow situation is. A lot of people here (none of whom we can communicate with - I tried) have crampons. But they also have enormous backpacks. Do what you will with that information.

Worst case, we turn around (or die, I guess).

📊 Day 5 Stats

Vizzanova to Petra Piana
Distance: 15.07 mi / 24.25 km
Elevation gain: 7,303 ft / 2,226 m

06/03/2026

🇫🇷 GR20 Day 4

Today, our hiking trio becomes a hiking duo as we leave , aka Indie, behind at Col de Verde with a barely functional knee.

However, he’s planning to hitchhike to the official(ish) halfway(ish) point in the town of Vizzavona.

There’s a high route available to us today, but since we’re still unsure about the snow and we aren’t entirely sure if the northern half of the route even exists (or if it’s just a line I drew on the map), we decide to take the “regular” GR20 to make it to town in time to hang with Indie one last time.

The miles today are pretty cruiser, and we have the least elevation change per mile on the trail so far (at least the least gain).

We pass a road-accessible hut (that makes three road-accessible camping spots/huts in a row: Col de Verde, Gîte U Fugone, and then Vizzavona) before passing a lot of hikers who speak only French (we’ve got English, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish available to us, but, I guess the early season GR20 French hikers must have all taken German) - still no good beta for the northern (i.e., snowier) section.

It’s a long downhill to Vizzavona, and when we get there we find Indie at a small restaurant across the street from the equally small train station.

I was expecting a decent resupply selection here, but the food options are lacking. There have been better selections at some of the huts we’ve passed. That’s not to say we can't buy food, but we’re limited to candy, chocolate, cookies, chips, and some corn nuts.

We treat ourselves and stay at Chambres d'hôtes Casa Alta (highly recommended if you want to stay somewhere nice in Vizzavona - and you’re there early enough to make sure you also get the dinner).

Tomorrow, we’ll hang around for breakfast before saying goodbye to Indie (again) and then finding out if the northern half of the GR20 lives up to its reputation.

📊 Day 4 Stats

Col de Verde to Vizzavona
Distance: 18.34 mi / 29.52 km
Elevation gain: 3,829 ft / 1,167 m

       

06/02/2026

🇫🇷 GR20 Day 3

We wake up after a terribly windy night that almost made me regret my scenic choice of campsite. But the sky is clear, and the forecast looks good - for at least a week.

Hopefully, I won’t have to be worried about being struck down by lightning at any point on this hike.

The day starts with a climb as we watch the sun rise over the Mediterranean Sea to the east. Crossing a few patches of snow, we enjoy a relatively quiet morning in terms of other hikers.

It doesn’t seem many people are traveling the same direction as us, and since everyone has to sleep at the refugios, there’s (generally) a built-in gap before you encounter anyone each day (if you get out of camp early enough).

Passing some more serious snowfields (but still nothing too noteworthy), we cross paths with some Canadians (we recognized their packs and their hats. There isn’t a lot of English out here, and there are even fewer native speakers.

Not great news for us, as by the time we reach our first hut of the day, Refuge de Prati, our francophone, , isn’t doing too hot; his knee won’t bend.

It’s a long and slow descent through some terrain that reminds me of the Sierra Nevada to Col de Verde - a road-accessible spot where we’re planning to camp tonight.

We hang out all afternoon eating plain but delicious sandwiches consisting of simply bread, cheese, and meat, and drinking wine next to a wood-burning fire - kept burning by an old Corsican man and his equally old dog.

Once again, there are showers, gas available to boil water/cook, toilets (these ones flush!), and some extremely rude campers who are not hiking the GR20 and instead choose to scream so loudly that I relocate my tent twice to get away from them.

Fun times.

📊 Day 3 Stats

Refuge d’Usciolu to Col de Verde
Distance: 11.85 mi / 19.01 km
Elevation gain: 3,944 ft / 1,202 m

       

05/31/2026

🇫🇷 GR20 Day 2

We wake up to find that we camped in an acceptable spot, and after our francophone speaks to the man in charge of the hut to confirm our reservation (made ahead of time so that it would be less expensive), we're told that the alpine variant we intend to take is "no longer an official route and no rescue will come for us if we get into trouble."

Not quite believable, but cool.

The day begins with a steep climb, 1,500 ft in one mile (457 m in 1.6 km) before we split off from the main trail and find ourselves in the first snow field of the trip.

After tagging a high point (the highest in "Southern Corsica"), we descend to where we expected a hut, but find the ruins of one instead. I guess it was demolished when they moved the GR20?

Passing another group heading the other way, they tell us they are running out of food because the hut where we plan to stay tonight, Refuge d'Usciolu, doesn't (yet) serve meals (early season problems).

I can't imagine not bringing any food into the mountains with me, even expecting to be able to get some at the huts.

Crossing a bridge (the day's low point), we find our first cows of the trail as we climb to rejoin the official GR20 before a pretty awesome ridge-walking section of trail. The clouds are coming in thick, but they stay just high enough to allow us to have views all the way to the hut - where we arrive well before sunset.

Indie takes a shower (a free, hot shower) before we make friends in the indoor common area (complete with a gas stove, pots/pans, lighting, and charging) and get chatting for the night.

When we finally retire to our tents, the wind is whipping, and after securing all our stakes with dozens of more rocks, we lie down to be lulled to sleep by the sound of our tent aggressively flapping in the wind.

I only know I slept because I dreamt. 

📊 Day 2 Stats

Refuge d'Asinau to Refuge d'Usciolu
Distance: 11.85 mi / 19.07 km
Elevation Gain: 3,944 ft / 1,202 m

05/30/2026

🇫🇷 GR20 Day 1

🚕 We started from near the coast in Sainte Lucie de Porto-Vecchio since we didn't want to pay for a taxi to take us up to the official trailhead in Conca. The plan was for Day 1 to be our longest day of the entire hike, which is a good idea because today is also when our packs are heaviest. Or something like that.

🐕 The day started with an accidental detour into a private property dead end (guarded by a very angry dog), forcing a detour back to the road up to Conca (shortcuts may not be wise on the GR20).

🧻 We stopped at the Bar du GR20 for coffee, trail registration, and some critical bathroom logistics before following the iconic red-and-white blazes into the forest.

⛰️ The trail led us through a steep, rocky forest that eventually opened onto sandstone slabs and even some natural rock arches.

🚁 We made it to Refuge I Paliri in time to watch a supply helicopter make drop-offs while Indie downed heavy tinned veggies to lighten up his pack.

☁️ As the weather began to come in, we dropped down to Col de Bavella to find a private gîte costing €58/person for a dorm with a mandatory half-board policy. 

🍻 Opting out, we had a few adult beverages before committing to the yellow-blazed Alpine Variant to push through to Asinau.

⛺️ The trouble with the GR20 is that you can't wild camp, so once you leave one refugio/gite/shelter, you're required to reach the next.

🌧️ A steep climb led us into heavy cloud cover, high winds, and our first chains (for which the GR20 is somewhat famous? Maybe? I don't know). Rain caught us at the final crest as the sun went down, which turned the last few miles into a soggy march up a dark valley.

🌙 After being greeted by some free-roaming trail donkeys and mules 🫏, we rolled into Refuge d'Asinau well past bedtime.

💤 Fortunately, we found an open room to hang out in and cook dinner before pitching our tents in the dark and hoping we could sleep in past sunrise.

📊 Day 1 Stats

Sainte Lucie de Porto-Vecchio to Refuge d'Asinau
Distance: 24.07 mi / 38.75 km
Elevation Gain: 9,298 ft / 2,834 m

Asinau Bavella UltralightHiking

05/29/2026

A final winter photo dump before putting all the snow gear into storage, and I start my summer of walking through mountains instead of slip-sliding through them.

This winter was perhaps my best ever. I managed to:

⛷️ Learn to ski (but am terrified of exploding one of my knees in a fall)

🏂 Continue loving the snowboard (the Burton Smooth Operator is my new favorite)

🧊 Learn about and did some glacier travel (hooray, new gear?)

🚙 Not die in my van of CO inhalation or extreme cold

🥶 Spend extended periods of time outdoors in the coldest temperatures I've been in (since walking to class in Madison 🦡)

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 See some old friends (and make some new ones?)

🇨🇦 Simultaneously see a lot of and very little of Canada (need to get further north - and west)

😺 Pet one cat (his name is George)

🐻 See zero bears (maybe this summer?)

🇨🇦

05/16/2026

The Wapta Traverse is one of the many on offer in the Canadian Rockies and it's exactly the kind of thing I wanted to do when I decided to learn to ski last year (but mostly this year).

That said, I wouldn't be opposed to a splitboards-only trip.

and I didn't get to do the whole traverse due to timing and weather, but the half we completed was a great way to put all our newfound skills and gear to the test.

I've already got my pass for Lake Louise next season which means a return to the Canadian Rockies for round two, come winter.

Anyone want to spend it crossing and going up glaciers, cols,passes, and peaks with us?

🇨🇦

05/15/2026

REI Anniversary Sale

A comprehensive and no-nonsense list of everything on sale during REI's biggest sale of the year.

All the deals of the 2026 REI Co-op Anniversary Sale (May 15–25). Get the breakdown on 20%-off coupons and exclusive spring gear markdowns.