GR 20 - Corsica

Last morning in the forest

2006-07-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

After spending my entire daily budget on a good meal, after watching France beating Portugal in the world cup, I go to sleep in my hammock in the forest. When I wake up I find a lovely place full of shade and water.

An hour later I leave paradise and start the long way home

The english Cascades

2006-07-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

Going down toward vizavon we are back to the water and the beautiful forest. Althogh the late hour I can't stop my self from yet another swim.

My Zula

2006-07-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here I swim and relax before going down. Give my muscles heat to the freezing water; eat some granola and go to swim.

It's a great canyon a bit far from the GR, so in order not to shock the religious watchers and don't show you me with my 100% natural made swimming costume....

The last valley and beyond

2006-07-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, I will take a train trough this valley to the see and then the boat home, but meanwhile I can watch the mountains behind that I will leave for the next time....

Mount Doro

2006-07-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

And this is how I climbed it, through all these steep and crumply rocks.

This is where I came from

2006-07-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Do you see the little dent on the horizon, just behind the last mountain range. On this mountain I climbed 3 days ago.

Corsican goats

2006-07-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

so guess who is making the cheese that the guardians in the refuge sell for 8 Euros a piece?

On the last mountain

2006-07-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Leaving my bag behind, I climbed the highest peak in the end of the trail.I could see most of what I did in the last few days and all what I won't have time to explore in this trek

before saying goodbye in the last hut

2006-07-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

I had to catch up a day (to get back to the boat on time).
The Englishmen had to shorten in order to catch a plane from Bastia
and the Belges had too much time so they could rest in the sun.

Time to go alone for the last day

מחזור יוני 2006

2006-07-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

Two Englishmenone Belge with his daughterand one crazy Israeligot together through the Granite Mountains

blue flowers

2006-07-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

blue flowers that smells really good

Flowers in the creek

2006-07-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

More yellow flowers in the creek

Flowers in the creeks

2006-07-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

White Nurit Corsicanit?

Little village in the mountains

2006-07-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

The GR never reach such big villages (in low altitude) but still we have a glimpse of the Corsican urban life

How many rebels could hide in this valley?

2006-07-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

How many rebels could hide in this unnamed creek? Look at the forest in the lower part of it, it could be great for a rainbow gathering or just to hide in peace.

Around the "circque"

2006-07-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

After I climbed down throgh the cracks (see the hikers in the background). I go on via a twisting trail.
It seems the ones that come from Corte along the lakes have a wonderful time, we have to circle the mountain and then to climb.

The glacial lakes

2006-07-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

blue and cold they are bellow me

Corsica air force 1

2006-07-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

In the middle of the mountains, full of sweat and dirt, guess who comes?It's not the helicopter to rescue me.
It brought with him a crew of TV to film us. So "plugat hachapshim" got a nice looking blond TV girl staking a camera in our face filming us arriving to the refuge.

יש סוסים שמדברים קורסיקנית

2006-07-08T23:07:00.000-07:00

The white granite valleys are greener and contain many lakes.In Lake Nino I could see some grazing horses

On the trail

2006-07-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

Climbing to the "white granite" mountains give me great view of the forests I leave behind

Valley between red and white granite mountains

2006-07-08T23:01:00.000-07:00

Crossing between the red and white granite mountains makes a nice valley with lots of shade in the deep forest and a lousy hotel with good food

Sming in the "Vascs"

2006-07-08T22:56:00.000-07:00

What's better then finding a "vask" (pool of water - in french) in the middle of a hot day?

correct, finding another one....

לוענית קורסיקנית

2006-07-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

I liked very much this flower.
It looked to me from the "Loanitiyim" family but don't ask more....

מנוחת הלוחם

2006-07-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

After a long hiking day, An expensive coke for 3 euros, I sit and relax the long after noon

a refuge

2006-07-08T22:48:00.000-07:00

in places like this I spend my nights.
A bunk bed, a small kitchen and some snoring friends....

Crows join me after the circuit

2006-07-08T22:42:00.000-07:00

A crow comes to share my biscuits after the end of the climb out of the "circuit of solitude". I guess this one is well fed

Within the Ice cave

2006-07-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

The melting snow makes nice ice caves. Here I cross one of them

In the den of the circuit of solitude

2006-07-08T22:36:00.000-07:00

The circuit of solitude is so steep that it's shaded most of the day (lucky us). Hence there is much snow in the bottom

Circuit of solitude

2006-07-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

The ants in the center of the pictures are hikers. We have to climb down 300 meters just to change a little angle and climb up the same 300 meters. In 3 hours I advances 0.8 kilometers on the map.

Early morning climb to the "circuit of solitude"

2006-07-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

We learn to start as early as possible before the heat stuck.

Everybody are waking up between 5 and 6am and start to hike as soon as possible. Shuka would be glad.

First glimpse at mount Shintu

2006-07-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

Mount shintu (In the background) is the highest in corsica (2700m)
and has still alot of snow patches.

Hiking throgh the high passes

2006-07-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

You meet some people, but not too many. In the pass, every body stops for a while. Time to say hello and to drink water and eat some biscuits.

Nice flower

2006-07-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

June is the time for nice flowers in the high altitude. Don't ask me for their names....

crossing the river

2006-07-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

Loaded with my too heavy bag, I cross the river preparing myself to climb on the other side.

I don't know If you can trust the Cosican more then the nepalies, but it's written "No more then two person on the bridge" So I think I am on the safe side

Lonely giant pine

2006-07-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

The giant pines appears when I start going down back to the vally (at altidute of around 1800-1500 meters)

Don't they make the difference?

I fell in love with them instantly.

Lots of dents

2006-07-08T22:05:00.000-07:00

lots of dents in the rock.

Isn't it actually Sinai?

Above the clouds

2006-07-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

Clouds are coming in....

luckily we stay above them.

I think the clouds are moisture from the heat in the plains and not some serious threat. They disappear before sunset.

First pass

2006-07-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

Horary, I managed to carry my bag through the first pass.....

2006-07-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

When you climb up, the vegetation is disappering. There are only the mountains I should cross in the next few days

השיר על ארץ סיני

2006-07-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

Corsica’s mountains are made of Granite like Sinai. The heat is like Sinai, but abundance of water in the winter makes the difference

will I make it?

2006-07-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

The time is 8PM, My first Corsican sunset is facing the Granite Mountains, but I am still 2:20 hours from the refuge. (by the book).

Will I make it?

GR 20 Corsica 2006

2006-07-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here it's me on the first day, tired as hell