UKH

Happy new year all,

We're thinking of doing the northern section of the GR20 this coming year...but we're concerned about the exposure of the hike. The technicality of scrambling and climbing doesn't bother us but neither of us is a fan of much exposure. To give some context for comparison:

- Crib Goch - hated, found it very scary

- Jack's rake - didn't like, scary

- Tryfan north ridge - Fine, no issues

- Striding edge & Swirral edge - fine, no issues

From reading guidebooks and internet forums it is difficult to get an objective idea of how "exposed" the route is...using the above is anyone able to make a comparison that we might be able to compare it to. As you can probably tell from the above, we are ok with hands on rock as long as there isn't a huge great drop next to us! I understand the Cirque de Solitude is closed now which used to be exposed...what about the rest of the route?

Thank you in advance.

We did that part S-N in 2011 with three teenagers, including the Cirque. I recall only the Cirque as being a part where there was anything you could call exposure. The rest is just uphill and downhill and beautiful. Nothing like the exposed bits of Crib Goch.

I think you would be fine - there is nothing like Crib Goch. I did it with my dad who has no great head for heights. The hardship - I found - comes from the continuous rocky ground on the joints and muscles! You will be scrambling with a heavy load which can be quite a different experience so I'd try a couple of Grade 1 scrambles with a load, if you haven't already?

It is great walking but the huts are basic, the wardens an acquired taste, and the route can be crowded if you pick the wrong month. 

At the time I thought that the caricatures in Asterix in Corsica must have been based on the wardens in Ciottulu di i Mori. Not a glimmer of a smile but their coffee was the best.

Going S-N I think we missed travelling with most of the traffic and I don't recall a tide of humanity heading our way. That was in July. 

Others have complained about the refuges on here. Bed bugs were mentioned. I didn't notice and wouldn't have liked them, but did enjoy each evening we spent at the stops, apart from the food prices.

Haha - glad it wasn't just me. On the plus side, however much they hated the Brits, they hate the (mainland) French a lot more! That Asterix is a useful guide to the boar sausage and the Corsican scowl.....

I found that three words of Corsican got me a lot further than fluent french...

Without decent French we would have struggled. Half the refuges had no record of our booking, and the Parc website had given us no confirmation either.

None of them turned us away however, and the old guy at Petra Piana did a heroic job of turfing out the Kafka reading Czech yoofs from the bunk spaces we had booked, after they had failed to understand words in French, German and English to the effect of 'Oi, that's our bunk you've nicked!'. They understood his French very well.

True. I just mean in terms of the demeanour of the guardiens 

You will be fine, there are a couple of steep sections with rocky steps but they are protected by ladders and cables and if I recall correctly can be bypassed with lower level alternatives. Have a look at our blog from 2015

http://h18-orr.blogspot.com/2015/08/gr20-for-fell-runners.html?m=1

we did it N-S in 9 stages, we found that as we headed further south those who were still going had light packs, those with heavy packs didn’t make the 2nd week.

Leaving early means you avoid all the crowds.

I found the Corsicans very friendly in an unsmiling way. You're right about the antipathy to the French. Understandably they love the Irish and Basques, and being Scottish went down well too. I agree that Asterix en Corse is an excellent introduction to Corsica.