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http://homepage.eircom.net/~thehillwalker

"El Warro’s blade flashed through the air, slicing sharply and accurately. He stepped back to admire his sword work, the ‘W’ neatly carved in the bodice of the señorita opposite him. Suddenly there was movement behind him. El Warro whirled around to do battle…with a goat" As I struggled awake, I groggily appraised the wild goat trying to chew his way through my backpack. Where was I? What was going on? Ah yes, I had fallen asleep on one of my little siestas as I trekked through the heart of Corsica. Yawning, I stretched and picked up my heavy backup. Feeling its weight on my shoulders I once again felt a moment of regret that I had not brought Sherpa Hayden with me on this expedition. But No! There had been too many incidents with the Greek and Majorcan authorities on previous treks and there was only so many times the Irish Embassy would bail us out. So alone it was that I tackled the rugged beauty of Corsica in early May 2001.

Corsica is situated in the Mediterranean, north of Sardinia, between France and Italy. Part of France since only the 18^th Century, it still retains its own culture, though French is the chief language a visitor hears spoken. Physically it is a walker’s paradise, with heights of up to 2700m, largely unspoilt, with most of the island covered in sylvan woodland, clean rivers and rocky mountains. A particular feature of Corsica is the Marquis, the lovely (if thorny) covering of flowers and other plants that pervades the hills and culture of this land.

There were various options for travelling to Corsica, using France or Italy as a staging point, whether by plane or ferry. I ended up flying to the island via Paris. I could have started walking from the moment I landed in Ajaccio, so wild is the landscape.

There are at least five major marked walking routes on the island. Navigation was along paint-marked trails. After a few days one got use to the regularity of the markings and could sense when one had wandered too far without seeing a marker. To assist with navigation and allow greater appreciation of what you were witnessing, I would strongly recommend buying the French IGN Top 25 maps. These are a beautiful 1:25000 scale, with great accuracy, even along woodland trails. As an added bonus, the magnetic variance in central Corsica is currently less than 1 degree, making for easier compass work.

My plan (if I can be as bold in retrospect to call it that) was to do several consecutive stages of the epic GR20 walking route. I ended up having to change my plans because of the daunting prospect of having to carry lots of food to stay in unmanned mountain huts, and because of snow at 2000M+ on the GR20 between Refuge de Magano and Pietra Piana. I started with a short stay in lovely Vizzavona and did a walk toward D'Oro but could not reach the top because of the snow. I then took the train to Corte (which had the charm that Ajaccio lacked). After a day walk east to U Tombono, I set out westward on the Mare a Mare Nord, the northern coast to coast trail, along the Tavignano river to Refuge de Sega; There was torrential rain that day but I spent a cosy night by myself in the refuge.

There was drizzly rain for the next two days - I was getting very annoyed by the Sunday...but then the sun returned, and though there was no completely perfect day, the weather stayed fairly dry and bright. With the good weather, I could now do the REAL walking: Finally I got on the GR20 on the stage from Col de Verghio to Refuge de Mangano. That was a good walk. The next stage southward was blocked by snow so I went west down Rue de Zociu, a lovely valley, then on to a group of villages that did not have a loaf of bread between them. I went over to the next valley the next day and then headed up the Cruzini River to Refuge de l'Onda. Reaching the Bocca d'Oreccia was a beautiful moment - spectacular views all round. I had not met anyone that day but there were a Dutch couple in the refuge with who I was able to chat.

The next day I did the GR20 back to Vizzavona, my 'starting point' - this involved crossing a long stretch of snow which was tricky, but I was rewarded with constantly breathtaking views.

One feature of travelling this time of year was the very low density of people on the trails. I spent several nights as the sole occupant of dormitories, refuges and hostels. One night I even had my own personal hostel chef/warden cooking me a five course meal complete with wine. From June the trail becomes inundated with travellers, who may have to camp outdoors but I was always guaranteed a bed at the end of the day.

Wildlife encounters in Corsica consisted mainly of insects, various species of birds (no, no: just the winged variety) and quick little lizards basking on rocks. There were also domestic animals, including a very boar-like pig who escorted me with grunts of disapproval out of his field.

There was plenty of awkward moments on my trip I have to say - some arising from bad weather or my lack of the local language; I lost the trail twice, was under-equipped for prolonged rain, and got cut to pieces by thorns. I had to avoid a big horned bull that was blocking a river crossing and nearly stepped on a two-foot snake (the first I had ever seen, would you believe). Still, there were far more rewarding moments, friendly locals and fellow travellers, delicious food, perfect solitude, and a sense of achievement. Next time, I'll do the GR20 proper!

Since its founding in 1993, the Hillwalker's Club has organised a popular Map and Compass programme each year. The course aims to provide a comprehensive grounding in Mountain Skills and it typically involves three indoor evening sessions followed by three outdoor training weekends. The syllabus covered in the course is similar to the Mountain Skills courses (MS1 and MS2) prescribed by Bord Oiliunt Sleibhe - Irish Mountain Training Board and offered by the various Irish outdoor adventure centres (eg, Tiglin, Delphi, etc).

The Club in conjunction with the Irish Red Cross Society (IRCS) is organising a basic first aid course with emphasis on hillwalking-related injuries (Ed: hangovers?). The course will be given by IRCS personnel and will be of interest to members who want to increase their knowledge and skills in this area. Participants who successfully complete the course and assessment will be awarded a Basic First Aid Certificate.