CORSICA GR20 Phase 3: DAYS 9th-10th-11th-12th days
GR-20. HIKING DAY 12: Refuge d'Ortu di u Piobbu, 1.520m - Calenzana, 275m
4h30min (4h in movement) 11,5 km +250m/-1500m
We get up at 6:00 a.m. calmly pack up the tent and prepare the backpacks and go to the hut for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. At this time (it is already a bit late for people who start the day going from north to south) there is no one but us, so we have breakfast alone at one of the tables outside. Today being the last GR20 day, we take it easy.
They serve us coffee with powdered milk, bread with jam, 1 juice and 4 cookies! A luxury breakfast for being in a hut.
At 7:45 a.m. we set off, at first a little cold but then we warm up; stone path with slides, descents and ascents through the forest.
Starting the day, leaving the refuge d’Ortu
Starting the day, leaving the refuge d’Ortu
We go down and we find a chain to help us pass through a stretch of smooth rock that is a bit complicated, and little by little we leave behind the high mountain landscape and the stones to begin to descend gently through the forest and along a rural path without any complication, what a relief for the knees!
Hey, this is still Paglia Orba!
Down through the forest, overlooking the Mediterranean sea 🙂
We see that the forest burnt down few years ago, the trees are still black, but vegetation has already started to grow and the undergrowth is green again.
Easy descent through forest path
Very nice views of the Calvi bay
Burnt undergrowth
We came across a herd of goats freely grazing. We continue going down, with views already very close to the Mediterranean coast. It seems so unreal so many high mountains at such a short distance from the sea.
Herd of goats grazing
We keep going down and it gets hotter and hotter, in fact it’s really sweltering. We continue until we see the path connecting with the ‘Mare e Monti’ and we see Calenzana in the background, with its characteristic white bell tower. In 30 minutes we already reached our final destination; Calenzana, at 12:00 noon.
Arriving at the final destination, views of Calenzana
Super happy and proud, GR20 completed!
Photo finish at Calenzana
We just met Jose Manuel, and the three of us go to eat together and celebrate with a good beer, the great feat.
Celebrating the culmination of the GR20 with José Manuel, in Calenzana
And we can only say THANKS; to all the good people we have met along the GR20, to all those we have not met but whose looks alone have given us all the motivation, to all the people of Corsica always ready to help, and finally to the Mountain; majestic mountain ranges that we have been able to walk throughout all these days, that have dazzled and welcomed us, have made us grow and appreciate all this privileged environment that together we must take care of.
THOUSAND and THOUSAND Thanks!
After lunch we take the bus at 3:05 p.m. to Calvi (8 euros per person) that leaves us near the city centre and we jsut go to the hotel that we booked until tomorrow to finish spending the day quietly discovering the citadel of Calvi, and rest!
Citadel of Calvi
Views of the bay of Calvi from the Citadel
And what a pleasant surprise at the very last moment of the journey! Looking for a restaurant to dine in the center, we saw the 2 French friends who we met during the GR20 and who did not meet last night. On that day we “doubled” (from Asco we passed the Carrozzu refuge to spend the night at d’Ortu di u Piobbu refuge) and they went from Asco to Carrozzu and “doubled” the last day; from Carrozu to Calenzana.
They did not look very good, they were red as tomatoes, as he faced a very long day today, with full of sun and without water points.
Very happy to hear from each other, we toast once again to complete this memorable journey.. And for many more! 
Celebrating the culmination of the GR-20 with our French friends, in Calvi
