Stage 10 — Vizzavona to Bergeries d' E Capanelle

The train ride from Bastia to Vizzavona was a nice way to ease back into the Corsican interior, its terrain, people, and visitors. We shared our ride with teenagers traveling south to Ajaccio for a day at the beach; tourists taking a day trip out of Corte; hikers planning to walk the GR20 from Vizzavona to Calenzana; and many others perhaps on their daily commute. We arrived in Vizzavona at about 10AM (which is pretty much "on time" for SCNF) and bought a few provisions in the bar/store at the gare, then walked to the trailhead for a few photos. With partially cloudy skies and a decent starting time (though well later than hikers continuing on from the North) we were guaranteed a worry free, casual hike to our first stopover. Distance-wise, the days on the GR20 South are longer than in the North, but the terrain is a bit more forgiving.

We walked along the forest road for a mile or so before starting to wonder if perhaps we had missed a sign for the trail. I have the IGN Top 25 maps for most of the GR20, but one section that I don't have is the area around Vizzavona. We couldn't be sure if we'd missed a turnoff and kept walking along the road, reasoning that we'd meet the trail at some point. But after a few major switchbacks and no red-and-white trail markers, we decided to turn back and find a blaze. As it turned out, we had missed the trail signs early on. I vaguely recall our "green tent" compatriots from the GR20 North mentioning that the trail could easily be lost just south of Vizzavona, and we now had first-hand experience.

We were back on the (very well marked) trail at about noon, so we walked for just a bit before stopping for lunch. The section of the GR20 out of Vizzavona is low in elevation, keeping well in the shade of the pines and beech trees. For the first few hours Monte d'Oro was in view behind us, and the trail was steady going. As the trees thinned out a bit we became more aware of the weather, and donned some light rain gear just in case. This is also where we met the first of many hikers traveling north. We kept a quick pace up and over the Bocca Palmente and down to the vacant but picaresque Bergeries d'Alzeta. Our day had been extended by a few hours, but we were making good progress and took a long break for some photos and a snack.

The next notable stop on this section was the Crete de Cardu, which seems to have two permanent equine residents judging by our experience and pictures I've seen by other hikers. The horses grazing in the alpine pasture complement the beautiful vista the the south — the first view of the country in which we'd be spending the next week.

We continued along the forested path, where just before reaching the Bergeries de Scarpacceghje we met the first hikers going our way. We stopped at the bergerie, which was somewhat overgrown with weeds and must have been uninhabited for a few seasons. After a snack and a glance at the trail guide, we started off again on the last part of the day's hike. There is a short uphill section towards the end of the stage that, after walking so many miles on the first, long, jet-lagged day, seemed a particular physical challenge. But soon we had reached a paved road that brought us to the Bergeries d' E Capanelle, our destination for the night.

The bergerie is located at the base of a ski lift and trails, with a limited number of tent sites separating the bergerie from the actual refuge/gite where hikers are welcome to stay. On one side of where we set up our tents was a German couple with their young daughter, who were sleeping under the stars. On the other side were 3 couples from eastern Europe, judging by their language. Other hikers had already set up their tents and were busy organizing their campsites, resting, and cooking dinner. While we found the surroundings to be somewhat of a let-down relative to other stages on the GR20, the proprietors were friendly and served us great traditional Corsican food.

During dinner we shared the dining room with the German family, the couple who we had passed on the trail, a group of three French people, and a few couples. We didn't talk much to others that night, since we had risen so early that day, and taken the long route after missing the trail (we had added perhaps 4 or 5 miles to the normal 10 mile stage, though the extra miles were on a gently graded forest road). As is usual for the second night after shifting several time zones, I was awake in the middle of the night. I headed out of my tent for a short walk, and was amazed how clear the stars and the milky way were.

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