Mon GR20 — The North–South traverse in 12 days
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Twelve days on foot across<br>the backbone of Corsica.<br>Reputed to be one of the most<br>demanding trails in Europe — and the most beautiful.
The GR20 at a glance
Short answers to the questions you ask yourself before diving into the story.
Are you fit enough ?5 concrete situations , an honest verdict : go, train first, or start gentler.<br>When to go ?Late June – early July and September . Summer stays hot and very crowded.<br>How many days ?16 days classic, 12 sporty like us. Compare the durations, from 6 to 16 days.<br>Which direction ?North→South for the vast majority. Both directions compared with data.<br>What budget ?From ~€500 self-sufficient to €1,300+ in refuges — simulate yours line by line.<br>Do I need to book ?Yes, it's mandatory. The Park refuges through the official booking system, the rest directly.<br>How to get there ?Plane or ferry, then bus or taxi : Calvi → Calenzana in the north, return from Conca in the south.<br>Is it dangerous ?Hard ≠ dangerous. The real risks — storms first — and how to manage them.<br>What to pack ?Pack, shoes, sleeping kit : the field-tested list, nothing superfluous.<br>The hardest stage ?Stage 6 , according to our data. The full ranked list of all 16.
The Mon GR20 tools
Three interactive tools built on the route's real data — free, no sign-up, and they run in your browser.
The stage plannerSplit your traverse day by day, at your own pace, in both directions — refuges, distances, climbs and GPX included.<br>The pack weight calculatorTick your gear, adjust the grams: your pack weight at stage start, computed live.<br>The budget simulatorOvernights at 2026 rates, meals, transport: your traverse budget, line by line.
The route, at a glance
182.4 km of planned route, from the granite north of Calenzana to the wild south of Conca. Twelve stages, twelve nights in a refuge or sheepfold. Click a number to read the stage.
Plan my stages
Calenzana<br>Conca<br>10<br>11<br>12
The twelve days
Calenzana → Conca<br>Difficulty: 1 accessible → 5 very committing
North Calenzana → Vizzavona · high granite mountains
01
01<br>Calenzana → Ortu di u Piobbu<br>The real start<br>11.2 km+1,441 m3 /5
02
02<br>Ortu di u Piobbu → Carrozzu<br>First day as a pair<br>8.0 km+753 m4 /5
03
03<br>Carrozzu → Haut Asco<br>The Spasimata<br>5.6 km+826 m4 /5
04
04<br>Haut Asco → Ballone<br>The big northern stage<br>9.9 km+1,175 m5 /5
05
05<br>Ballone → Castel di Vergio<br>A breather towards Vergio<br>13.7 km+727 m3 /5
06
06<br>Castel di Vergio → Petra Piana<br>The very long day<br>24.9 km+1,479 m5 /5
07
07<br>Petra Piana → Vizzavona<br>Descent back to civilisation<br>20.2 km+1,130 m5 /5
South Vizzavona → Conca · forests, lakes and Bavella
08
08<br>Vizzavona → Col de Verde<br>The south truly begins<br>26.9 km+1,465 m5 /5
09
09<br>Col de Verde → Usciolu<br>Learning to listen to your body<br>15.5 km+1,234 m5 /5
10
10<br>Usciolu → Croci<br>A mental grind<br>13.7 km+376 m4 /5
11
11<br>Croci → Paliri<br>Bavella and the storm<br>22.0 km+1,102 m5 /5
12
12<br>Paliri → Conca<br>The end of the trail<br>13.2 km+357 m3 /5
The GR20 in pictures
Sometimes a photo says it better than a thousand words why you go back.
Most beautiful spotsLakes, passes and panoramas
The galleryFrom day 1 to day 12
Why 182.4 km?
You often read ~180 km for the GR20: that's the rough figure of the official route . We keep 182.4 km, measured on the OpenStreetMap track of the trail — it's the distance shown everywhere on the site, and the one our planner and our GPX tracks use. On the ground, your GPS will often read a little more (zigzags, signal loss in the mountains, variants and refuge access). To prepare, rely on the 182.4 km .
The GR20 leaves little<br>room for<br>improvisation.
— Journal, day 1
Read the<br>full journal
See the 12-day itinerary →
© 2026 Rodolphe Bussers · Mon GR20 · mongr20.com<br>↑ Top