Tag Archives: Corsica

BTwin in Corsica:1

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I rode BTwin with MapMyRide+! Distance: 22.68mi, time: 02:05:10, pace: 5:31min/mi, speed: 10.87mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1091448741
Tough ride, tougher than it should have been, even considering the steep hills and tremendous heat.
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Oh, and the very strong wind.
I felt terrible, maybe because I had too little breakfast. Also, this bike only has one bottle cage, so dehydration was a serious problem. In a few hours ride, I drank four bottles of water.
The return route was over familiar ground, but surfaces were rough.
The funniest bit was the flock of sheep being herded across the road. They were funny looking things, skinny legs and a very narrow snout. One was limping badly.

Monte Corona, Corsica,

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30°C, hot, sunny, ne wind.
Big climb: through endless pine and beech forest. The walk in was a long steady gradient through forest. A magical fairytale forest filled with strange animal sounds and clouds of butterflies that rise as you walk. Feathery lichens littered the ground and pillows of alpine flowers were in full but tiny bloom. What an enchanted place, intoxicating.
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What a big climb too, a long long slog I stopped at the refuge, a wooden hut provided for hikers on stage 1 of the GR20. Three horses waited nearby, untethered. Were they used to bring up supplies for the warden?
From there, I found the trail to the col and thence the summit of Monte Corona, 2,144m. Bolders covered the ground which made for good scrambling. They were solid, made of granite and offered a good grip.
I couldn’t stay at the summit for long, I feared loss of light at end of the descent in a dense forest.
A day of good fortune though. An easy, fast 2 hour descent got me to the road just as light failed. Only then did I need the head-torch. Even my frayed boot-lace held right to the end.

GR20 recce

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30C, clear, light ne.
Visit the start of the GR20 on Corsica. Planning a potential hike on past of the main route. The paths appear clear and well marked. The heights are way above what I am used to- more like the alps.
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We swam in the shallow rapids and sprang over large rounded bolders. It seems easy from here. The choice of routes is wide, from 2 hours to over 6. There is an 18km route that that includes a 2300m summit and a long ridge walk. Could take ten hours., but the return is long and follows  easy valley terrain.
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French bites

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19°C, light clouds. CR:35 miles

French bites are not like French Kisses- the bites are French but by Mosquitoes. The itch is persistent. So where have I been? Corsica, a mountainous island in the med- the most mountainous island of them all in fact. The landscape was rather like semi-desert, dry hot & dusty land, a dense soil of barren dust. Each step taken scatters lizards amongst plants that are so dry they almost rattle. that’s nothing though, the scent of the macchi was the most magical sensation from the place. It was like a mixture of fennel, artimesia,  annise, pine and the smell we get here in the England- oil-seed rape. A nice souvineer would be some plants that I can get for the garden. Oh and an olive tree– they’re not vulnerable to frosts.