By Liam Brown, Atom Packs ambassador
The GR20’s reputation gets thrown around a lot. The hardest long distance trail in Europe? Brutal? Unrelenting? After walking it in October from Conca to Calenzana in ten days, I’d say it earns that reputation, but it’s also one of the most rewarding routes I’ve ever hiked. The miles feel bigger out there. Every climb is steep, every descent seems to go on longer than you expect, and every ridge feels like a place you’ve earned your way onto.
I carried everything in the Atom Packs Pulse EP40. Mine was a personal colour choice, gifted to me through my work as a brand ambassador for Atom Packs. I went for the brightest colours I could think of: yellow, purple, green and blue. I’ve always loved that Atom Packs is a local UK brand based in the Lake District. Those hills are where I first learned to love hiking on the Coast to Coast trail, so taking a pack like that across Corsica felt like carrying a bit of home. It handled the scrambles, chains and endless climbing without once annoying me, which is all you want from a pack on a route like this.
I picked October because I wanted the GR20 without the heat, noise and queues you get in the summer. It worked out better than I expected. Mornings were cold enough for me to search for the sun just to warm up, afternoons were calm, and whole sections passed with no one in sight.
One morning I climbed into a thick whiteout, freezing wind hammering the ridge, the kind of weather that forces you to slow down whether you want to or not. Another afternoon I sat outside an empty refuge eating whatever food I could find in my pack because I’d hiked myself into that deep, bottomless hunger you only get on long days. My menu for the trip was basically couscous, meat/cheese, and whatever snacks hadn’t been crushed at the bottom of my pack. October strips the trail back to its basics, which suited me perfectly.
Starting in Conca, the trail wastes no time. Straight into lung busting climbs. People call the southern half “the easy part”, but there were days early on where I was using chains, squeezing past exposed rocks and dropping into valleys on tired legs.
The landscape is warm and open down there, exactly how you’d imagine a Mediterranean valley. One night I found a perfect little wild camp spot next to a stream, the kind of place that feels like your own pocket of the island.
I wild camped every night apart from Vizzavona, usually somewhere quiet and out of the way.
Vizzavona splits the GR20 in half. I reached it hungry, dusty and ready for a shower, so staying at the campsite made sense. Waking up there and starting the northern half felt like resetting the trail completely. You drop into a forest, then climb straight back into sharper, taller terrain.
The north is where the GR20 really shows what it’s known for: long ridges, technical scrambles and passes where you need to plan every move. The silence of October really made these sections feel even bigger.
There were moments up north that sum up the whole experience for me. Finding a tiny refuge late in the evening and listening to the owner play his guitar. Filling my bottle at a freezing stream after a huge descent and drinking half of it immediately. Standing on one of the highest points of the trail, looking down at a route that stretched across the entire island, knowing I’d walked every mile. It’s always the little things that stay with you.
Having the trail mostly to myself changed the pace completely. I never had to queue at chains or rush through a scramble because someone was behind me. I could take the technical terrain steadily, stop where I wanted and move at my own speed.
Water was still running, though I topped up whenever I could because late season sources aren’t guaranteed. Resupplying was simple: take what you can get when a refuge is open, and don’t expect anything fancy. It all added to the feeling of being properly self reliant.
The weather shifted quickly in the north too. One hour you’re in bright, calm sunshine, the next you’re climbing into freezing cold cloud where you can’t see your hands in front of you. Constant reminders of how exposed the trail is. The GR20 doesn’t let you switch off.
The final push towards Calenzana was as tough as everyone says. Big views, steep downhills and a long descent that tests your patience more than your legs. I passed a few cows that seemed confused by my presence before dropping into Calenzana itself. After ten days, it felt like the right amount of time. Hard enough to feel earned, long enough to settle into the rhythm of the trail.
Looking back, the GR20 in October gave me exactly what I wanted: a quieter, harder, more honest version of the route. Wild camping most nights made it even better. You carry what you need, you deal with whatever the mountains give you, and the day becomes very simple. Walk, eat, sleep, repeat. For me that simplicity is the whole point.
If you’re considering the GR20 outside the summer rush, October is well worth it. Pack light, prepare for cold mornings and accept that comfort isn’t really part of the deal. Everything else you learn as you go.
Liam :)
