GR20 EN 4 JOURS | L'aventure en autonomie totale, possible?

I've been smashed by the GR, it's eating me, but raw, almost with thoughts of giving up. Here I am, about halfway along the GR20 to Vizzavona. I've got to tell you, I've really had a blast tonight. The terrain is extremely difficult, which I didn't expect. It's really a love/hate story with this GR20. Hate, because of the extreme pain in my body and love in my heart and eyes, everything I see and feel on this GR. The GR20, a mythical trail in Corsica considered one of the most difficult in the world in this format. It crosses Corsica from Calenzana in the north to Conca in the south, covering some 180 km and 11,000 m of ascent. A fearsome adventure with lakes, ridges and, of course, the famous pebble salad. I've heard tons of incredible stories about this GR, but above all I've felt a lot of love, respect and pride from the Corsicans when they talk to me about this trail. I need big challenges in my life to inspire me, to confront the elements, and to grow. The GR is clearly a terrible challenge. Welcome to a new adventure. Right there, at the far end, the GR20, the mythical GR20, the trail that crosses the whole of Corsica from north to south through the mountains, which I've never yet had the chance to do, and which I'm going to start today. So, what's special is that we're going to do it a little faster than planned. Usually, it takes about a fortnight to do the GR. Now I'm going to do it in four days, well, I'll try. We'll see if I can do it or not. In any case, the special thing is that Franklin has everything behind his back. The aim is to do it completely autonomously. In other words, I want to stock up on water, food, bedding and medicine, I've got it all on my back, here. We'll start with the little rituals. We brought out the sticks, look it's 4:59 a.m. We're now going to look for the track, navigate. A course. GR20! Yes, sure. We'll also start the InReach. There, it's started. It's ready, but we've just got to go. 1,000 m in the face, right from the start, 05:00 in the morning, that's what's in store for us. Come on, I'll take you with me. Listen, it's the first morning of the GR20, […] The idea is to move as much as possible in the morning, […]. It's dangerous. Passages at altitude, discovered. Corsica wakes up slowly. The first rays of sunshine. The famous pebble salad with the sun rising. Now that's beautiful. That's where it's going to start. By the way, folks, I wanted to let you know that this project is supported by my partner IRUN. For your information, IRUN doesn't just make running gear. They also make hiking, adventure and bivouac gear. In fact, I've got a big chunk of it on my back. So, if you, too, are looking for good gear to set off on an adventure like that. Don't hesitate to take a look at their website. Come on now, it goes on, let's go. I arrive at the first refuge, which is normally the first stage. This was a tough part of the GR, but it's not going to be easy behind. Last night, I made a last-minute strategic choice. I spoke to my Corsican friend Nicolas, who's used to doing the GR20. He said: "There are a lot of sources." Like here, just after the first refuge, it's still flowing hard, as you can see. Here's the water coming from the mountain, nice and cool. So my strategic decision was not to take the extra two-liter, two-kilo water bag. I preferred to leave with two flasks here and a third empty flask behind. For the long stretches, I've already spotted. I still have my filter gourd here, which I use to fill the others. To at least filter anyway, even if the water is clean, you never know. It would be a shame to catch a stomach bug. I was told it was technical. I wasn't expecting this, it's strong stuff. I can see a shelter down there. I hope they've got some water, or at least a spring because I'm dry. Refuge de Carrozu, which is stage number two. Very nice place. What do the Garmin InReach want? I get little messages, it's cool when you're off the grid. Maybe encouragement. Spasimata footbridge. Finally, the least technical thing on the GR. Damn. The climb. I get roughed up by the GR. Here I am at the Bocca Di Stagnu pass, where the official GR continues to the Asco resort. The ski resort in winter, but we're not going skiing today in this heat. Here, I don't want to take the official GR, I want to take the old GR to head back toward the cirque. On the ridge above Asco, it's a real mess. A potato field, no sorry, a rock field, no path. I don't know how to describe it. Where's the path? I've gone mad. I'm going crazy. It's the house that's driving you crazy. I'm too scared to miss out anyway, can you imagine? A piece of cake, even six kilos, 9 hours. I'm still painting. 26 kg, 9 hours. So, anything. I am […] Direction, the circus of solitude. Listen, Altore reserve, very beautiful, but then a pebble there, a pebble there, a pebble there and brief. I don't mind looking at that thing back there. This is the pass for a full cirque de la solitude, the famous cirque de la solitude. It's aptly named because since I left the new GR, I haven't seen anyone, it's absolute solitude. Come on, let's switch to this famous circus. Here we go, it's looking tough. I'm finally out of this circus of solitude. Climbing, I didn't know I had to climb. Climbing with such a heavy pack on my back. It's […]. Danger. Yes, danger. I understand. Go on. I think I'm taking a sick drop. That was downhill. Just like on the way up, there were big slabs on the way down. Come on, let's keep moving because it's still a long day to the Vergio pass. Go on. Hi you. With the challenge, I'm setting myself today, I have to tell you that I'm the donkey today. I don't give a shit. From the Bocca Minuta pass up there, at the exit of the cirque de la solitude, it's a long way down. It's not easy, I'm […], but you grit your teeth. That's also what makes you progress. I can't wait to put the bag down tonight, […] a bit anyway. Ciottulu Di I Mori refuge, I think it'll be the last one I pass today before the Vergio pass. It still smells of food, so I'm off. Shit, I'm off the trail. What the hell did I do? You should have gone left. Luckily, my watch has the beep, it really saved me. So, I don't know if you can see it, the blue arrow. And then the trace a little to the left. You had to switch to the path below. 08:15 p.m., I left at 05:00 in the morning. I wasn't expecting this. I was hoping to get there before dark because… it was too much of a pain to get out the headlamp yet. Too hard on the mind, especially. We left at 05:00 a.m. It's been 16 hours since I was brutalized by the GR. No, but can you believe it? Elevation gain, 5,100 m. Distance 48 kilometers, 16:00 -16:05. I was blown away by the GR. He's eating me, but raw. I didn't get off to a very good start tonight. Almost had thoughts of giving up. Bitumen is good. No more stones. I'm dry. I'm dry. […] What a day! What a crazy day! It's a little cold on the pass. I'm going to pitch my tent. Food. More food. Too much food. What a heavy bag. […] here's my card. Day number two. […] in the legs. I broke my glove, as well as the stick. Complicated today. Little sun, waking up early. I can see the northern mountains through which I came. It's high, it's sharp. You told me it would be the same one that can after the pass. What I see ahead, I don't know if it's calming down. Another beautiful ridge line. 07:00 in the morning, isn't it time for a cup of coffee? Yesterday, I had my espresso in a bar. Today, we'll take it liquid, like a real cup of coffee. Chocolate, coffee, isn't that nice? Luxury. I hope this will give me a bit of a boost because I'm not feeling very power this morning. So we left the Vergio Pass here. Up toward Lake Nino. Come on, let's take a look at the weather and I think that in the big mountains, it's especially here that it's going to be dangerous for thunderstorms. This morning, slightly overcast, that's what we see up there. Stormy around 14:00, wind eight km/h, 30%, not violent. But it's cool to be able to get the weather like this, off the grid. Thanks, InReach. From Lake Nino, it's pretty flat, so you can unwind a bit. It feels good, I didn't know it was possible on the GR. Refuge de Manganu, this is where the big mountain starts up again and we get back on the slopes. Slopes, 40%. Lots of rocks. Look at that. I think I'll sit up there and eat something. This GR makes me suffer, but sometimes he gives me a good one too. Lake Capitello and Melo, it's just too beautiful. Bocca Muzzella, 2,210 m. And this is the direction to Pietra Piena, the famous refuge over there. We're not bored. Hi, girls! So, not even a little encouragement? That's nice. I took out the jacket. There's a bad wind there, like gray clouds up there forming. As luck would have it, it's just as I pass the highest point of the stage. Come on, I've just passed the last pass of the day. And then, oh dear… We grit our teeth, last descent. I'm out of water, I hope to cross the river soon. Come on, a quick update after two days on the GR. Honestly, it's super easy, a freeway. I wonder why all these people say it's so hard. I'm bursting, it's hell. I can't take it anymore. I was told that the more it progressed, the better it would be, but honestly, I dislocated my ass again today. I had a little moment to breathe at Nino's lake, but after all, I had a full slice. There, this descent to Vizzavona, it's never ending. So I don't know if I'm going to go through with it. I'm busted, my feet are dead. I have the back, it's dead. I have muscles that are finished. We'll have to hang on one day at a time. The GR in four days is tough, but it's not exceptional. I reserve the exceptional for those who had the courage to do it in one go. So, I was obviously thinking of Lambert Santelli, who has the record in about 30h20, and Anne-Lise Rousset, who has the women's record in 35h50, a little under 36 hours. I have already done a good part of the GR, and I can tell you that what they have done is really huge, I am truly in awe. Come on, let's start the routine. My portable kitchen has everything there, built in. We'll still be able to cook after a day like this. Come on! First, we're going to put the little foot in so that it doesn't spill because once the water is boiling, when it spills, you're disgusted. At worst, if it spills on your foot, then you're even more disgusted. We are going to take apart our little "pocket ultra light" burner. It still weighs its weight. Himalayan rice and lentils, a little journey. For me, 640 Cal is what I'm going to need. But before that, we're going to have a starter, a little organic tabbouleh with peppers and grapes. Here. We will have a luxury dessert, apple-raspberry compote. In any case, what also interests me is that I remove 200, 300 grams. There you go, magic. It's part of my little evening ritual, I also like to take out my mini pump which always makes everyone hallucinate to inflate my mattress, and off we go! - Stiff, this morning? - Yes, it's stiff. Come on, start day number three. I was thinking of quitting last night. This morning when I woke up I was in pain all over, but I said: "I'm going." However, today they announced big storms. This is the thing we don't want on the GR20, it's dangerous and especially because it should happen this afternoon, the moment when I'm on the big ridge. So, it's a bit scary, it's almost 2000 meters, but we definitely don't want to take any risks. So, we're going to keep our fingers crossed that this little sun that is showing itself over there between the trees stays with us. There, since this morning, the path is pretty much clean, rather clean, well, clean, Still, there are a few stones. Another long day ahead of me, "let's go." The landscape has clearly changed in this southern part of the GR20. Then Vizzavona is radically different from the great pine forests. Clean, hassled singles. Look, there, right in front of me, it's pretty clean, it reminds me a bit of landscapes in the United States close to the Western States which took place not so long ago. It brings back good memories. It's as hot, by the way. Luckily, you come across a few springs sometimes. Otherwise, you end up dry. "Bocca di verdi." - What's wrong with you, are you depressed or what? - Dude, you have no idea how much pain this is. You're passing something like that, there, behind me. It's smoking, it smells of grilling. They eat huge loads of fries. I see a can of Coke, I even see a little Pietra, and all I get is water. It's super hard. We mustn't hang around here, come on, let's get out of here. Heading toward the Prati refuge. There are weather trends, they were right. It's cloudy on both sides, white on one side, very gray on the other. I'm not going to hang around here because the Lens ridges are coming. It seems that it is a fairly technical and aerial passage, also very exposed. I'm a little scared, but at worst, there are one or two shelters there, on the ridge to rest and protect yourself. Come on, here we go again. I just saw a huge plate of Corsican charcuterie, it hurt me. It hurt me. - Mat, what are you doing? - PLS. As expected, here I am right in the clouds on the ridge between Prati and Usciolu. The atmosphere is special, it's a bit scary all the same. I'm going to take too much, it has to happen right when I'm at the top. Damn, it's freezing. Here I am at the Usciolu refuge. With what I just took in the face up there, I want to stop here with a little comfort. Another ten kilometers, a bit of ridge, a bit of descent to Matalza, the refuge of my friend, Julien. Tomorrow when I wake up, it will be behind me. It's good for morale, even if he's a bit down there. 57 kg, I'm lean. How are you? - How are you, my boy? - I'm fine, yes. - How are you? You got a nice tan, anyway. - Did you see? I'm burned out. Honestly, I didn't expect that. - Yes. - People tell me: "It's hard." But, you know? I do a lot of trail running, so when people tell me: "It's hard," it's okay. - But, you have to see it for… - At the meeting, for example, […], everyone tells me: "It's hard." Two years ago, I crossed it all in four days like that. […]. There, it's twice as hard. Have you run a bit with it? - Yes, I exploded on the climb of Bavella. I jumped, complete. - From Bavella? - In the needles. But he already had everything in his legs, did you start there? - No, I started here. - Did he push you hard starting here? - He pushed me hard on the climb to Bavella. - But he already had 140 miles in his legs? - Well, I guess. - Did you take the Shortcut or what? - Shortcut direct. - […]. - Yes. - And we move on to […]? - Arrived at the Matalza refuge, from Vizzavona, 59.33. Are we going to do the 700 m that are missing to round off to 60? It's dead, I'm not going. I'll stop there. What is the best time? Did Lambert do it? - It's Lambert, yes. - 5 p.m. - 5 p.m.? - 5 p.m. - He leaves for two, three days to run, four days. - Yes. - Tonight, I'm going to kiss him and I think I'll see him again in four years. - Yes, you speak. - I'm still laughing. - Afterwards, recovery takes at least six months. Hello everyone. Five o'clock in the morning. It's all soaked there. We are at an altitude of 1600 m on the plateau in front of the Matalza refuge, but it is freezing. Last day, I'm going to light my little stove, make my last breakfast. I'm going to miss it, but at the same time, I'm not going to miss all of that. Come on, we'll warm up a little with that. Yes, all these are small gestures that we forget to do in our comfortable daily lives. It's good sometimes to lose a little comfort to realize to what extent having a small tap, having a shower, having a gas cooker, hotplates, is still a great luxury. But here, we come back to a little bit of essentiality. So, do you know what that is, friends? This is my secret magic oatmeal that keeps me powered all day long. This is the last dose because it is the last day. Are you ready? Here is my breakfast. I don't want to tell you everything, reveal everything to you, but well… It's clear that we can see that there is oatmeal. We can see that it is a little bit dark, there is chocolate powder. I also put a little bit of oil to have a bit of fat for the day, a little bit of sugar. Yes, and then, the rest of the secret ingredients, we will keep them for Panoramix. Here we go again, day number four and the last one. Bye, Matalza refuge. Bye, Julien. It's tough, every morning. Come on! All the animals here are striped. There's even the tiger cow, can you believe it? Damn, he freaked me out. After the tabby cows, the tabby dogs. Hello, tigers. Passage to the pass, below, there, on the Bocca Stazzunara ridge. There, a big dilemma that often arises, when you pass a pass that is below the summit with a small summit to the left: "To go to the summit or not to go to the summit? "To take the cherry on the cake or not to take it?" This morning, I took the cherry. Welcome to the Incudine summit, super beautiful with the view of the Bavella needles where I'm going in a moment. In the background, we see the great mountains of the north. So today there was supposed to be a storm around 1:00 p.m. Then, I was strongly advised not to cross the needles during the storm because here, it is a place that is extremely violent when there are storms. Besides, it seems that the cross once took lightning in the face and it cut it in two. Besides, we can see that there is a piece missing there. You have to be very careful, friends, when you pass by here. If there is a storm, stay at the shelter and wait for it to pass. We continue toward the sea of ​​clouds over there like this, Conca, that will be the end tonight. This descent below the summit of Incudine, 1.5 km, 600 m of drop. Let me tell you, it's a wall. The classic route or the alpine variant of the Bavella Needles? He will decide. - I think we'll go over there. - Are we going there? - Yes, we're going there. - You're a little devil, you. - Yes, did you see how it goes up? - Come on, I'm listening. Come on, let's go! Come on, in the last big difficulty of this GR, the needles variant. There, they are just above in the clouds, we can't see them. I am disgusted. Like yesterday, I did the whole ridge in the clouds. I don't see the most beautiful places. You have to imagine them. Bavella Pass. I am with Antho, my videographer. The bastard with the drink you're not allowed to name. So much so that we know it's bad for our health, but we all drink it in secret. - Does it make you want it or not? - Bastard. - It's fresh and everything, my man. - I'm going to suffer. I'm not going to break down now. There are 18 miles left to Conca. It's almost over. Last descent toward Conca, still quite technical. So, there is a view too. This setting, you are not ready. Come on, I'll show you. I just got a little message from Enrich in Moronto there. On the last descent, he said to me: "Mat, it's the dolce vita down there, coconut trees, ice cream, restaurants and the drink whose name we can't pronounce." Maybe that will make me speed up. Direction Conca, last descent. To be. You know, running for a long time in the mountains is now a bit of my daily life. I managed to find some sort of comfort in his long days spent trudging through the wilderness. So, I need huge challenges like this GR20 to get out of my zone because I miss the extra comfort. I'm going to do things that challenge me and make me grow. There, I can tell you that I took a few years in there. On the GR20, what I noticed about the arrival was that it was like a house that gets hit by big storms all day. It rips out tiles, cracks the walls, and at every turn, the goal is to patch it all up with big, strong cement. After that, you're really stronger. I think it will serve me well in the future. I can already see people asking me if one day I'd like to do this GR in one go. Honestly, after what I've just been through, I'm thinking "4, no way." It's really too hardcore. You know that with time, you digest a little and then, one day, you change your mind. It's steep. It's as stiff as… I got a little bonus too. I won't say anything. ❤️ by ClosedCaptioner.com