Doing the GR20 in 8 days means going twice as fast as planned to get from Calenzana to Conca, so the time needed to do the GR20 is estimated at 16 days! Corsica’s best-known trail was originally designed to be done in 16 days, so you’ll be doubling up on the stages set out in the topoguide, and sleeping in one refuge out of two.
Every day, you’ll come across a refuge halfway through the day to refuel. The GR20 in itself is a physical challenge, but doing the GR20 in 8 days is a real sporting challenge, requiring both material and physical preparation! Are you planning to do the GR20 in 2024? Here are some tips on how to do it in 8 days.
The stages of the GR20 in 8 days
Here you will find a list of all the stages of the GR20. The table below gives you an example of a simple breakdown of the GR20, which is in no way obligatory. You can also take into account the variants, in particular the one that avoids Matalza at the end of the route. Note that if you set out to double the stages, it’s because you either don’t have much holiday or have a sporting objective (and the training that goes with it).
The walking time estimates we give you below are calculated for a classic hiker: depending on your physical condition, you should normally go faster. If you want to cover twice as much distance per day, you won’t necessarily be walking twice as much
| KM | D+ | D- | Tps | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calenzana à Carrozzu | 19 | 2170 | 1200 | 13h30 | Partie 1 Partie 2 |
| 3 | Carozzu à Tighettu | 14 | 2000 | 1640 | 14h00 | Partie 1 Partie 2 |
| 4 | Tighettu à Manganu | 31 | 1620 | 1640 | 12h00 | Partie 1 Partie 2 |
| 5 | Manganu à L’Onda | 18,5 | 1330 | 1500 | 11h30 | Partie 1 Partie 2 |
| 6 | L’Onda à Capannelle | 26,5 | 1700 | 1700 | 11h15 | Partie 1 Partie 2 |
| 7 | Capannelle à Usciolu | 28 | 1600 | 1500 | 11h45 | Partie 1 Partie 2 |
| 8 | Usciolu à Asinau | 21 | 950 | 1140 | 8h45 | Partie 1 Partie 2 |
| 9 | Asinau à Conca | 28,5 | 970 | 2200 | 12h00 | Partie 1 Partie 2 |
| TOTAL | 186 | 12000 | 12000 | 95h00 |
Refuges for eating, refuges for sleeping
Here is a list of all the refuges on the GR20. If you want to do it in 8 days, you’ll come across 3 huts a day: the one you leave in the morning, the one you come across halfway along the route (normally for a lunch break) and the hut where you sleep in the evening.
| Arrêt | Altitude | Places | Plus d'infos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calenzana | Départ Jour 1 | 280 m | Plusieurs lieux | Plus d'infos |
| Ortu di u Piobbu | Repas "Jour 1" | 1520 m | 32 | Plus d'infos |
| Carrozzu | Dormir "Jour 1" | 1270 m | 36 | Plus d'infos |
| Station d’Asco Stagnu | Repas "Jour 2" | 1422 m | Plusieurs lieux | Plus d'infos |
| Tighjettu | Dormir "Jour 2" | 1683 m | 48 | Plus d'infos |
| Ciottulu di i Mori | Repas "Jour 3" | 1997 m | 26 | Plus d'infos |
| Manganu | Dormir "Jour 3" | 1600 m | 32 | Plus d'infos |
| Petra piana | Repas "Jour 4" | 1842 m | 28 | Plus d'infos |
| l’Onda | Dormir "Jour 4" | 1431 m | 28 | Plus d'infos |
| Vizzavona | Repas "Jour 5" | 954 m | Plusieurs lieux | Plus d'infos |
| E Capannelle | Dormir "Jour 5" | 1586 m | 15 | Plus d'infos |
| Prati | Repas "Jour 6" | 1820 m | 22 | Plus d'infos |
| Usciolu | Dormir "Jour 6" | 1750 m | 31 | Plus d'infos |
| Matalza | Repas "Jour 7" | 1410 m | 20 | Plus d'infos |
| Asinau | Dormir "Jour 7" | 1536 m | 28 | Plus d'infos |
| I Paliri | Repas "Jour 8" | 1055 m | 22 | Plus d'infos |
| Conca | Arrivée fin du jour 8 | 280 m | Plusieurs lieux | Plus d'infos |
Stories of the GR20 in 8 days
Do you have a question? Don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments section or on the GR20 forum. Discover here the stories of hikers who have completed the GR20 in this timeframe
Captain Rémi did the GR20 in 8 days with a friend. This was in 2016, but the story is still relevant today. Find out how he divided up the stages, his videos and the list of equipment he had planned.
An example of the list of equipment taken by a couple for their GR20 in 8 days
Not only will you have to be a little more sporty than the average, but you’ll also have to travel lighter to go twice as fast, with a lighter equipment list! Doing the GR20 in 8 days is no sporting feat, but it is a real challenge, and one that will be very complicated to achieve if you’re carrying 20 kg on your back! Besides, there’s no point in taking too much equipment, as you’ll be on the trail half as long as the others.
| Femme | Homme | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matériel | Poids | Matériel | Poids | |
| Sac à dos | Raid-light 30L | 796 g | Wilsa | 680 g |
| Pack avant | Pack avant Raid light (2012) 4L | 174 g | Pack avant Raid light (2013) 4L | 156 g |
| Sac de couchage | Vertical Combi Duvet - Ultralight -5°C | 710 g | Wilsa Down Ultralight 150 -2°C | 440g |
| Sacs de soie | Quechua Drap de Sac Soie | |||
| Pantalon | Raid light convertible (38) | 284 g | Vertical Toubkal Pantashort (44) | 466 g |
| Short de course | Kalenji (38) | 102 g | ||
| Tee shirt manche courtes | tee-shirt respirant *3 | 85 g | tee-shirt respirant (XL) *2 | 124 g |
| Tee-shirt manches longues | Be tween (S) | 144 g | ||
| Pull | Kalenji | 204 g | Raid light (Performer ML) XL | 238 g |
| Buff | 40 g | 40 g | ||
| Chaussette trail | 2 paires | 34 g | 2 paires | 48 g |
| Poncho | Quechua Poncho Arpenaz 25l | 330 g | Quechua poncho ville 300 | 240 g |
| Mitaines | 32 g | |||
| Chaussures | Saucony Xodus 4 (41) | 664 g | Saucony Xodus 4 (49) | 875 g |
| Claquettes | 70 g | 70 g | ||
| Mouchoirs | 15 g | |||
| 2 Brosses à dents + dentifrice + savon dAlep | 200 g | |||
| 1 rouleau de papier toilette | 110 g | |||
| Pharmacie | 92 g | |||
| Crème solaire reconditionnée en sachet zip | 30 g | |||
| Serviette | Pack Towl Ultralite taille L | 50 g | Pack Towl Ultralite taille L | 50 g |
| Soupe déshydratée avec pâtes *1 | 300 g | |||
| Muesli choco *2 | 500 g | |||
| Fruits secs (abricot mangue ) | 500 g | |||
| Poche à eau 2L | 2110 g | 2110 g | ||
| Sacs poubelles | *2 | 30 g | *2 | 30 g |
| Sachet double zip | *3 | 15 g | *7 | 35 g |
| Frontale *3 | Stoots minimax | 89 g | ||
| Tirette *4 (fait maison) | 46 g | |||
| Couteau | Opinel n°8 | 46 g | ||
| 2 Bâtons | Raid light trail pole *5 | 120 g | Quechua forclaz 500 light | 228 g |
| Chaussures | Saucony Xodus 4 (41) | 664 g | Saucony Xodus 4 (49) | 875 g |
| Claquettes | 70 g | 70 g | ||
| Chargeur de portable | 52 g | |||
| Appareil photo + housse | 310 g | |||
| Topo Guide | 188 g | |||
| Total (sac+ vétements)*6 | 6610 g | 7905 g |
Other useful links
Captain Rémi did the GR 20 in 8 days, read about his adventure.
Here’s a report from 4 members of the same association who completed the GR20 in 8 days, and the step-by-step adventure here.
All the other ways of doing the GR20 :
- Doing the GR20: the stages
- Do the GR20 in 12 days
- Do the GR20 in 10 days
- Do the GR20 in 7 days
- Do the GR20 in 5 days
- The GR20 in autonomy
- The GR20 Comfort
- The running GR20
- The GR20 Grand Luxe
- The GR20 on your own