﻿ Solo Hiking and Safety | Corsica.forHikers.com

Solo Hiking and Safety


Posted: Wed, May 9, 2018, 6:36

Hi All

I am thinking of doing a self-guided hike of the Mare e Monti Sud trail on my own. That is, I'll be using a company to book all my accommodation and take my suitcase from place to place, while I just hike each day with a day pack.

I've done these sort of holidays about a dozen times in mainland France, Italy and the UK. I've never had any trouble finding a company to take my booking. For that matter, I've never had any trouble on the hikes themselves. However, I can only find one that will accept solo bookings (with a large single supplement) on Corsica. All the others insist on a minimum of 2 people "for safety reasons" for any of the trails they have on offer. Is Corsica really that risky a place for hiking? It's not as if I'm planning on tackling the GR20 solo.



Posted: Wed, May 9, 2018, 12:22

We travelled the Mare Monti Sud as part of a triple of routes from Calinzana to Porto Vecchio.
The MM Sud was the least busy of all. If I recall correctly we met just three young French and after stage two they disappeared and reappeared at Burgo after going to the sea for a bit and then thereafter followed one stage of the Mare a Mare Sud before somehow heading for home.
Of all of the Corsican routes Mare e Monti Sud was the least memorable.
The Mare a Mare Sud could be more suited perhaps for your needs. Lots of folks...refuges at every overnight and with luggage being transported....also several groups of folks. We camped most of the time on this and ate in some of the refuges.
Topo Guide, Entre mer et montagne for Corse has much information and maps etc.



Steve Dan

Posted: Thu, May 10, 2018, 6:07

Hi Barbara.
There is no reason whatsoever why you shouldn't enjoy walking in Corsica on your own. I've met many solo hikers ( both male and female) on the trails over the years, including on the GR20, all enjoying their walks without incident. Pick your trail, and enjoy your walk.
I'll be back in Corsica myself on June 3rd, to walk the Mare a Mare Centre and then, funnily enough, link up with the Mare e Monti Sud down to Porto Pollo to create my own version of a coast to coast.
Have fun


Posted: Thu, May 10, 2018, 7:17

Hi Steve

I'm pleased to hear you've met many other solo hikers. I couldn't understand why the various hiking companies seemed to think Corsica was so dangerous. That it isn't profitable for them to provide their services to a solo hiker I could understand but not safe seemed odd to me. I couldn't see what made Corsica so much more risky than other European countries.



Posted: Thu, May 10, 2018, 17:48

Going alone is safe as long as you 1/ stay on the well-trodden paths (and go back as soon as there's a doubt); and 2/ are not in a hurry (only a moron would rather die than miss their plane). Should you get lost due to e.g. fog or carelessness, things can go awry very fast.

A handful of hikers disappear every year in Corsica - including trained ones, and natives as well, and even under clement skies at a low altitude. Two locals died over the last 6 weeks: one (a 50-ish man) was found dead ~15mn from his home in Corte, likely from a bad fall. The body of the other (a 70-ish lady) still hasn't been recovered after she went for an easy walk only 3 km from Bastia.


Geology in Corsica