Start 06h14 · Arrival 13h15. 11.2 km, +1,441 m and 7h01 in total for 5h12 of actual walking. On paper the numbers point to a first day kept under control, but it felt far heavier than that: too little sleep, a loaded pack, the heat, and the very strong human weight of Arnaud pulling out.
The night before we set off, I'd pictured myself sleeping like a stone. No such luck. Around 4 a.m. the campsite in Calenzana is already stirring: zippers, head torches, whispers that aren't really whispering. Some of the hikers are already up, and by 5.30 it's clear: nobody's going back to sleep.
We pack up. The GPS track has us starting at 06h14. We set off as three — Rodolphe, Benjamin, Arnaud. And from the very first steps there's a shadow over the day: Arnaud's ankle, sore for the past few days, worrying us in a way none of us wants to show too much. He wants to give it a go. We want to believe in it with him.
« So this first day marks both our real start… and the end of the GR20 as three. »
Leaving Calenzana starts off gently — tall grass, wooded stretches, almost kind. Then the gradient kicks in. Not all at once, but quickly enough for the pack to start reminding me of its weight. The sun rises behind us, lighting up the ridges ahead: it's stunning, almost unreal for a first morning. The GR20 doesn't leave you much time to take it in, though.
Very soon we're passing hikers already in trouble. No judgement, just an observation: plenty of people are finding out in real time that the GR20 is nothing like an ordinary hike. This very first stage is already sorting out the paces and the optimists. We keep moving carefully, not burning energy for nothing.
After the first views over the bay of Calvi, things get genuinely tougher. A few rocky sections, footholds to pick out, and with a loaded pack every move costs that bit more. The heat builds. The short night starts to tell. Hunger arrives earlier than expected.
For Arnaud the day quickly turns very hard. The ankle holds him back, his heart rate climbs, the enjoyment drains away. The three of us reach Ortu di u Piobbu — but the arrival doesn't have the same colour for each of us. For Benjamin and me, it's the first refuge. For Arnaud, it's a limit.
The refuge first shows up as a tiny dot in the mountains, seems close, then isn't really close at all. A feeling we'll come back to often. When we finally drop the packs, the relief is real. And a nice surprise: the beers are there. After a first stage this loaded with tension, they almost taste like an official reward.
Soon after we arrive, a storm breaks. The mountain changes face, and anything left unprotected is an instant reminder that, when you're camping, organisation counts as much as your legs.
The evening leaves a mixed taste. The dinner menu is frankly disappointing for the price being asked. After a day like that, a generous meal would have mattered. We leave the table feeling we'd paid a lot for a bargain-basement recovery. On the GR20, eating isn't only pleasure — it's performance for the next day.
For Arnaud, the aftermath of the stage is harder still. Even setting up the bivouac becomes a struggle. The night confirms what the day had already shown. So this first day marks both our real start… and the end of the GR20 as three. From the very next day, Benjamin and I will carry on as two.
