Prepare
The GR20 with a fear of heights
"I want to hike the GR20 but I'm scared of heights." It's one of the most common fears — and one of the most poorly answered. The good news: the sections people dread most are now either closed or optional. Here, section by section, is where it really is exposed and how each one is handled.
The short answer
Yes — it's doable with a mild fear of heights
The GR20's reputation oversells the exposure. The single most feared stretch — the Cirque de la Solitude — has been closed and bypassed since the deadly rockfall of June 2015 (seven lives lost): you no longer cross it. And the most technical bits that remain, like the Bavella alpine variant, are optional: the waymarked route stays calmer.
What's left is a handful of short, equipped, well-known passages. With a mild fear of heights (the kind that tightens your stomach but still lets you move), decent weather and a sensible pace, the vast majority of hikers get through. A severe, freezing fear is another matter — we'll be honest about that at the end.
The real danger on the GR20 isn't the drop, it's the decision: setting off along a ridge in a storm. Weather does far more damage than exposure. Read the safety page first — that's what keeps you alive, not the absence of a fear of heights.
The sections
Where it's genuinely exposed, stage by stage
Across the 182.4 km of the route, the exposure is concentrated in a handful of spots, almost all in the northern half. Here's the honest map:
| Section | Stage | Type | Exposure | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spasimata slabs & footbridge | Stage 3 (Carrozzu → Haut Asco) | Polished slabs with a fixed chain + suspension footbridge | Moderate | Short and cabled; slippery when wet |
| Climb to the Pointe des Éboulis (ex-Cirque) | Stage 4 (Haut Asco → Ballone) | Mineral ridge and scree, high point 2,607 m | High | The most alpine stage; airy but no climbing |
| Northern ridges & cols (Capitello, Bocca Minuta) | Stages 4 to 7 | Ridges and short rocky steps | Moderate to high | A few airy steps, never for long |
| Bavella alpine variant | Stage 11 (Asinau → Paliri) | Slabs + fixed handrails | High — optional | The normal route avoids it: skip it if heights scare you |
These stages rate 4 to 5 out of 5 for difficulty, mostly for the technical ground. You can split them to tackle them fresh and rested: the planner recalculates your stages to match your pace.
On the ground
The sections that stick with you, and how they go
The Spasimata (stage 3). This is the GR20's postcard shot: a suspension footbridge over the torrent, then big slabs of polished rock fitted with a chain to hold onto. What unnerves people is the smooth rock and the angle — not a sheer drop. It's short. Go slowly, use the chain, and avoid it in the rain: wet, those slabs get genuinely slippery.
The Pointe des Éboulis (stage 4). Since the Cirque de la Solitude closed, the official route climbs to the GR20's high point (2,607 m). It's a steep, mineral climb over scree and ridge: airy, yes, but with no climbing moves. The exposure comes from the altitude and the open ground, not from a cliff edge. Take your time and watch your footing on the scree. The exact status of the Cirque is covered separately.
Bavella, and the false fear (stage 11). You'll read that Bavella is terrifying: it's the alpine variant (slabs, handrails) that is — and it's optional. The normal GR20 route past the Bavella needles is far gentler. If heights scare you, you take the normal route, full stop.
Techniques
Five anti-vertigo habits that actually work
- Look at where you put your feet and your next handhold — never at the drop. A fear of heights feeds on the eyes plunging downward.
- Three points of contact: two feet and one hand always anchored on rocky steps.
- Stow your poles on cabled sections: you need your hands, and a pole skidding on a slab throws you off balance.
- Go first or last, not stuck in the middle of a nervous group piling on the pressure.
- Breathe slowly and move in small, steady steps. The trap is freezing up: as long as you keep moving, it passes.
The truth is that most "vertigo" on the GR20 is anticipation: once you're moving, focused on the next step, it fades. Start early: dry rock, no crowd on the narrow bits, and you clear the high sections before the afternoon storms.
Strategy
Tailoring the route to your fear
Split the exposed stages. A shorter day means less fatigue, so a clearer head when the technical bit comes. The planner offers a breakdown at your pace, up to 16 stages.
Respect the weather. You never commit to a ridge or a slab in doubtful conditions: you wait, go around, or turn back. Pick the right window too — see when to go.
Scout your exits. Knowing where you can leave the trail before an exposed stage takes away a big slice of the dread. It's all mapped in the escape routes.
Deciding
And if the fear is too strong?
Let's be honest: if your fear of heights is severe — the kind that freezes you at the slightest exposure — the GR20 will be an ordeal, not a pleasure, and a risk for you and for others on the narrow sections. There's no shame in choosing something else.
Two options that keep the magic of Corsica without the exposure: do only the southern half (Vizzavona → Conca), which is far less alpine; or pick a gentler Corsican traverse — the Mare a Mare or the Mare e Monti: same scenery, far fewer drops, and excellent training before coming back to the GR20 later.