Official GR20 stage · 6/16
Stage 6: Ciottulu di i Mori → Manganu
The longest stage of the official route by distance, with a surprising detour through Castel di Vergio. It runs from Ciottulu di i Mori to the Manganu refuge, gateway to the GR20's most photogenic section.
Essentials
The essentials
Key facts
- Distance · 24.8 km
- Elevation gain · +692 m
- Elevation loss · -1,082 m
- Max altitude · 2,013 m
- Difficulty · Hard (4/5)
- Estimated walking time · 6h10 – 10h
- On the trail · Stage 6 / 16
Download this stage's GPX
Official OpenStreetMap track, snapped to the PNRC refuges.
On the ground
On the ground
At 24.8 km, this is the longest stage on the GR20 by distance — it passes through Castel di Vergio, a hotel-relay at the Col de Vergio, before reaching Manganu. The Haut Golo / Castel di Vergio stretch is known for having plentiful water points. Further on, the trail skirts the Lac de Nino area and its pozzines (grazing pastures): the water looks inviting but livestock graze right nearby, so it must always be filtered. Manganu, at the end, is the last stop before the chain of high cols and mountain lakes that make the northern half famous — you set off early the next day to clear the breach before the heat and the crowds.
24.8 km is unlike anything else on the route: it's the official stage split, not a stage meant to be shortened along the way.
Water & resupply. Watch out: Castel di Vergio is only a fallback stop (a small hotel shop, gas not confirmed), not a real grocery store — don't rely on it for proper resupply. On water, the Haut Golo area is plentiful, but any water near Lac de Nino and its pozzines must be filtered or treated because of livestock.
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