It is considered the toughest of long-distance trails in Europe as well as one of the hardest hikes in the world. The complete GR20 traverses the rugged mountainous spine of the island of Corsica for approximately 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Calenzana in the north to Conca in the south. Encountering jagged peaks, deep valleys, alpine meadows, steep scree slopes and boulder fields. It’s tough and requires excellent physical fitness. It’s a challenge, a bucket list trek and an absolute classic walking holiday.

KE Traveller Nicola from Windermere had previously trekked the Ultimate Tour du Mont Blanc and Jordan’s Dana to Petra with KE before deciding to join this trekking holiday. She sent us feedback from her trip with some great tips. This is how she described her challenging adventure.

This is the toughest trek I've ever done! Tougher than Peru’s Huayhuash or Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit, tougher by far than the Ultimate Tour of Mont Blanc. I went in early September and it was hot. We did quite a lot of Alpine Variants, often this cut down on the total distance of the days walking, but involved a lot of ascent and descent and far more scrambling than I had anticipated.

We did quite a lot of early starts, either to cover the distance for the day or to get somewhere, usually a pass for sunrise or to simply avoid the heat. The views were magnificent, the refuges (we camped mostly) were variable and the food became at times repetitive but I was never hungry and there was a cold beer available every night. I recommend to take your own thermoset, as by the end of the season some of the provided ones were leaking and the ground is hard. The weather varies, we had sun and thunderstorms and you have to be prepared for anything. Hydration systems and poles are essential. On hot days I was getting through almost 4 litres or more of water. The GR20 destroys boots: Mine were almost new at the outset and they looked like I'd worn them for a couple of years by the end of the journey!

Take good head torches and plenty of spare batteries. You might be using the head torch for 2 hours before sunrise, including a 90 minute ascent in the star light as dawn breaks on the mountains around you and not just on one day. The end result is an outstanding feeling of satisfaction when you complete the walk, and you quickly forget the moments of doubt along the way.

But, you must be fit and you must have prepared well. The distances might look like big days out in the lakes, but the ascent and descent is far more and relentless. The paths can be very rocky and hard underfoot. I had some new cushioned in-soles and they really helped. It was also helped by our guide: Paulin. Probably the best trekking guide that I have ever had the pleasure to travel with. He had been a shepherd and refuge hand in the past and even when we were going over stuff that I would never have considered in the UK, he gave me absolute confidence that I could do it. We were noticeably older than most of the other trekkers, who seemed to average about 30 years of age, but we had prepared well and had the mental strength to just keep plodding on when it got really tough. Would I do it again, actually yes!