Corsica welcomed me with warm, granite and a backpack that weighed more than I expected. Our goal was not to complete a famous itinerary, but to travel a part suitable for the group. We were in four, with different experience. Before leaving we shared training, equipment and expectations, choosing stages that left margin.
Already in the first climb the rhythm has separated. Charles and I were moving faster, while Nadia and Luc preferred short steps. We tried to recompete only at the stops, but the group was too long. After lunch we decided that the slowest person would give the rhythm and that no one would pass the bivi without waiting.
Water as a measurement of the path
The distances on the paper seemed manageable; under the sun changed meaning. We checked the available sources, we left early and split the load when someone showed signs of fatigue. We didn’t expect to have thirst to drink and always kept a reserve for the last stretch.
An afternoon a indicated source was almost dry. We reduced the exposed stops, shared the water and reached the refuge without speeding up. There we met two hikers who had made the same choice. The evening conversation did not talk about records, but of avoided errors and decisions made in time.
Nadia’s ankle
On a descent of stones Nadia put the foot badly. He could walk, but the pain increased. We stopped, lightened his backpack and rated the nearest exit. Continue the original stage would have meant coming late and without alternatives. We chose a shorter route to the valley.
The decision changed the schedule of the next days. Nobody made her weigh the deviation. We turned the rest into a day at the sea and resumed with a simple path. Solidarity was not a heroic gesture: it was to divide the weight, give up a stage and let a person’s health count more than the table.
The refuge and the essential rules
In the shelters the space was limited and each gesture had consequences on others. We prepared the backpack without taking the steps, respecting silence and taking away what we had brought. Weariness made everyone more direct; for this reason they needed kindness and clear communication.
In the evening we spoke little, with tired feet and salty face. Yet those moments have built the group more than the tops. Seeing others without energy to act made relationships essential and sincere.
A struggle that does not ask applause
Trekking in Corsica has left me scratches, hunger and great gratitude. We did not complete everything we had imagined, but we returned together and with the desire to start again. On the path the performance loses importance quickly. The sustainable step remains, shared water and the ability to change course without feeling defeated.