Chasing Sunrise and Peaks in Corte, Corsica
The alarm rings at 5 am,again, but we wake up excited, knowing another day of adventure awaits us. Despite the tiredness from the previous day’s hike in Vallée du Tavignano, our excitement got us out of bed and out of the AirBnB by 6 am, eager to witness the sunrise over Corte.
The Outskirts of Corte
With a time window until lunch due to the upcoming thunderstorm, we ventured through the old cobblestone streets of Corte, passing by the chapelle and university library. The paved road then turned into a rocky mountain path, and our shoes gather a little dirt from the previous day’s rain.
The view from La Pointe du Corbeau
You can find the map here!
Chasing the Sunrise
Our mission was to find the perfect spot to capture the sunrise over Corte. After some scrambling over stone fences and dodging branches, we found ourselves in a bushy nook with a clear view of the mountains and the emerging sun behind the mountain tops. The reward was a breathtaking sunrise that we captured in photos and videos, making the early start all worthwhile.
Trekking to La Pointe du Corbeau
Once the sun was up, we retraced our steps to the slightly earthy path, and we continue our ascent towards La Pointe du Corbeau. We pressed on with the climbing until we reached a vast valley and we had a clear view over the peak of Corbeau. It looked like a hill on another hill and with a few rocks as decoration from beneath of the hill. As our curiousity kicked in, we decided to climb this peak and see what is it out there. The path was not well-worn, but we discover a faint trail that leads us to the top. The panoramic view of Corte and the surrounding mountains makes the effort entirely worthwhile. We savored the moment before heading back to the main path and onwards to our next target: Punta Cisterna.
Respite at Punta Cisterna
Next Stop: Punta Cisterna
Climbing to Punta Cisterna was a bit more challenging, and we took our time, pausing to admire the majestic sights along the way, but mostly to catch our breath. The dense forest provided a stark contrast to the rocky terrain with less trees and more bushes we saw at La Pointe du Corbeau. Towering pine trees and lush greenery surrounded us as we got closer to the peak.
A Glimpse of Punta Cisterna
Although we didn’t make it all the way to the very top due to time constraints and an approaching thunderstorm, we still reveled in the beauty of our surroundings. We decided to stop at a water source flowing down the hill, where we found a perfect resting spot to take in the scenery before beginning our descent back to Corte. We only saw the top of the peak from beneath, but it was majestic.
Retracing the Steps Back to Corte
After a well-deserved break, we made our way back to the city by 11 am. Our legs were a bit tired, but we were satisfied with our adventure. We enjoyed a hearty lunch and spent a relaxing afternoon, preparing for the highlight of our trip: the Arche de Corte, scheduled for the day after.
As we crawled into bed, we set the alarm once again for 5 am, eager for the new adventures that awaited us. Corte has proven to be a treasure of natural wonders, and we couldn’t wait to discover more and more.
Start
Corte
End
Corte
Duration
5.5 hours
Length
9 km
Difficulty
Challenging
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