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Ten years since the Cirque de la Solitude disaster
Ten years ago, on 10 June 2015, a violent storm sent a massive landslide down into the GR20's Cirque de la Solitude. Seven hikers were killed — one of the worst mountain accidents Corsica has known. A decade on, survivors and the wider hiking community have paused to remember.
A day the trail never forgot
Speaking to France 3 Corse for the anniversary, Benoît Cristin — one of the survivors — recalled the chaos of that morning and the long, dark aftermath. For those who were there, and for the families of the seven who died, the cirque remains a place of grief as much as of mountain history.
Why the GR20 no longer goes through it
After the disaster, the passage was judged too unstable to keep on a waymarked long-distance path. The GR20 was permanently rerouted higher, past the Pointe des Éboulis on the shoulder of Monte Cinto — longer and higher, but away from the deadly gash. Today's hikers cross the mountain rather than descend into the cirque. We cover the full story, and what the current route is like, in our guide to the <a href="/guide/cirque-de-la-solitude/">Cirque de la Solitude</a>.
The anniversary is a reminder that the GR20 is a serious mountain route where weather decides everything. Check the forecast, start early, and turn back when the sky turns — the mountain will still be there next time.
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