Stage 12: Prati → Usciolu
8.5 km from Refuge de Prati (1820 m) to Refuge d'Usciolu (1750 m), with 560 m of ascent and 650 m of descent.
Walking time by fitness profile
| Fitness profile | Walking time |
|---|---|
| Trail runner (fast & light, long days) | 3h04 |
| Fit / sportive (strong hiker, big days) | 4h22 |
| Multiday hiker (classic GR20 pace) | 5h45 |
| Relaxed (steady, shorter days) | 6h54 |
Times computed with the RandoNav planning algorithm. Breaks not included.
On the trail
Anyone who filed the south under 'easy' revises that opinion today. From Prati the trail climbs straight onto the crest and stays there for most of the stage, tiptoeing along a rocky ridgeline over Punta della Cappella and a procession of lesser summits. It is hands-on-rock walking again — short scrambles, airy steps, paint marks leading over slabs and around gendarmes — with the east-coast plain glittering two kilometres below your right boot.
The exposure is never extreme, but it is persistent, and in wind or cloud this becomes a stage to treat with real respect. The reward for the concentration is constant: this is arguably the finest sustained ridge walking on the whole GR20, sea on one side, stacked blue interior ranges on the other. In the afternoon the path finally relents and traverses down to Refuge d'Usciolu at 1,750 m, clinging to its steep slope — a famously well-run refuge whose small shop is a lifeline for resupply. Buy generously, eat heartily, and study the ridge you'll follow tomorrow: the best of the south keeps coming.
Start / end
Rebuilt after the 2000 fire, perched at 1820 m on a broad ridge with panoramic views.
The best-stocked refuge on the trail — charcuterie, cheese, beer, and stunning sunset views from the ridge at 1750 m.
About this stage
Stage 12 links Refuge de Prati (1820 m) with Refuge d'Usciolu (1750 m) over 8.5 km, climbing 560 m and descending 650 m. This stage lies in the southern half of the GR20 (after Vizzavona), which is greener and slightly gentler than the north. Water is available at every stop on this stage.
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