Stage 14: Matalza → Asinau

9.5 km from Refuge de Matalza (1460 m) to Asinau (bivouac/tent) (1530 m), with 620 m of ascent and 500 m of descent.

Walking time by fitness profile

Times computed with the RandoNav planning algorithm. Breaks not included.

On the trail

One last big summit stands between you and the Bavella needles: Monte Incudine, at 2,134 m the highest point of the southern GR20, and today the trail goes right over the top of it. From Matalza the route eases across the last folds of the Coscione plateau — streams, meadows, the odd inquisitive horse — before the climbing begins in earnest, a long steady haul up open slopes where the only shade is the shadow of the summit cross.

From the top, the whole southern finale reveals itself: the jagged skyline of the Aiguilles de Bavella ahead, the sea beyond, and behind you the crests you've spent two weeks crossing. Take the photos; you've earned them. The descent is the day's technical crux — steep, rocky and occasionally hands-on as it drops into the Asinau valley — so save some concentration for the afternoon. The bivouac at Asinau, at 1,530 m below the great wall of the valley's headslopes, is a simple, atmospheric spot to camp: sunset on the cliffs, the Bavella towers waiting just over the ridge, and only two stages left to walk.

Start / end

Stops along the way

These places between the endpoints let you split the stage into shorter days:

About this stage

Stage 14 links Refuge de Matalza (1460 m) with Asinau (bivouac/tent) (1530 m) over 9.5 km, climbing 620 m and descending 500 m. This stage lies in the southern half of the GR20 (after Vizzavona), which is greener and slightly gentler than the north. One stop punctuates the route, so you can split this stage into shorter days. Water is available at every stop on this stage. Along the way only snacks and meals are available — no full resupply until the end of the stage.