Monte Asto
1,535 m
France
Also known as Monte AstuAlso known as
Monte Astu
- Elevation
- 1,535 m
- Prominence
- 1,063 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The standard route from the Balagne hill village of Lama (about 500 m): an old paved mule track to the unstaffed Refuge de Prunicu (about 1,050 m), then a steeper waymarked path past Bocca Tiobuli and up the north ridge to the cross on the summit. About 1,040 m of ascent, 12–13 km and 6–6½ hours return.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 6.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,036 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,535 m
- Time Up
- 4h 15m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 52m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park at the entrance to Lama and walk up through the village to the church square, then follow the small road above the village to the signboard and steps where the path starts. Yellow/orange paint marks lead all the way. The first half follows a well-kept, partly paved mule track that zigzags up past old threshing floors and hay barns, south of the Pinzalone knoll, to a shoulder at about 900 m, then traverses more gently east to the Refuge de Prunicu on a small plateau among boulders at about 1,050 m (about 1h20 from Lama). Above the hut the path climbs more steeply north and then east towards Bocca Tiobuli (1,238 m). Some 2019–2020 reports say a section near here is overgrown and recommend the yellow-marked branch to the right at about 1,170 m. The path then turns south-east, gains the plateau-like crest and follows the north ridge over a rocky area to the granite summit with its wooden cross. The last 20 m or so is a short scramble with a chain of about 10 m; a marked bypass to the left avoids the chain. Descend the same way. A traverse is possible by continuing south-south-east to the Bocca di Tenda and down to Pietralba in the Nebbio, which needs a second car and adds about an hour. The route is almost entirely without shade and water is unreliable: start early and carry at least 2 litres.
Start
Lama500 m
- No practical public transport to Lama was confirmed; a car is needed.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lama → Monte Astu | 6.3 | 1,036 | 5 | 4h 15m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Lama500 m
Church square; park at the entrance to the village (limited in summer)
- Feature: Pinzalone1,060 m
Path passes on its south side (not on route line)
- Hut: Refuge de Prunicu1,061 m
- Col: Bocca Tiobuli1,130 m
not on route line
- Summit: Monte Astu1,535 m
Key Passages
- Paved mule track to the Refuge de Prunicu
- Steeper climb to Bocca Tiobuli
- Short chained scramble just below the summit (bypass on the left)
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
Monte Astu (1,535 m) is the highest point of the Serra di Tenda in northern Corsica, a granite ridge between the Balagne and the Nebbio. A long, shadeless but straightforward 1,000 m walk from the village of Lama leads to a summit cross with views from Cap Corse to Monte Cinto.
The Serra di Tenda is a low granite chain running north-east from the Ostriconi valley towards Saint-Florent, separating the Balagne from the Nebbio. Monte Astu is its high point and, with more than 1,000 m of prominence, stands well clear of its surroundings. The summit carries a wooden cross; the view takes in the Gulf of Saint-Florent, Cap Corse, the coast towards L'Île-Rousse, the high peaks of the Cinto and Rotondo massifs and, on clear days, the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago.
The usual route starts in Lama, a restored stone village above the Ostriconi, and follows an old transhumance mule track to the abandoned summer pastures around the Refuge de Prunicu, an unstaffed shelter among boulders. Above, the path steepens to the crest and finishes with a short rocky step. Other approaches come from Pietralba and San Gavino-di-Tenda on the Nebbio side.
It is a hike rather than a climb, but a substantial one: about 1,040 m of ascent and 6–6½ hours return on stony ground with almost no shade and little reliable water.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 6–7 hour day with 1,000 m of ascent is the main requirement. The only difficulty is a short scramble of about 20 m below the summit with a chain, which has a marked bypass on the left. Carry at least 2 litres of water per person (3 litres in warm weather), as the spring at the refuge may be dry, and start at dawn from June to September. Avoid the route in fog or low cloud, when the crest is hard to follow. In spring wear long trousers against scrub and stinging ferula. From mid-June to the end of September check the daily Corsican fire-risk map the evening before, and note that fires are banned in the countryside in that period.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Possible
- August: Possible
- September: Good
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow possible on the upper crest; short days
- Feb
- Snow possible on the upper crest
- Mar
- Lower path can be wet and slippery during thaw
- May
- Long trousers against scrub and ferula
- Jun
- Getting hot; start early; fire-risk map from mid-June
- Jul
- Very hot and shadeless; dawn start only; check fire-risk map
- Aug
- Very hot and shadeless; dawn start only; check fire-risk map
- Sep
- Still hot early in the month; fire-risk map until end of September
- Nov
- Shorter days; rain
- Dec
- Snow possible; short days
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- The Refuge de Prunicu is an unstaffed shelter; no booking.
- Rules
- From 15 June to 30 September a prefectoral order bans fires and smoking in the countryside in Corsica
- During the fire season the prefecture can close massifs and tracks at short notice; check the daily fire-risk map at risque-prevention-incendie.fr/corse (published at 18:00 for the next day; red = do not go, black = access prohibited)
- Getting There
Lama; L'Île-Rousse
Bastia Poretta (BIA); Calvi Sainte-Catherine (CLY)
- Car: Lama lies above the Ostriconi valley on the road between L'Île-Rousse and Ponte Leccia (T30/N1197); park at the entrance to the village, as space in the village is limited in summer
- No public transport to Lama was confirmed
Hazards
- Weather
- Exposure
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,050 m
Refuge de PrunicuBivouacUnstaffed