Monte Cinto
2,706 m
France
Also known as Monte Cintu, Монте-ЧинтоAlso known as
Monte Cintu · Монте-Чинто
- Elevation
- 2,706 m
- Prominence
- 2,706 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Showing From Lozzi via the Refuge de l'Ercu and the south shoulder: the ’s line is approximate.
The southern approach from the Niolo: a long walk from the campsites above Lozzi (about 1,050 m) up a stony track to the unstaffed Refuge de l'Ercu (1,667 m), then a cairned line up the south shoulder, weaving between rock towers, to the summit. About 1,700 m of ascent; often split with a night at the refuge.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 10.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,799 m
- −124 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,706 m
- Time Up
- 7h 31m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 17m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the campsites above Lozzi (about 1,050–1,080 m) follow the stony forest track and the waymarked path past the ruined chapel and the Petra Pinzuta sheepfold to the Refuge de l'Ercu (1,667 m), about 2 hours. The track is 7.5 km long; one recent account says a normal car can drive it slowly (about 30 minutes) to a car park with a snack bar at about 1,650 m, but its condition and status vary, so check locally and be ready to walk it. From the refuge, the Camptocamp line takes the cairned path heading right (facing the Cinto) up the south shoulder, winding between gendarmes, to the summit in about 3½ hours. There is one awkward step at about 2,200 m: keep right at the wooden 'Cinto' sign rather than the easy 10 m chimney (I–II) on the left, which leads to a short exposed passage of II. The alternative, used by the CNSNMM test route, goes up the Ercu valley to Lac du Cinto (2,289 m), then by steep scree to the Pointe des Éboulis and the summit ridge. Descend the same way or make a loop via the crest and the scree below Lac du Cinto back to the refuge; several parties report losing the cairns between the lake and the ridge. Allow 8–10 hours for the round trip from Lozzi. In spring this is a snow route (F/PD-) needing crampons and an ice axe; in rain or fog the slabs are treacherous and route-finding is hard.
Start
Lozzi1,030 m
- None to Lozzi in practice; the nearest railway station is Corte (about 35 km).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lozzi → Monte Cinto | 10.2 | 1,799 | 124 | 7h 31m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Lozzi1,030 m
Start at the campsites above the village; no camping on the parking plateau
- Feature: Petra Pinzuta1,601 m
End of the track
- Hut: Refuge de l'Ercu1,672 m
- Summit: Monte Cinto2,706 m
Key Passages
- Step at about 2,200 m on the south shoulder (keep right at the 'Cinto' sign)
- Gendarmes on the south shoulder
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
Corsica's highest summit (2,706 m), a rugged granite-and-rhyolite peak between the Asco valley and the Niolo. No glacier and no technical climbing on the normal routes, but a long, rough day of scree, slabs and cairn-hunting with about 1,400–1,700 m of ascent.
Monte Cinto (Monte Cintu in Corsican) is the high point of a long spur in north-west Corsica that separates the Asco valley to the north from the Niolo and the upper Golo to the south. It rises above two tarns, Lac du Cinto on the south side and Lac d'Argentu on the north, and its bare, steep north face holds snow and winter ice well into spring. As an island summit its prominence equals its height, and on clear days both the Corsican and Italian coasts are visible.
There is no path in the Alpine sense. Both normal routes are cairned and paint-marked lines across scree, blocks and smooth slabs, with easy scrambling (grade I–II) and sparse marks near the top. The northern route from Haut-Asco follows the GR20 to its highest point, the Pointe des Éboulis (2,607 m), then traverses to the summit; the southern route from Lozzi climbs past the unstaffed Refuge de l'Ercu. Expect 7–10 hours for the round trip depending on the start.
The mountain's difficulty comes from length, heat, poor water supply and route-finding rather than technique. In cloud or rain the slabs become slippery and the cairns are easy to lose, and in early summer snow in the gullies turns it into a mountaineering outing.
Climbing Notes
Aim to be fit for a 7–10 hour day with 1,400–1,700 m of ascent on rough ground, and comfortable scrambling on easy but sometimes exposed slabs. No glacier skills are needed in summer. Bring a map (IGN TOP 25 4250 OT) or GPS track, as the red dots and cairns are sparse above the Pointe des Éboulis and Lac du Cinto, and carry all your water: there is none after the Tighjettu footbridge on the north side.
Most people do the north route from Haut-Asco in a day, staying at the Ascu Stagnu refuge, hotel or the campsite lower in the valley. From Lozzi, either drive or walk up the track, or split the climb with a night at the unstaffed Refuge de l'Ercu (bring a sleeping bag and food). GR20 walkers add the summit as a 1½–2 hour detour from the Pointe des Éboulis.
Start at first light: Corsican summer days are hot, and cloud and thunderstorms often build by midday. Until about mid-June, and after early autumn snow, the gullies and north side need crampons and an ice axe; the descent of the slabs and scree is where most parties slow down.
History
The first known tourist ascent was made on 6 June 1882 by Édouard Rochat and companions, from the south. On 26 May 1883 Francis Fox Tuckett, the guide François Devouassoud and the painter Edward Theodore Compton traversed the mountain; a gap on the ridge, the Brèche Tuckett, bears his name. The north-east ridge was first done (in descent) on 6 August 1899 by Felix von Cube and Leonardus Kleintjes. After a rockfall in the Cirque de la Solitude killed seven walkers in June 2015, the GR20 was rerouted over the Pointe des Éboulis on Monte Cinto's west ridge, making the summit an increasingly popular side trip for GR20 walkers.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter mountaineering or ski touring from Haut-Asco only
- Feb
- Winter conditions; avalanche risk
- Mar
- Spring snow; ski touring for experienced parties
- Apr
- Snow route; avalanche risk
- May
- Hard snow on steep traverses: crampons and ice axe, effectively F/PD-
- Jun
- Snow lingers in gullies on the north side into June
- Jul
- Usually snow-free; hot, start at dawn; afternoon storms
- Aug
- Hot and busy with GR20 walkers; carry plenty of water
- Sep
- Often stable weather and cooler temperatures
- Oct
- Shorter days; early snowfall possible; Ercu refuge may be closed for the season
- Nov
- Early winter snow
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Ascu Stagnu is a GR20 refuge run under the Parc Naturel Régional de Corse; book in advance for July and August. The Refuge de l'Ercu is unstaffed and cannot be booked.
- Fees
- Overnight fees at the Ascu Stagnu GR20 refuge and campsites; the Refuge de l'Ercu is an unstaffed shelter
- Rules
- Camping is not allowed on the parking plateau at Lozzi; use the campsites in the village
- The Cirque de la Solitude is no longer part of the GR20 and is unmarked; it is strongly discouraged as an approach
- Getting There
Asco and Calacuccia; Ponte-Leccia and Corte for supplies and trains
Bastia Poretta (BIA); Calvi Sainte-Catherine (CLY) is a similar distance from the Asco valley
- North side: drive the N197/N193 to Ponte-Leccia, then the narrow D147 for 27 km through the Asco gorges to the road end at Haut-Asco (Ascu Stagnu); parking fills early in summer
- South side: drive the D84 to Calacuccia and the D218 to Lozzi; a 7.5 km stony track continues towards the Refuge de l'Ercu
- Trains on the Bastia–Ajaccio line stop at Ponte-Leccia and Corte; there is no reliable public transport up the Asco valley or to Lozzi
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
2- 1,422 m
Refuge d'Ascu StagnuRefugeStaffed
Staffed in summer (about June to September) for the GR20
- 1,667 m
Refuge de l'ErcuRefugeUnstaffed
Unstaffed, normally open; water and toilets may be shut outside the summer season