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Corsica - April 2012 - Kitlist

Corsica in April is mainly hot - but high in the mountains there's usually deep snow still lying and while most days are cloud free about a third are cloudy with some rain. On these cloudy days at altitude the temperature can be suprisingly low.

I had a window of opportunity to do a short training walk and even though the guidebook said it was too early to attempt the GR20 - I thought I'd go and have a look. It was too early - the deep snow on the approach to the GR20 passes was melting and very unstable - making following the route difficult and ultimately - too dangerous. However I did have a halcyon few days getting up there with virtually no other soul to bother me - a marked contrast to this trail in the summer months.

Packing for hot weather, cold weather, summer trails and tramping across snow fields was tricky - especially when trying to keep it lightweight - here are the conundrums which wouldn't apply in the summer.

Insulation: I wanted synthetic insulation just in case it was cold during the day and take advantage of down in the evening - knowing also that I could wear both if needbe. My choices worked very well - Montane Nitro jacket as the down piece and Fireball smock as a synthetic piece that would just provide enough insulation for a cold day while working hard.

Hardware: I knew if there was too much ice I'd be retreating - it wasn't a climb - but I needed to be able to cross moderate snow/ice covered pathway in safety - but since the majority of the route would be snaw and ice free I wanted to take lightwieght boots. My compromise was to use Hillsound trail crampons teamed with inov-8 Roclite 400GTXs. The combo was very successful on the terrain I did cross - when the snow was hardpacked they gave extremely positive grip - making me feel very secure even on steepish slopes.

An ice-axe was a difficult decision - I was using trekking poles for balance and did not expect to be cutting steps - but having the facility to at least attempt to self arrest seemed sensible. Even a shallow slope could be treacherous if there's a long runout. I took the lightest - the Camp Corsa Nanotech - rubbish for cutting steps but with the key bits for use as a self arrest tool.

Basic Gear carried 6157g

Discretionary gear carried 1568g

The Basic List

Tent

Easton Kilo 1P875g

Granite Gear Air Zipsack for Tent 35g

Easton Pegs and Pole Rep Kit90g

Sleeping Bag

Infinity 300 650g

Pod Airstream Lite Drysac 20 Litre 62g

Sleeping Mat etc

Neoair Xlite Short 260g

Antigravity Gear Air Pillow 27g

Rucksack

Granite Gear Crown VC 60 Reg Bag with Long Hipbelt988g

Raingear

Exped Drybag for Waterproofs and Shorties 24g

OMM Cypher Smock 288g

Minimus Pants136g

Cooking

Mini Can Opener 9g

Micropur Tablets 4g

STS Ultrasil 10 Litre Sink 44g

Alphalight Spork 9g

Stacking Set Pouch 12g

Evernew Titanium Stove 86g

Evernew Stacking Set 152g

Pot Washing Cloth and Pan Saver 5g

SOTO Pocket Blowtorch 50g

Vargo Fuel Bottles x 4 140g

Washroom

Coghlans Mirror 13g

MSR Packsoap75g

Toilet Roll 36g

Packtowl Nano - Medium 21g

Disposable Razor 10g

Dentofresh 45g

MSR Packtowl Large 52g

MSR Packtowl Small x 1 15g

Pee Bottle 35g

First Aid Kit

Crepe Bandage35g

Vaseline 22g

16 Ibuprofen Pain Killers 10g

Elastoplast Fabric Strapping 31g

3 Sterole Dressings 12g

3 Antiseptic Wipes 10g

STS 1L Drybag22g

Plasters 4g

4 Sachets Suncream 36g

Hydration

Platypus Hoser 2L 0g

Platypus 2L Water Tank 74g

Sport Bottle 0.5L with Push-Pull Cap 22g

Platypus 2L Water Bottle 34g

Clothing

Montane Fireball Smock 280g

Montane Nitro Jacket402g

Bionic LS Tee 174g

Xsocks Outdoor Socks40g

Xsocks Extreme Light 43g

Boxerjock Square Pants 88g

Accessories

Inova Microlight 11g

Tikka Headlamp 65g

Passport 60g

STS TPU Guide Mapcase and Maps 121g

Sealline E-case45g

Compass 30g

Hiker Wallet 10g

Currency and Credit Cards 30g

Prescription Sunglasses 34g

Glass Cleaning Cloth 4g

Inka Pen 6g

Coghlans Backpackers Trowel56g

Repair Kit 15g

Fast and Light Repair Kit inc Pouch 35g

Cable Ties 6g

STS Small Washbag 42g

Basic Carried Gear - Total 6157g

Food and consumables 2383g

Total gear carried 11474g

Discretionary

Camp Corsa Nanotech Ice Axe 60cm280g

Hillsound Trail Crampons 454g

Lumix DMCTZ10 218g

Ortleib Snap Waterproof Case 84g

iPod Nano inc Headphones 31g

Gorillapod 44g

iPhone138g

Freeloader Pico and Gel Case62g

Notebook 38g

Guidebook 219g

Discretionary Carried Gear - Total1568g

Consumables

Fuel - 1L 1000g

Fuel Bottles, 250ml x 4128g

Disposable Lighter 35g

Water1000 g

Currency 50g

Food

Coffee 70g

Nuun 2 Tabs A Day 100g

Food and consumables - Total2328g

Black Diamond Ultra Distance Poles - 120cm 280g

Suunto Watch 80g

Mountain Hardwear Canyon LS Shirt 278g

Shortie Gaiters65g

Buff 33g

Trangoworld Extreme Trekking Pants 408g

Sunday Afternoons Solar Bucket 68g

Fingerless Thinny 33g

UnderArmour Vented Compression Short 136g

Xsocks Outdoor Socks40g

Gear Worn or Carried About Person - Total 1421g

Grand Total 11474g