Page 15 - Wish Stream Year of 2016

Enjoying the view at Refuge di Prati
report their ndings, it was decided that the ridge was too dangerous and unstable. The group then returned to the Refuge di Prati, where we stayed the night.
Due to the previous day’s setback, we were forced to rethink our route. Fortunately, from the Refuge, a path runs east, directly down the side of the mountain towards the town of Isulacciu- di-Fiumorbu. From here we decided we would attempt to walk to the town of Ghisonaccia, where it was hoped we would be able to get a bus to the town of Porto Vecchio. The track down the mountain was mostly lightly wooded and very pleasant. It took us approximately four
Navigating some tricky terrain
Mission Success: The team at Nice after a successful and demanding Adventurous Training expedition
hours to reach Isolaccio-di-Fiumorbo. The village was small and picturesque, but had little in the way of conveniences. From here we continued along roads to Pietrapola, where we stopped to wash in a river with natural pools; the water was bracing to say the least!
We then continued on to Morta, just outside Ghisonaccia. After buying food from a small local supermarket, we slept in a nearby wood. The next morning, we completed the walk to Ghisonaccia; this was a distance of just over 4km and took little over an hour. From here we had breakfast, and caught a bus to Porto Vec- chio as planned. Porto Vecchio is a charming coastal town with some good restaurants and bars.
The next day we took a coach to Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica. Ajaccio is a large town with plenty to see and do. We spent two days enjoy- ing some well-earned R and R, and even vis- ited the house of the Corsican Ogre himself; Napoleon Bonaparte. On 23 April, we caught the ferry from Ajaccio back to Nice. After a few hours enjoying the sun on the Old Town beach, we made our way to the airport, and eventually, back to Blighty.
Whilst we did not complete the entire south- ern portion of the GR20 as planned, adapting to a new route involved considerable problem- solving, and an adventurous spirit in line with the aims of Army Adventurous Training. It was also a fantastic opportunity to go “off the beaten track” and experience the real Corsica. In addition, all Of cer Cadets gained valuable navigation expe- rience and logged several quality mountain days (QMDs) towards gaining their Summer Mountain Leader (SML) accreditation. The trip would not have been possible without help from the Sand- hurst Trust, to whom we are extremely grateful.
SANDHURST 13