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Vecchio, Vivario

Publié le 2 August 2017 | Haute-Corse Eng, Corsica

A little lost above Corte, the U Vechju or Vecchio torrent offers a beautiful and wild aquatic hike with no difficulties or obstacles apart from its length, which still requires between 4 and 5 hours of descent without hurrying. In summer, with a bit of altitude, a route largely under vegetation and the presence of quite a lot of water, plenty of places to jump into translucent pools, a few easy descents or siphons, everything comes together for a great, fun descent in a splendid natural setting.

Technical summary

Type ✦ Water canyon
Location ✦ Vivario
Region ✦ Haute Corse
Country ✦ France
Length ✦ 4,5km
Difference in altitude ✦ 230m
Difficulty ✦ v1-a4-III
Max recall ✦ none
Duration ✦ 5h to 6h
Interest ✦ ★

Access to the place

On the road from Corte to Ajaccio, pass the village of Vivario on the T20 towards the Col de Vizzavone. A few kilometers further on, before reaching the junction for Canaglia, turn right into a hairpin bend on a small street that runs straight down the side of a vacation resort. Park there, on the opposite side, under the woods.

Map & topo

Itinerary description

Hiking to the start 30'

Descend and cross the railroad line, then continue along the path to a road. Turn right, walk on the asphalt, pass a bend to the left and further on fork right down a wide, obvious path that leads down to the bed of the Vecchio torrent.

Course 4h à 5h

Approximately 5km downhill for 230m of vertical drop. You don't need any equipment apart from a wetsuit, because even in summer the water is cool and you spend a lot of time in it. It's essentially a walk interspersed with water passages. There are a few boulder passages to be climbed without too much difficulty, some nice jumps that are not compulsory and a few siphon passages to discover.

Part 1 (2h)

Walking in the torrent bed, with some nice pools to swim in (or not). Not the most interesting part of the Vecchio.

Part 2 (2h)

It's most interesting when you see the ruins of a small fort at the summit on the right (incidentally, there seems to be direct access from this point). The gullies are more deeply incised, and the reaches also take longer to swim.

Part 3 (30′)

Final section to finish and pass under the T20 bridges. Back to aquatic walking.

Back

Pass under the 2 bridges and easily find a path on the right that leads up to the 2nd bridge and a parking lot below the T20. Return to the starting parking lot by hitchhiking or, if possible, with the second vehicle.