NE-Arrete

Approach

The route starts at Maison Forestiere du Tartaigne-Melaja (703m), see the main page. The NE arrete is well visible during the last 10 km of the road, it is the left hand arrete. The impressing peak visible from the Maison Forestiere is only a fore-summit.

Route Description

From the Maison Forestiere cross the river bridge and stick left to the forest road into NE direction. After half an hour with slight ascent it narrows into a path. (Technically, the road is well drivable what would save you nearly half an hour each way -- there is no barrier and I saw no sign of prohibition; but it is a good warm-up to hike along the road.) Most maps indicate a forest aisle on this crest. Here leave the route and climb upwards to the right (S). Faint tracks from cattle lead southwards through burnt trees; you bypass several ruins and loose walls. With the first lariccio pines at about 1200m the ground becomes rockier. If you keep more to the right side (in sense of ascent) you occasionally may find cairns that guide to the NE ridge. Otherwise remain straight at the N crest up to the NO arrete with I did during ascent. In this case the NO arrete is reached a little earlier, so it is a dertour but perhaps straigther to find. As the arrete is quite horizontal in this section, both ways reach the arrete at about 1500m.

The NE arrete consists of many pinnacles so most of the time the route fiddles in between these pinnacles from col to col, sometimes on the one and sometimes on the other side. Keep in mind the general SW direction and search for cairns... if you succeed it is nowhere more than easy scrambling. (Pic)
At about 1900m the arrete flattens and broadens. Here one can easily access the east side of the mountain and hike through the alder sections. (Pic)In June I encountered nearly no more snow in that flank but snow even would ease the way. The summit is the leftmost of the peaks facing. One can aim straight across boulders and low vegetation to it and use the little col to the right side of it during the last meters. A big cairns indicates the summit. Informative view onto the Asco valley peaks (Pic).

Overall time is 5 hours (and not much less for the descent!), vertical gain more than 1700 m as there is several up & down.

Essential Gear

In summer season no climbing equipment should be necessary. A compass will be helpful (as always on Corsica).

Miscellaneous Info

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Images

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