Difficulty: easy
Type: loop hike
Duration: 3h and 10 min
Difference in height: + 415 m / - 415 m
Length: 8,5 km
Presentation
The mount Aragnascu (888 metres above sea level) separates the Prunelli valley from the Gravona valley. It is a vantage point which offers an extraordinary panoramic view of the entire Gulf of Ajaccio and which is easily reached thanks to a well-marked path.
After the hike you can visit the village of Cuttoli-Corticchiato, where the Ornano family fought against the Genoese army in the second half of the 16th century and where Pasquale Paoli won a battle against the French army. You should also take a look at the church of St Martin, which contains several remarkable paintings and a 16th-century holy water stoup.
Road access
From Ajaccio you must follow the road signs for Bastia. At the last roundabout on the N193 you must continue driving in the direction of Bastia. After the station of Mezzana, you must turn right and take the D1 for about two kilometres. Then you must turn left towards Cuttoli-Corticchiato, until you reach the small hamlet of Pedi Morella. Now you must turn left and follow the road signs for the Saint Pierre pass. When you reach the pass, you can park where you find a parking space.
Itinerary
From the Saint Pierre pass, start climbing westwards towards a white house: continue climbing until you reach a reservoir where the path begins. At the beginning, the climb is rather steep, but it becomes more and more pleasant until you reach a small pass at 743 metres above sea level.
You can take a moment's rest and then you must turn left and continue walking for about 30 minutes: be careful as vegetation can encroach the path. Keep following the path until you reach a ridge after having passed through a chestnut grove. Five minutes before reaching the top of mount Aragnascu you will find a path descending to your left, this is where you must pass to go back.
The descent is quite easy, but it becomes a little steeper after an old chestnut dryer. Keep descending until you reach a crossroads marked by a wooden post: here you must turn left until you reach the road after about an hour's walk.
You must have a good supply of water for this hike as there are no drinking water points. This excursion is not difficult, but the vegetation tends to encroach on the path and the ascent is sometimes not very easy. The descent, on the other hand, is less challenging, although rather long.
