DAY 6 – Today we’d follow Le Golo river along the Scala di Santa Regina passage.

From our new base in Corte, we travelled north to Castirla.  From there we picked up the road that winds its way through the Golo gorge.

The Scala di S.ta Regina is actually a footpath that runs above the roads along the red granite rocks.  We were too busy enjoying the road to bother with it.  The backdrop combined with the old construction of the road made for the most characteristic setting.

We continued on towards the Valdu-Niellu forest before entering Col de Salto.  Although threading its way through massive pine tress, the road here was wider, without the desperate cliff walls to distract you.  It was here where we encountered more wild pigs by the wayside.

We left our bikes to the porky guardians on the road and made our way on foot (always more hiking in full gear) down into the gorge.  There, we found more natural pools created within the riverbed of the Golo.

Golo river. Foret Valdo-Niellu, Corsica.

The water, however, was neither as clear as that found at Le Fango, nor as warm.  In fact, it was frigid.  I was going in regardless.  At first, it seemed like the cold bath offered at a health spa to improve circulation but enjoyable only from minute 2 to minute 5.  It was nothing though, compared to the ice cold water we’d find the next day in Val Restonica.