June 3, 2022 — Stage 13 original route — Uscaliolu to Asinau — 11mi / 3,200'

By this point we've learned that it's usually better to make ourselves breakfast than buy the set breakfast from the refuge. We decided to take the slightly longer "original route" to the next refuge, which is like a stage and a half. Weather was overcast, with a few raindrops. 

The second half of the day was hard, a long ascent of about 1000m up to a windswept peak with a big cross and then a very steep descent of the same. 1000m downhill is rough.

Asinau refuge was very nice, and they served an excellent lentil dinner and had a nice shop with local charcuterie. Again, not crowded, but the gardien (ranger) told me that the night before they had 80 people, tonight only 25. In the high season they have 200-300 people! Argh! 

We slept in rented tents — clearly the way to go, as long as you are doing the GR20 in a season when it's not too crowded. 

Strava GPS: https://www.strava.com/activities/7253097745