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Origin and history

The Bavella needles, called Asinau furchi in Corsica, are a set of seven granite peaks located in the massif of the same name, in the center of Corsica. Growing at 1,857 m (Punta Alta), they dominate the Bavella Pass (1,218 m) and spread between the Alta Rocca and the east coast. Their formation is the result of differential erosion between two types of granite: a coarse and friable granite, and a pink granite with fast, extremely hard cooling. These geological contrasts have carved slender pitons and tafonis (erosive cups in the shape of sponge), characteristic of the landscape.

The site has been protected since 1972 by the Corsican Regional Natural Park, which supervises its use to preserve its fragile ecosystem. The campsite is forbidden, and two refuges (Paliri and Asinau) welcome hikers. The needles are crossed by the GR 20, with an alpine variant passing through the Bocca di u Pargulu (1,662 m). A statue of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges sits near the pass, overlooking this mineral landscape where pines and rocks shaped by the wind create a unique atmosphere.

Bavella's needle climbing began in the 1920s with European mountaineers (France, Switzerland, Italy, etc.). In the 1960s, Werner Krah opened the first 6th degree roads on the Santa Lucia campanile. The 1970s saw the rise of this practice, carried by climbers such as Michel Afanasieff, Michel Tanner, or Jean-Paul Quilici. Today, the site offers tracks up to the 8th degree, with walls up to 700 m high, as at Punta di u Furnellu. Punta di a Vacca (1,611 m) is the only one accessible to unequipped hikers.

The Bavella massif is part of a larger geological complex, dominated by the Monte Incudine (2,134 m). It extends from the Tova Forest (Solaro Commune) to the north to Monte Calva (1,381 m) to the south at the edge of the Ospedale Massif. The needles, although lower than the nearby peaks, have become a symbol of mountainous Corsica, combining sporting challenges and wild beauty.

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