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Published: August 20th 2008
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OK, so I guess we will have one more blog post before we go. This is about my (Steve's) trip to Cerro Chirripo - the tallest peak in Costa Rica. I and 2 of my friends here in Costa Rica (Kilon from North Carolina and John from England) decided to do the adventure together - without wives and children.
The trip began with a 4-plus hour drive to the town of San Gerardo de Rivas. This included waiting for 30 minutes at a dead stop while road crews worked on cleaning up from landslides a few days earlier. The town is located in a green valley shadowed on all sides by steep hills, with the beautiful roaring Rio Chirripo running through it. Before dinner, we left 2 big backpacks loaded with sleeping bags, extra clothes, and food with the asierros, who will haul your stuff up to the base camp and back if you don't feel like doing it yourself (we didn't!!). We later decided that this was the best $70 (in total) the 3 of us will ever spend in our lives.
Our hotel for the night was Hotel Uran - a great little spot just 50 meters
from the start of the trail that caters to hikers. This was evidenced by the fact that they 1) had hiking sticks for us to use and 2) had a full breakfast ready for us at 4:30AM so that we could be on the trail at 5AM.
That's right - we started hiking at 5AM! This is pretty crucial in order to beat the afternoon rain that hits pretty much every day as early as 1PM. And since we estimated that we would complete the hike to the base camp in 8 hours (guide books said 6 to 10 hours), we wanted to get going. The trek to the base camp is basically uphill the entire way - 14 kilometers (9 miles) long with an elevation gain from 1400 meters (4500 feet) to 3400 meters (11,000 feet) above sea level.
The first part of the hike goes up through cloud forests, with "Old Man's Beard" moss hanging down from the trees, birds chirping, and a trail that is muddy and rocky. Fortunately, it is pretty well maintained with wood steps in place to help get you through the muddiest sections. We were lucky enough to spot 2 quetzals,
a toucinet, and a motmot - those are colorful birds for those of you non-birders. After the forest, the trail opens out into a high valley that had been hit by a forest fire many years ago. The names of the last two climbs are classic - Monte Sin Fe (Mountain without Faith) and La Cuesta de los Arrepentidos (Repentant's Hill) - and reflect the sacred history of the place. Pre-Columbian Indians permitted only their social elite from ascending to the summit; mortals who trespassed were sacrificed.
Fortunately, we had paid the necessary entrance fees, so our lives were spared. But the climbs were exhausting - even as the scenery was spectacular. Finally after 6 hours (2 less than we thought), we reached the Base Camp - which would be our home for the night. We were rewarded for our early start - as people who came in 2 hours or more after us were drenched by afternoon showers.
The Base Camp is unheated but - get this - they have 2 computers set up with free internet access! So, we were able to send notes to our families that we were ok. The Base Camp is at
the foot of a dramatic rock formation called the Crestones. For dinner, we enjoyed a simple meal of pasta with tuna and spices and then turned in early.
The next day would involve a total of 25 kms (just over 15 miles) of hiking. So, we figured we better get an early start - so we left the camp at 4:45AM. The first goal was the summit of Chirripo - 5 kms away and 900 meters up. It was beautiful watching the sun come up over the valley over the course of our 2 hour hike to the top. The final 500 meters of climbing were straight up - but the views were certainly worth it. From the summit (12, 225 feet), you can see the entire width of the country - from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. You can also see from the center of the country (Cartago & Irazu Volcano) out beyond the Panama border. We took lots of pictures, signed the guest book, and just relaxed while we took in the beautiful scenery. According to Wikipedia, Cerro Chirripo is the
38th most prominent peak in the world (prominence is basically a measure of a peak's independent stature,
as opposed to its absolute height above sea level).
Then, it was back down the mountain - 5 kms to the Base Camp, a short rest, and then the 14 kms down to our hotel. Everything was great but for the downpours that hit us during the last 1.5 hours of our hike. And then due to a power outage in the entire town where we were staying, we had to wait several hours before we could get a hot shower. Fortunately, the beer at the local bar was still cold so that helped ease the soreness in our legs. The next morning we woke up at the hotel and drove back to our respective homes. It was a great capstone to an amazing year!
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Aunt Patti, Uncle Scott, John & Gracie
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Very Impressive Steve
What a great way to cap off your year in Costa Rica....that looks like quite an adventure. We are anxiously awaiting your return to Minnesota! BBLY