At 5:30 in the morning I arrived at the Ranger Station with two French Canadians. A couple of people were already ahead of us and had been sleeping in their vehicle. A group of five Germans showed around 6 am and a single French woman a little later.
If you want the Climb Mt Chirripo, the highest mountain in Costa Rica, you have to have a permit. Only 40 are allotted each day. Thirty are for those who reserve well in advance while up to 10 are made available the day before. On Thursday there were seven available for the following day.
Well, my mini laptop is mysteriously working perfectly again so I’ve got some catching up to do with the Blog. I arrived in the vicinity of Chirripo National Park on Wednesday after taking a bus from Dominical to San Isidro de El General. From there I shared a taxi with two French Canadians to San Gerardo de Rivas. They had the same plan as me to climb Mt. Chirripo.
Mt Chirripo stands 12,532 feet in the center of Parque Nacioional Chirripo. There’s a very nice well maintained trail that starts a little below 5,000 feet and ascends well over 7,500 feet in 12 miles. It’s an honest hike. For someone who is really fit it can be done in a day but it would be a very long day with a lesser chance of catching a good view on top. The summit tends to be clear in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon.
The standard way of climbing the mountain is to hike 9 miles the first day ascending over 6,000 feet to a Refugio(hut) for a night. The following morning you get up around 3 am and hike to the summit for sunrise. From there most people descend back to the Refugio, pack their stuff, and head down. Others might stay another night and explore a variety of other trail options in the area. To stay overnight in the park you must have a permit.
When I first arrived in Gerardo de Riva the 2 French Canadians and I checked into a basic hotel run by Francisco Elizondo. Franciso just happens to be a local mountain running legend who doesn't waste his time walking up Chirripo. He runs it! He’s also a very friendly helpful host and makes an impression of being a very good man. Francisco not only offers basic accommodation but rents hiking equipment and operates a little restaurant with the hotel. He caters to the hiker. Especially those that come here to climb the peak. For $15 I have my own room with shared bathroom. Meals run around $6. Extras like a ride to the trailhead, baggage storage, etc. are included with the price of the room.
With a whole free day left after acquiring our permits the Canadians and I went on a short hike through some jungle up to a view and around a coffee plantation past banana trees. I spent the rest of my time organizing stuff and lounging on a rock next to a river.
On Friday morning Franciso gave us a ride up to the trailhead and we got to walking around 7:30. As expected, the path steeply ascended immediately. We hiked together for awhile before settling into our own paces. Each kilometer is marked along with a sign stating the elevation with some words of inspiration in English and Spanish to encourage one further and higher. No doubt about it. It’s a grind.
Somewhere around 10,000 feet things really change. Up to that point it’s thick forested jungle but as you round a ridge the environment appears oddly dry. It’s like hiking from a wet valley into a dry valley which is probably the case but naturally altitude has a lot of affect on what will or will not grow. From 10,000 feet on the environment and vegetation reminded me more of a something you might find in a semi desert mountain range. The trail became more rocky and dusty.
A little less than 6 ½ hours one of the Canadians and I reached the Refugio. I was ready to stop and was noticing some mild affects from the elevation. I was content with watching clouds and intermittent sun dance around mountain ridges for the rest of the day.
The Canadians and I were given a room with two bunk beds. The Refugio is a bit stark and utilitarian with no real character but it serves its purpose with a common area, clean drinking water, toilets, and cold showers. Nothing else is provided. One must bring their own food, sleeping bag, cooking stove, etc. We called it an early night and planned to get up at 3 am.
We awoke at 3 am and got started around 3:45. It was cold enough for a hat, gloves and light coat but not bad. We walked together for a little bit then I went ahead on my own. It was dark but with totally clear skies and bright moonlight I didn’t need my head lamp. It was beautiful night and perfect for ascending the summit.
Around 5:30am I reached the top. The Canadians and I were the last the leave the Refugio for sunrise and there were about 20 others on the summit when I arrived. Most were Germans while the rest appeared to be from Costa Rica. At 5:45 the Canadians topped out just in time for an orange ball of light to pop over the edge of a thin dark line marking the horizon. I was in no hurry to rush down.
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