Closer to Heaven on Cerro Chirripo

To get to Chirripo National Park, you take the Pan American Highway from San Jose to Cartago. In Cartago you will continue on the highway towards San Isidro General. You will drive over one of the highest mountains in the country known as Cerro de la Muerte at almost 3,500 meters (11,500 feet). In this area there are a couple really cool places to see. One is San Gerardo de Dota. This is a little mountain village and it is the best place in the country to see the mysterious and beautiful bird known as the Quetzal. Another cool place is the area generally known as Terrazu, where some of the best coffee in the country is grown and processed. This is the same Costa Rican coffee that you may have purchased at Starbucks, and that company actually has had programs to support the coffee growers of this area. This is some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the country, but be careful these roads are often covered with fog and can be very dangerous. At San Isidro General, you will take the road to San Gerardo de Rivas where you will find the trail head.

When Michelle and I arrived at San Gerardo de Rivas the night before hitting the trail the next morning, we had no idea where to stay. We noticed there were several hotels and it was raining so we stopped at one that looked nice. That was the El Pelicano. I can tell you that I have never been treated to such superb tico hospitality as at this family-run hotel. The next day the owner took us to the trail head and also came and picked us up a day later. That was important, because by the time we returned from the hike Michelle declared that she would not move another muscle!

First off let me tell you to get ready for a hike of some 20 hours. You must start early in the morning. Chirripo is best hiked during the summer months of Jan through April. You can do it during the rainy season, but you will get rained on. If you do it during the summer, you will experience colder temperatures at Base Crestones and maybe even some ice formations in the early morning hours. The hike is pretty much continously uphill with some steep grades. What makes it hard is that it is unrelentless. However, the beauty of the scenery around you makes up for the pain. You pass through many different ecosystems and end in the paramo, where the only thing growing are short and scrubby plants. It is a very surrealistic sight up there. You have to spend at least one night at Base Crestones. It is like camping, although it is an enclosed building, but no heat (and it will be cold, very cold...below freezing even). There you can rent a sleeping bag (recommended rather than carrying your own) and cook meals with food that you bring yourself. It is nearly impossible to make it all the way to the summit in one day. I recommend planning on two nights at Base Crestones. The first morning you can make the summit and then have the rest of the day to hike to other sites worth seeing (there are many). Then you return the next day. It is an eight hour hike to Base Crestones and then another five to the summit and back to the base. And then another seven to come down. So two nights is better. The descent is more treacherous, especially on tired legs, and even more so if you encounter rain. Also, make sure to make reservations at Base Crestones well in advance and have someone waiting for you at the bottom (you will be ready for a long rest). Happy Hiking!