Chirripó National Park:

 

Known as the home of Costa Rica's highest peak, Mount Chirripó, images of stunted alpine vegetation and bare rock are most often associated with this park. Nonetheless, the 50,150 hectares that comprise the park actually contain a variety of other fascinating ecosystems and on the 10-hour hike to the shelters on top of the mountain one passes through lower montane rain forest and montane rain forest, before finally emerging into subalpine rain paramo. The high humidity and abundant precipitation foster the luxuriant growth of mosses, bromeliads, and other epiphytes on the trunks and branches of the forest trees, of which the predominant species are several types of truly majestic live oaks (Quercus spp.).

As the tree line is neared, the vegetation becomes more and more stunted until at an elevation of about 3,300 meters the paramo begins. This is a conglomeration of low-growing plants that have evolved various adaptations for dealing with the harsh climate at the summit which is characterized by intense ultraviolet radiation, abrupt temperature change, high rainfall, and frequent frosts.

But don't despair, the weather could be worse! Ample geologic evidence is present on the summit of the Chirripó massif to indicate that some 25,000 years ago the area was covered by glacial ice. This glacier formed during the last of the Great Ice Ages when much of the northern hemisphere was also beneath ice, although the Chirripó glacier was not connected to those glaciers. A dozen or more small glacial lakes, piles of rounded rocks (moraines), and U-shaped valleys are all mute testimony to the existence of the former ice cover.

Admission policy: Due to the limited space at the shelters, advance reservations are necessary before making the climb up Mount Chirripó. To make reservations you must go to the National Park Service offices in San José on calle 25, between avenidas 8 and 10 (Phone: 192). If there is space for the dates you are interested in, you must prepay the entrance fee as well as the shelter use fee (per person per day).

Getting there: A vehicle will get you as far as the town of San Gerardo de Rivas (about 18 km. northeast of San Isidro del General), from there it is a 16 km. hike to the shelters near the geological formation known as Los Crestones. Using the shelter as a base camp, it is another 6 km. to the actual summit of Mt. Chirripó. Since the hike to the shelters takes about 10 hours, it is a good idea to get an early start and it is possible to overnight in San Gerardo as there are a couple of places with rather basic accommodations available. In the dry season, January to March, pack horses can be rented in San Gerardo for taking gear up to the base camp.

Climate: Given the 3,500 meter elevation at the shelters, it can get quite cold. Overnight lows near the freezing point are the norm, and temperatures of -8 degrees Celsius have been recorded. Wind and rain can combine to make for very uncomfortable conditions on the summit, so those hearty souls that attempt this climb ought to go well-prepared. On the other hand, clear sunny days can produce temperatures as balmy as 24 degrees Celsius and provide an unsurpassed view of Costa Rica from coast to coast.

History: Being as isolated as it is and not on the route to anywhere else, little human history is associated with Mt. Chirripó, in fact, the earliest record of a non-indigenous person reaching the summit was only in 1904, when a priest named Agustín Blessing made the ascent. National park status was given to the area in 1975 to protect both the paramo habitat (the largest extent of this vegetation type found in Costa Rica) and the oak forests below.