www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I've always wanted to climb Mt. Chirripo and am thinking of trying to put together a trip to do that over Thanksgiving weekend. I'd prefer to have a climbing partner rather than go it alone (just in case) but realize its not the type of trip that just anyone is into or capable of, so I'm asking around if anyone might be interested in joining me. I'm not sure whether this is the right crowd to ask and am also posting on other forums, but I thought I'd also give this a try.

What I'm looking for is someone who is also in reasonably good shape. This would be about a 30km roundtrip hike over 2-3 days with about an 8000' change in elevation between top and bottom. Its a non-technical climb (no ropes or pitons or anything like that) but Chirippo peaks out at over 12000 ft so anyone going would have to be prepared for thin air and cool and wet weather in addition to the incline. The other big negative for this group is that it would mean 3 days away from the Gulch (1 day to get to San Gerardo, 1 to climb to Crestones and 1 to the summit, back down and back to SJ). I don't think you'll find many chicas that will want to make this trip, though you never know. We might be able to squeeze in an MP session the morning of the first day and could be back at the BM by 11PM on day 3 to find a chica to help work out the kinks. Sound good? IF anyone has done this and has advice or is interested in joining me post here or PM me.

Prolijo,

Climbing Mt Chirripo is truly a "non-gulch" activity!

Last February, I accompanied my buddy to San Gerardo de Rivas. He belongs to a club in the US whose members attempt to climb the "highest peaks" in various states, regions and countries. My friend is young (in his 30s) and in reasonably good shape. Before attempting Chirripo, he worked out to get in preparation for the challenge.

His plan was to reach the lodge at the base camp on the first day...and then go on to the summit and return to the trailhead all on the second day. I questioned his plan, and told him that most climbers usually take 3 days to complete the trek. However, my friend remained steadfast in his commitment to do Chirripo in 2 days.

We left our hotel in San Isidro at 4:00 am for the drive to San Gerardo and the El Termometro trailhead (elev 4,987 ft). When I dropped him off, we agreed that I would meet him there at 12 noon the next day.

The following day, I arrived in San Gerardo early and had some time to enjoy breakfast and a few cups of coffee before heading out to the trailhead. I waited until 1:00 pm, and when my buddy did not show, I started up the mountain. The hike up is steep...and you need to watch your footing! (IMHO, descending is even more difficult...the extreme grade, wet surface and loose rock requires you to use every muscle in your body to brake your descent.)

After an hour, I heard my buddy's voice from above shouting my name. I spotted him about 100 yards up the trail. My friend was limping and in a lot of pain. I had to assist him and left my buddy at the trailhead while I got our SUV.

My friend made it to the base camp, but never made it to the summit. During the night, he suffered "mountain terror"...a symptom induced by altitude sickness. His hiking partner (a young female ranger stationed at Banff National Park) told him that he awoke from his sleep and started yelling and screaming. (He doesn't have any recollection of it.) Apparently, my buddy experienced a seizure while at 10,000 ft. The fit left him with several medical complications (which included a few compressed vertebrae). In the morning, my buddy opted to head back down the mountain rather than continue on to the summit.

My friend is still bound and determined to take on Chirripo again. He plans to return in January for another try. I would love to make the complete trek as well...but I doubt that my ailing feet would be able to hold up for a grueling 30 km hike! I will be there for him, again, as his anchorman on the ground.

Prolijo, you probably have done all the necessary research on San Gerardo and Chirripo, but I will throw in a few tips anyway:

1. Make your reservation for the hike ahead of time. You will need to obtain a permit from MINAE and make reservations for the lodge at the base camp. It is best to call ahead as the number of permits are limited to 25 hikers per day.

2. If you are unable to obtain the MINAE permit ahead of time, you may obtain one at the ranger station in San Gerardo the day before. Since the number of permits is limited to 25, there is no guarantee that you will get one...so get to the station early...like around 5:00 am the morning before your hike.

3. Stay in San Gerardo the night before your planned hike up the mountain. There are a few places of accommodation near the trailhead...all very rustic. I checked out Hotel El Uran which looks like the best available and only 100 yards or so from El Termometro. The website is: http://www.hoteluran.com.

4. San Gerardo de Rivas is a neat place to hang out for a day or two. It resembles a small alpine village in the Alps...almost hard to believe you are in Costa Rica. There is a general store that carries hiking supplies and two small bar/restaurants. I like Bar/Restaurante Roca Dura (aka Hard Rock Cafe) which is staffed by a number of friendly, fresh-looking chicas. Food and drink here is good and inexpensive. You can also find a hot spring in the north of town to soothe aching muscles and tendons after your hike.

5. Bring plenty of water, sun screen and raingear for your hike...you will need them!

6. If you still don't have a hiking partner before you arrive...not to worry...you will probably find one at the ranger station or hotel.

If you need any more detail information (like phone numbers), please feel free to PM me.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

I'm resurrecting this topic, that is a few years old, but I feel that it is a striking coincidence:

I am doing almost precisely what Projilo proposed: Tackling Chirripo over Thanksgiving.

I will be hobbling into the SL the day after Thanksgiving, asking for tequila and masaje.

I've been hitting the gym everyday, doing the elliptical machine for 30 minutes at a fairly high resistance setting. I'm an avid day hiker, and I routinely do 2000' non-technical day hikes. This peak will be a doozy, for sure, but I think I will just grin and bear it.

Does anyone else have any Chirripo stories? The story BlueDevil told is amazing, however, I've seen pictures online of Ch*ldren and older women posing at the peak. I will also have a guide, it was simpler to arrange for all of the gov't permits, and my Spanish is not good.

Werewolf40 partially wrote:



My buddy tackled Chirripo again a year after his first attempt. He finally made it to the summit this time. He did the trek in two days.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

Having done this hike myself since I first started this thread, I have some tips of my own. BlueDevil's post covers a lot of the key points, but I'd like to emphasize some of them and SOMEWHAT disagree with others:

1) Unless you're young and extremely fit (which is a description I don't think applies to most of us), my biggest piece of advice would be NOT to attempt this hike in just 2 days. You MIGHT make it but you will most likely wind up EXTREMELY sore. And you might NOT make it and then you'll somewhat feel in a way like you "wasted" your efforts and STILL wind up EXTREMELY sore (the one consolation being that your efforts would not really be completely wasted since it would still be a very scenic hike). Even if you're extremely fit, why rush it? So you can get back to SJ to bang pu*sy? Okay, that might seem like a very good reason. However, IMHO, if you're going to expend this sort of effort, you might as well take full advantage of it. Spend day 2 climbing from the Crestones base camp to the summit and back, doing local hikes and relaxing and recuperating. Then take a third day for making the descent from the base camp, which I can attest can be just as difficult as the hike up (the ascent is rough on the muscles and lungs, the descent is rough on the joints). Plus the descent will be more dangerous if you attempt it with sore muscles and wobbly legs as it is easy to stumble over rocks, twist ankles, and/or slip on the muddy slick spots (particularly towards the very end).

2) Pre-training will surely help but keep in mind it is not just a matter of muscles. Altitude will play a big part. I didn't have any problems as severe as VlueDevil's friend but I was huffing and puffing. If you have a car it is certainly possible to stay in San Isidro like BlueDevil and his friend did for his first attempt. However, that means having to get up even earlier the day of your hike. Also, as BD pointed out, San Gerardo is actually quite a pleasant (albeit small) mountain town PLUS it allows you to partially pre-acclimatize at a higher altitude than down in San Isidro. BTW, speaking of pre-conditioning, be sure your hiking boots are well broken in before you go.

3) Getting reservations in advance from the US can be somewhat tricky. However, I also did my hike over Thanksgiving, did NOT get my reservation in advance, and had absolutely NO problem getting my permit when I arrived in Canaan (the village just below San Gerardo where the ranger station is located) by the late afternoon (5PM) bus the evening before my hike. For others, IF you go during the PEAK season and are NOT able to make your reservation in advance (most likely), it is less likely that you'll just be able to show up the night before and get your permit. In THAT case, you should try to get to Canaan as early as possible the day before AND be prepared for the POSSIBILITY that you will not be able to get a permit for the next day. In that worst case scenario, you shouldn't have any problem getting a permit for the next day but that will mean having to spend an extra night in San Gerardo. OTOH, if you get to the ranger station in Canaan by 5AM the day before your hike (as BD suggested) in all likelihood you WILL get a permit, but that will mean an extra night either in San Gerardo or San Isidro, so it amounts to basically the same thing.

4) San Gerardo is a nice place to hang out. There isn't much to do there other than simply relax and enjoy the mountain air and scenery, but you could go on some easy local warm up hikes (unfortunately, the "hot springs" were closed when I was there, but don't expect any lavish facilities like the hot springs in Fortuna, this is just a local hot-spring fed watering hole).

5) Supplies are available in a small abasteria (sp?) in San Gerardo and the prices are not horrible, but the selection is very limited. I think you'd be better advised to purchase your supplies further ahead of time if possible in San Isidro or even back in San Jose.

6) You USED to be able to rent sleeping bags at the Crestones shelter but you can't any more (last time I'd checked the most of the few websites with any info on this hike had not been updated to reflect that). However, you can rent one in San Gerardo (if your hotel doesn't have them itself they can find one for you). If you're going to go with a rental bag, I recommend you purchase a sleeping bag liner (from your camping supply store back home). It doesn't add much weight, adds a little warmth and can come in handy on future trips (or stays at hostels, cheap hotels or other questionable places ).

7) You should bring plenty of sunscreen and raingear. Water along the hike is not really a problem, so don't weigh yourself down too much with that. There is a place to refill about halfway up (and down) and plenty of water at the Crestones shelter. However, one other thing I would add to that list of must-haves is WARM and DRY clothing. Even with raingear, you will probably arrive at Crestones WET and it can get extremely COLD up there, even during the late afternoon when the cold wet wind blows but particularly at night when you try to go to sleep. Crestones is a surprisingly nice shelter for such a remote and rustic location but it is NOT heated and has only limited solar electrical power. I had my longjohn underwear, t-shirt and flannel shirt on inside my bag and I was still curled into a fetal ball trying to keep warm over night. A wool cap and a pair of gloves would also be a very good idea. And don't forget DRY socks and extra plastic bags to keep all these things dry inside your pack.

8 ) If you plan to do this hike with a partner (whether one you travel with from the US or one you find in San Gerardo), be sure you're well matched up in terms of conditioning and ability, otherwise one of you will find the other to be a huge drag or else will be struggling to keep up. I did my hike solo and went at my own pace. I hiked small parts of it with other people I met at various places once on the trail, but went on ahead myself or, more often , let THEM go on ahead whenever it called for it (I think I actually enjoyed my solo time the most anyway). If anything were to happen to you along the trail (unless you start really late and are particularly slow climbing up), there will nearly always be someone coming along before too long to assist or send for help. Oh yeah, the trail is clear and well-marked with very few trails splitting off, so having a guide is absolutely NOT necessary.

Thanks for all the info.

My itinerary sounds like what you suggested.

Day One: Arduous climb to the Crestones Base Lodge. I will have a guide, and there will also be a porter, from what I understand. (Wasn't anticipating that, but I'm paying top dollar, so I will take advantage.)

Day Two: Summit Cerro Chirripo, with lunch at the top. Might even go for the sunrise at the top, we'll see. Also some optional side trips to nearby peaks and rock formations. Sleep again at Crestones Base Lodge.

Day Three: Descend back down to San Gerardo de Rivas for lunch, then back to San Jose (for my first visit to Sportsmen's Lodge).

I arranged for a guided trip, for many good reasons: Full-time driver/translator, permits procured, reservations made, meals cooked, luggage carried (to my surprise). Logistically, all I have to do is pack the right things and show up.

This trip is a little pricier than it could have been, but such is the life of a single traveler. Not so bad when you compare it to guided trips that have a "single supplement" fee.

I'm sorry to tell you this, I may not have done it quite as fancy as you but I also did it as a single traveler and probably didn't pay much more than $100 total for the 3 night trip from SJ (including transport to/from SJ, 2 nights hotel and 1 night at the shelter).

.

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If you let the devil ride, he's gonna want to drive

I was so exhausted reading these amazing tales of mountain-climbing derring-do I barely had the strength to pet my cat. How do you you do these things?--I mean helicopters work for for me if I have to get up there somewhere.
<signed> the Old Wuss

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Is one of the rules of posting that every topic must include the obligatory "you paid too much" comment?

Hey, WW, I did say I was SORRY to tell you that. Actually, to some degree we're comparing apples and oranges.

1) On my trip, I didn't have a private driver. I travelled almost entirely by public bus and that entailed having to find my way between bus stations in San Isidro and find the right bus from there to San Gerardo.

2) My hotel in San Gerardo was nice enough for me but may not have been quite as fancy as the place you will be staying (it did include private pickup from the Canaan ranger station and delivery to the trailhead the next morning).

3) I didn't have any trailguide (which you probably didn't realize is really completely unnecessary on this hike) or a personal porter (which, I'll admit would have been pretty nice).

4) I also didn't have any translator, but my broken spanish is more than adequate enough for me to get around okay in CR.

5) My trip was only 1 night at Crestones not 2 like yours and I said from the outset that turned out to be a HUGE mistake for me. Between climbing to the summit and back and then all the way down the mountain back to San Gerardo on day 2, I had absolutely no time for rest and even partial recovery during my hike and I didn't arrive back in San Gerardo until mid to late afternoon, dog-tired and partially crippled. If I'd have changed one thing about my trip it would have been to make it a 3 day hike like you're doing rather than the rushed 2 day one I did. But that wouldn't even have really added much cost to the trip anyway.

6) I had some nice casado tipicos along the way, in San Isidro and San Gerardo, but my meal planning for the hike itself was pretty spartan and simple. I don't know what sort of meals they have in store for you, probably not all that fancy either, but that is another possible difference.

7) Another lesser mistake I made was to jump right on the return bus to San Isidro. I figured that would give me a jump start on my onward journey and possibly greater nightlife opportunities than tiny little San Gerardo. However I didn't have any hotel reservation in San Isidro and when I got there (around 6PM) my 1st choice of hotel was booked up, as was my 2nd choice and I wound up grabbing an $8/nt hotel room that was possibly the worst hotel room I've ever stayed in (and I've stayed in more than my share of sub-$25 hotel rooms in Central America). And the nightlife options in San Isidro for an older single gringo aren't so great either.

8 ) Lastly, on my trip, I didn't have any of the certainty that you have with your trip. I wasn't sure where I needed to go when I got to San Gerardo. I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to get a permit for the next night once I arrived in San Gerardo. Some people, maybe even most, can't stand the anxiety of immersion in a strange foreign environment. Other people, like myself, actually get off on the challenge of that.

One should expect that all these differences should add some cost. Most of them add some cost but either shouldn't add much or aren't really necessary. The main thing that you are really paying for is that last item - Peace of mind and greater certainty that all the details will be handled for you. For someone who hasn't done much independent 3rd world travel, doesn't speak the language or simply doesn't want to have to worry about anything, the "top dollar" you're paying may seem WELL worth it.

The point I was trying to make is not that you overpaid but rather that having done this trip myself and seeing what is really involved, I can tell you that doing this trip independently is not really as daunting as one might initially believe (and that doing it independently could save you quite a bit of money). And, to the extent it is, seeking out the advice and knowledge of others who have done that trip before (like myself) in advance of your trip can go a long way to reducing that uncertainty and fear.

If someone wants to do this hike with me sometime, I won't even charge for my "guide services". But you will have to carry your own stuff.

Prolijo, no offense taken. I'm just a bit crabby, and DEFINTELY ready for my upcoming trip!

Can't wait to sweat, pant, drink, eat, sleep, and hike til my whole body aches, THEN I will sweat, pant, drink, eat, sleep, and f*ck til my whole body aches.

Anyway, I like your posts. Very informative and you cover all the bases. In fact, I looked up "Prolijo" and I now know why you chose that name:

prolijo, -a
adjective
1. long-winded (extenso)
2. meticulous (esmerado); exhaustive (detallado)
3. tidy, neat (pulcro) (RP)

What would be the opposite of 'Prolijo'? We could be a CR monger Odd Couple...

Its funny you should ask that. I'm not sure what the antonym for Prolijo would be in spanish, but my ORIGINAL handle happens actually to have been CRMonger.

As for the hiking until your body aches and then returning to SJ and phucking until your body aches, I don't know what sort of shape you're in, but for me it was more like one CONTINUOUS ache from the moment I was halfway up the mountain until even several days later and I was back in SJ doing my phucking around. You can ask some of the guys who saw me in SJ at that time. I was creeping around like some sort of geriatric accident victim. It wasn't so bad once I got myself moving, but simple things like getting up and sitting down or climbing stairs had to be done slowly and very gingerly. Despite all that I still managed to get my post-hike pu*sy time in (PARTICULARLY at MP's :)), but my more gymnastic manuveurs were definitely out until I was more recovered.

It was enough to make me wonder why I even still try to do these things at my age. The answer is simple (or maybe not). Because its there? I guess it is also because I love the challenge (which is also why I "get off" on throwing myself into strange foreign environments through independent travel). But even as tiring, "scary" or even at times painful these activities sometimes are, I wouldn't trade the unique sights and experiences I have enjoyed because of it for anything.

BTW, this is too late for you but might be something for others considering this hike to consider. Other guys might want to consider trying a different CR hike first before they undertake Chirripo. I also climbed Rincon de la Viejo (although I didn't make it to the top because of weather).

First of all, even though it is much further away, it can be done in a shorter amount of time away from SJ than Chirripo. Chirripo requires AT LEAST one night on the mountain itself and, as I have already said, preferrably 2. And that is on top of the nights before and after your hike in San Gerardo or Perez Zeledon (unless you have a car its unlikely you could drive back to SJ the same day you climb back down the mountain). Its at least an even further 5-6 hours drive (or bus) to the hotels near the base of Rincon, but the ascent itself can (and should) be done in just one day. So you could conceivably and easily do this trip in as little as just 3d/2n away from SJ. Again I'd stretch that out at least another night in order to enjoy some of the other sights and activities in the area (e.g. they also have hot springs to soak in after your hike). But that still beats the 5d/4n MINIMUM to do Chirripo properly (including travel days).

Secondly, apart from the weather that can be a problem on either hike, the hike itself is much easier (though still no piece of cake) on Rincon. Actually, although I ran into weather problems on my trip to Rincon, that is probably less likely a problem up in that part of the country than it would be in the Cordillera Talamanca. Altitude is also much less of a factor. Rincon is only about 1800m compared to Chirripo's 3800m. The vertical climb is still nothing to sneeze at since the trail also starts out at a much lower elevation and you do wind up well above the treeline (with all the high winds and cold that go with that), but the peak is not much higher than what you're already used to in SJ, so lack of O2 is not nearly as much of a problem.

Thirdly, because it is a (long) one day hike you can begin and end your journey in a nice hotel and a warm bed, rather than shivering yourself to sleep near the top of a mountain in a very basic shelter. And no need to lug up sleeping and cooking gear with you up the mountain.

I'm hopeful you'll be perfectly fine for your hike up Chirripo, particularly since you've been doing your preconditioning and have enlisted the help of professionals, but for others thinking of doing this, they might want to give Rincon a try first and see how well they do on it before they undertake Chirripo, which is IMHO NOT something to be undertaken lightly.

Has anyone ever crossed Corcovado National Park? That's what my goal is.

I've driven down to southwest CR from San Isidro del General, but haven't really explored that region, yet to the extent I have others. Corcovado is really the only part of CR that hasn't been touched by development. I've spoken to a handful of ex-pats who live there, and they described it as a truly pristine and natural paradise, I look forward to exploring it.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...