COSTA RICA VACATIONCLIMB CHIRRIPO
Your Costa Rica vacation can even include climbing Costa Rica’s highest mountain, Cerro Chirripo, a spectacular hiking experience, and one of Costa Rica’s Seven Wonders. One traveler has even likened Chirripo to the Himalayas. I doubt that very much but it’s not for the weak-kneed (sorry, bad pun). When you travel Costa Rica to the mountain, you can either take a day-hike into the park or climb to the summit of the mountain for an incredible sight. If you’re really in good shape, join hundreds of other runners on March 25 who race to the top and back! Then, when your friends ask, "What'd you do on your Costa Rica vacation?" you can say. . . "Oh, you know, just the usual. I surfed one day and ran to the top of its biggest mountain the next!" If you want to hike to the summit you’re going to need at least two, and maybe three days, for this adventure. Although you can hike year-round, you might consider hiking during the dry season (December through May) because when it rains here it pours, sometimes for hours. You need to be physically fit with good hiking boots, rain-gear, and layered clothing because this hike is going to take you from very warm areas to a summit which will be very cold (expect freezing temperatures at night). Most hikers overnight in San Isidro, which lies at the base of the mountain, then take a bus up the mountain to a ranger station at San Gerardo de Rivas where you’ll start. Camping is only permitted in certain areas and most people climb to a hostel (you’ll need reservations) called Base Crestones at the base of the peak. The climb to the hostel will likely take most of the day and, while it'll be strenuous, you'll pass raging rivers with really spectacular primary rainforest, then cloudforest, and finally reach an ecosystem where the trees only grow to 4’. 
Along the way, there will be lots of birds, including perhaps the rare and sensational quetzal and, with luck, other animals because the national park is also home to monkeys, pumas, and ocelots. At the hostel, you can rent sleeping bags, cook-stoves, blankets (you’re going to need them because the hostel is not heated!), and buy drinks. I guarantee you'll sleep this night on your Costa Rica vacation! From the hostel, the summit is another couple of hours away but oh! what a sight! Many folks like to strike out for the summit very early the second day to catch the sunrise. Whether you make it in time or not, you’ll get goose bumps when you see the extraordinary rock formations and spectacular glacial forms (yep, the mountain once had glaciers), from moraines to glacier-formed lakes and valleys. And, on a clear day, you’ll be able to see five volcanoes and both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans at the same time! Nowhere else in the world can you have this experience. So, as you travel Costa Rica, break in your hiking boots and get ready for one of the most unique Costa Rica vacations. You'll agree that Chirripo is really one of Costa Rica's Seven Wonders.
Pura Vida!
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