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Chirripo National Park Review

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Chirripó National Park

Category: Nature Preserves, Parks
Location: Chirripó National Park

Fodor's Review:

The ascent to Mount Chirripó, the highest mountain in Costa Rica, is the most popular and challenging hike in the country. Unfortunately, it is also the most exclusive. A recent environmental-impact study led officials to limit the number of hikers in the park each day to 40. Thirty reservations are prebooked, usually months ahead, leaving only 10 spaces for hikers who show up at the park. The park-service office in San Isidro takes phone reservations every two months, starting in January. This means they take reservations in January for February and March; then in March for April and May, and so forth. To access the challenging trail, you must first hike about 6 km (4 mi) uphill from San Gerardo de Rivas to the park's official boundary. From there it's a tough climb to the base camp—6 to 10 hours from the official park entrance, depending on your physical condition—so most hikers head out of San Gerardo at the first light of day. There is a modern but unheated (and chilly) hostel near the top ($10 a night). This will be your base for a night or two if you want to continue your hike up to the peaks. The hostel has small rooms with four bunks each, cold-water bathrooms, and a cooking area. You need to bring your own sleeping bag, pillow, and food and water. Pack plenty of warm clothes. Trails from the hostel lead to the top of Chirripó—the highest point in Costa Rica—and the nearby peak of Terbi, as well as to glacier lakes and the páramo—a highland ecosystem common to the Andes, with shrubs and herbaceous plants.

You are required to report to the San Gerardo de Rivas National Parks Service (Main street. 742-5085) before you start, either the day before, or the morning of your climb. The office is open 6:30-4, admission is $10, and they have trail maps. Don't try to sneak in: a park ranger will stop you at a checkpoint on the trail and ask to see your reservation voucher. To reserve or pay for lodging in the park, you must visit the San Isidro National Parks Service office.

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