...more like extreme hike a Costa Rican mountain. If Diego had not painted our house in February, I doubt if we would have considered climbing Mount Chirripó. During the weeks that Diego and his brothers were here, they shared stories of their home in Perez Zeledon, a beautiful valley between the Talamanca and Coastal ranges. The trailhead is about an hour drive from Diego's home. His enthusiasm of the beauty of the area and generosity in inviting us to stay in his "cabina" before and after the hike, was a strong motivation for us. If we really understood what this hike entailed, we might have been more circumspect. M and I did some research online and talked to a good friend who hiked it a few years ago. With not much thought other than our motto, "Always An Adventure." we made a reservation for park permits.
The process to register for the hike and overnight stay at the Base Camp hostel seemed more complicated than necessary. The park permits for an overnight stay is limited to 52 people with a few additional permits for those who are ultra hikers that can make a round trip in 1 day. Not us! It is 9 miles (15 km) with a 6400' (2,100 m) elevation gain to the Base Camp hostel called Albergue Crestones. To reach the summit or Cerro Chirripó, it is an additional 3 miles (5.1km) with another 2000' (650 m) elevation. We decided on a 3 day permit with 2 night stay at the Albergue. We booked on April 2 for the dates of June 12-14. For the summer months from December to March it is very difficult to get reservations. We had no problem and there were only 16 other hikers at the Albergue during our stay.
This hike is for people who are very fit. M and I made some practice hikes around are neighborhood. We were good for the distance of 9 miles, however, no hike around here could prepare us for the steepness of the trail. The trail is marked at each kilometer and there are signs with inspirational sayings along the way. The last inspirational sign at Km 14 went something like, "Your step is slowed, your breathing laboured, it is your force of will that will get you to the top."
Whose idea was this anyway?
We left Diego's house at 4 am and arrived at a house just below the trailhead where M had arranged for us to park the car. The sunrise over the Caribbean was starting to lighten the sky as we walked up about 100 meters to the trailhead (Elevation 1500m). Then the adventure began. It is a beautiful trail that shows thought in its structure and maintenance. Revealed in the early morning light, the first 500 meters is very inviting. A long curving sweep of uphill steps built from rounds of tree trunks that are embedded in the earth. Along the way there are several sections of these embedded tree steps giving the trail a fairy tale feel. We opted to carry our backpacks with everything for the whole trip. (Many people pay about $60 to have their main packs carried up and down on horseback and wear a day pack with water, poncho, gloves, hat, snacks.) Within the first few kilometers as the day warmed and we started heating up with the effort, we stopped to make wardrobe adjustments. Not only were we hauling ourselves up the mountain, we hauled up an additional 20 lbs of clothing, extra shoes, toiletries. Our walking sticks were crucial to our success. We brought the "palos" made by Lilo from limbs of trees around the property.
The first 4 kms pass through privately owned land where we saw cattle grazing in mountain side paddocks. We enter the National Park at Km 4 where there are a couple of benches for resting. There we met a group of Texan women, one of whom was waiting for a horse to take her back down. She was in distress with the strenuous climb and having difficulties breathing. On our uphill hike, we did very well to the 7 km rest stop Refuge where there is fresh drinking water, bathrooms and a small cantina. In casual conversation with hikers on their way down, we learned that the really steep sections were still ahead. There were sections of 1 kilometer to 2.5 kilometers that were non-stop 20-25 degree inclination. I'd look ahead up the trail and see a bend and think with hope that around the bend there would be a flat section. My hopes were consistently dashed.
At Km 13.5, we were both just about done in. We'd been hiking for about 7 hours, my quads were screaming, M was have some difficulty with the elevation. It was during these rest stops that M and I would take a minute to appreciate our surroundings. We were moving through a former wildfire area and the landscape was rather stark with the gnarled trunks and gray weather limbs of a remnant trees. We'd shuffle up about 50 steps, then rest for a minute and repeat. We met 2 great gals on this section, Dori, a gringa originally from Texas and now living in CR and her friend Laura, a Tica dentist. As we sat resting, we'd bolster each other by saying, "We've got to be close, it can't be much farther." And stand up and shuffle a few more paces up. As we reached Km 14, the trail flattened out, M and I were able to stretch our legs and get a faster walk. Then at 14.5, the trail opened up to a wide, deep valley and about 500 meters ahead and below, we could see the Albergue. My last drop of adrenalin kicked in and I practically ran down the hill. We arrived at the building with the reception and there were 3 steps up to the door. I could barely lift my feet. At the reception desk, the greeter asked, "Comó estan?" I was almost in tears when I answered. Fortunately, we made it in time for a hearty, warm lunch of chicken, rice, beans, and fried plantains along with a yummy sweet hot drink of coffee and hot chocolate. After this delicious carbo-loading, we shuffled down the corridor to our room and collapsed into our bunk beds with 2 blankets and 1 pillow.
It poured rain that afternoon as we let our muscles relax and release. The Albergue is very basic: no heat, no hot water and no electricity after 5:30 pm during our stay. Dinner was served between 5:30 and 6:30 pm. By the time we finished, we were all sitting and chatting in the dark, some wearing head lamps. Everyone went to bed after dinner. Some hikers were getting up at 2:00 am to leave for the summit so that they would arrive at sunrise. Not us. We returned to our room, dressed in many layers of clothing. I had on 3 shirts, a pair of bike shorts, 2 pairs of pants, 3 pairs of socks on my feet, 1 pair on my hands, a scarf around my neck and my buff on my head. I wrapped myself Mummy-like in the blankets and tried to warm up. Eventually, I fell asleep and was toasty too.
We awoke to a clear morning and enjoyed a 5:30 am breakfast. At 6 am, as we were heading out to the summit trail, the pack horses and their handlers arrived. They leave at 2 am and make the trek up in 4 hours. The handlers eat breakfast, offload food, packs and onload packs for the descent and depart at 7 am.
We headed east along a very easy trail that parallels one of the many mountain streams of Chirripó. Chirripó is the headwaters for many of Costa Rica's major rivers and is called by the indigenous people, "The Land of Eternal Waters."
The first 5 km were a cake walk compared to the previous day. There was a steep climb up to a saddle then a descent past the lakes from where we could see the Cerro Chirripó.
Yes, we are going up there!
As we were happily swinging along the trail, we met hikers returning from the summit. It is a very collegial atmosphere with fellow hikers happy to stop for a chat to give you info on what lies ahead and to give a well-wish of "Buen Viaje." What lay ahead was something else that I didn't research about this "hike." The last 100 meters to the summit is about a 60 degree inclination. M, the mountain goat, hiked up using his poles. I, with my touch of vertigo, climbed it hand over hand. I just kept my eyes on the rock steps, looking for good hand holds. And did not look to the right of the trail at the precipitous drop. Fortunately, it is a brief but heart-pounding section and we arrived at the summit.
On a clear day, you can see the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east, north to Cerro de los Muertos and south to Panama. We could see the Pacific through the clouds and north to Los Muertos.
We had the summit to ourselves and sat for awhile in appreciation of our achievement. It was mostly sunny, with a cold wind from the east bringing along clouds.
After a short rest and with some trepidation on my part, we descended. I opted for the "butt scoot" descent method. Reliable and safe. Though in a few sections, I had to climb down like a ladder. M went down as easily as he was walking down a set of stairs. We encountered Dori, Laurel and their friends on our way down. They were ready to ascend and we gave them a few words of encouragement. With a great sense of relief and thrill of success, we headed back down the trail to the intersection of the climbs for Cerro Chirripó, Cerro Terbi, the Lagos and another trail. If you have the energy, there are several other trails to explore the surrounding peaks and alpine plateaus.
When we came to the intersection, I was feeling tired, M was energized. The sun was shining, the air was clear, we had a homemade power bar. M was ready for
another peak. He headed up the trail to Cerro Terbi, as I lay in the short alpine ground covering. I watched his white hat bob higher and higher up the mountainside until I fell asleep. A short time later, I gathered myself up and walked back to the Albergue.
Cerro Terbi is a 2nd high peak over 3700 meters. Along the trail, M hiked through narrow steep tubes. On the route back to the Albergue, he passed by the Crestones, another landmark peak for Costa Ricans. As I sat comfortably in the glass walled dining area of the Albergue eating lunch, I watched M descend on the trail under the Crestones.
Our 2nd evening meal was very lively with half the hikers happy with their summit achievements and the other half of new arrivals eager for tips for their own summit the next morning. I kept remembering a line that I read in some mountain climbing book in the distant past that getting to the summit is only half the achievement. The most important and often more grueling task is getting off the mountain. We visited with a friend in San Jose just a few days before our hike. He'd climbed Chirripó not so long ago. He told us that the descent was very hard and he is younger than me.
We started at 6 am, after a hardy breakfast and with full sunshine and clear skies above and below. My quads were strained and early on my knees were painful. I thought that going down was going to be faster and easier. It is a remarkable fact of physical space that stepping down a steep slope is more difficult than stepping up. I relied heavily on my poles to give me balance over my weight. As my legs weakened, I felt that as I stepped down, my legs would not have the strength to support me.
The further along the trail, the steeper it seemed to be, we remarked that we couldn't believe that we'd climbed up all this way. I was really starting to hurt by Km 7. We stopped at the Refuge, refilled water bottles and rested. Descending from the alpine habitat to the cloud forest and into the rainforest, the trail was slick with deep mud making every step even more treacherous. With the passage of the pack horses, the main part of the trail was churned up. There were narrow paths along the side to navigate and I had to think and act carefully on every step.
It was in the last 4 kms that I started into a "pity party." My feet were aching with my toes jamming into the ends of my hiking boots. (My left big toenail is black bruised.) At one point, I yelled in frustration, "Get me off this f@^king mountain!" I knew that all the anger was misplaced. The only thing that I could do was slowly place one foot down and then the next. M was very patient and encouraging. And I really tried to keep my bad attitude in check because I knew that eventually this trail would end and I would feel better. I also remembered that our friend Diego was about to start chemotherapy for lung cancer a few days later. Diego who is full of energy, generosity and good will is fighting for his life. So my momentary discomfort was self-indulgent. During the last 500 meters, we could see the rooftops of the homes where the car was parked. It was achingly still so far away. Yet, we made it. And as I passed the entrance to the trailhead, M offered to carry my pack the last 100 meters to the car.
At the time, I wanted to get as far away from the mountain as possible. Looking back, I'm so happy that M was my partner in adventure. This is another amazing experience that we share. It has made me stronger in my personal resolve and I appreciate all M's qualities that brought us up and down together. The trail is a forest dream rising from a tropical rainforest with deep green moss carpeting the trailside, the tree limbs dripping with spanish moss and red frond staghorn ferns sprouting in the branches with the call of the exotic Quetzel bird drifting through the air. Glimpses of the valleys below as we rise through the cloud forest and then emerge in the alpine environment above the tree line where the air temperature is 10C/50F (dipping down to 0C/32F at night.) Chirripó is a national symbol for Costa Rica and climbing it is a pilgrimage for its people. As it was for us.
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