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Chirripó Trek Tour description

Day l - Cerro de la Muerte Drive on the Pan-American Highway (2 Vz hrs) heading south to the Chirripó Highlands and Cerro de la Muerte (Peak of Death, 11,000'). Challenge yourself with the expertise of your resident naturalist guide to find the elusive Resplendent Quetzal and other cloud forest wildlife. After lunch to overnight at the Pelicano Lodge, our staging area for the trek. Located in the quaint village of San Gerardo de Rivas. Equipment check and dinner. Pelicano Lodge [BD] Day 2 - Trek to Chirripó Base Camp Depart in the morning to begin trekking into Chirripó National Park. Today you hike in three stages as you ascend the mountain eating snacks and lunch before arrival to camp by midday. The uphill trail is steep and can take up to 12 hours in poor conditions for slow trekkers. Fit, experienced hikers can do it in 6 to 7 hours. After passing the sign "Trail to Chirripo", you begin a grueling uphill stretch called La Cuesta del Agua (allow 2 hours). This climb crests at Monte Sin Fe ("Faithless Mountain"). Expect to see colorful toucanets, trogons, monkeys, and more as you pass through dwarf cloud forests draped in "Old Man's Beard" mosses. Note: A water filter is useful for re-filling your water bottle. There are not many water sources on this day. Camp 6 km below the summit. Overnight Shelter in National Park [BLD] Day 3 = Summit of the Mount Chirripó Arise early to begin trekking to the summit of Mt. Chirripó before the fog rolls in. Chirripó National Park protects 50,150 hectares of high elevation terrain. Cloud forest above 8,250' elevation covers half the park. Along the way you will pass by numerous lakes and it is clear why the Talamancan Indians called Chirripo—"Place of Enchanted Waters." If clear, the view to the Pacific and Atlantic is stunning. It's about a 1 Vz to 2 hour ascent before descending to Valle de Los Conejos (Rabbit Valley). Hike to Cerro Terbi and Los Crestones reaching camp around early afternoon.. Overnight Shelter in National Park [BLD] Day 4 - Back to City Continue descending to Refuge Llano Bonito. Hike out and have lunch in San Gerardo de Rivas. Transfer to San Jose. [BL] B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner

	1	San Gerardo
	2	Park Limit
	3	Llano Bonito
	4	Faithless Mount
	5	Base Crestones
	6	Rabbits' Valley
	7	Mount Chirrpo
	8	Glacial Lake
	9	Los Crestones
	10	Cerro Terbi

Detailed Itinerary
Day 1
07:30	Pick Up at Hotel, departure to Cerro de la Muerte
09:00	Tour Finca de tos Quetzales at the Cerro de la Muerte
10:15	Transfer continues to San Isidro
12:00	Lunch at Mercado Central in San Isidro
13:30	Departure to San Gerardo de Rivas
14:45	Arrival in San Gerardo, check in, rest, time to enjoy
18:30	Dinner
19:30	We check equipment and make our Backpacks
Day 2
04:30	Breakfast
05:00	Hike to the Chirripó National Park
11:00	Arrival in Refugio Llano Bonito. Rest
11:30	Snack in Llano Bonito
12:00	Hike to second goal, Monte sin Fe
14:30	Arrival in Monte sin Fe. Rest
15:00	Hike to third goal Los Crestones Ranger Station
17:00	Arrival in Los Crestones
18:00	Dinner will be cooked
Day 3
05:30	Breakfast
06:00	Hike to the Chirripó peak
08:00	Arrival at Peak
09:30	Hike back to Valle de los Conejos and Cerro Terbi
12:00	Arrival Los Crestones
12:30	Hike back to the camp
13:30	We prepare our lunch
14:00	Lunch
15:00	Time to rest
18:30	Dinner will be cooked
Day 4
05:00	Breakfast
05:30	Departure from Camp. Hike to refuge Llano Bonito
08:30	Arrival in refuge. Rest, snack
09:00	Departure from refuge to San Gerardo de Rivas
11:30	Arrival in San Gerardo de Rivas, Lunch (On your own bill)
12:30	Departure to San José
16:30	Arrival in San José. Drop Off in Hotel

Included services
Equipment:	Cooking equipment
Guide:	Bilingual naturalist tour guide
Porter:	Food and cooking equipment are carried by Ocarina On request you can book Porter: $ 25.00 per person (one way)
Entrance Fees:	National Park fees
Lodging:	El Pelicano Lodge or similar, Shelter National Park
Tours:	Tour Quetzal; Chirripo hike
Meals:	1st day: lunch, dinner. 2nd & 3rd day: all meals. Snacks during the hikes. 4th day: breakfast
Transfers:	All included
Dates:	Fullmoon dates on request
A big backpack and sleeping bag is required! Night temperature can be below 0° C!

Additional Information

ALTITUDES, AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND CONDITION San Jose 3,700 feet, daytime 77° F; nighttime 55° F Chirripo Base Camp 9,500 feet, daytime 40-65° F; nighttime 30-35° F. Weather on Chirripo is unpredictable and potentially dangerous if you are not prepared. Bitterly cold winds can exceed 100 kph with wind chilldropping temperatures significantly. Rain is always a possibility, especially in mid-afternoon. Temperatures usually fall to freezing, or below, during the night. ESSENTIALS TO BRING • Sleeping bag rated to freezing. • Good rucksack for carrying gear (or to give to optional porter) • Plastic water bottle - especially for hikes. Personal water filter for filling your water bottle. • Good rain poncho, warm clothes, layered, polypropylene to keep warm in damp and cold mountains. Sunscreen and insect repellent. • Shirts - cotton, long and short sleeved. • Parka. • Trousers - light weight pants (jeans not recommended-too slow to dry) • Hiking shorts, socks. • Hat (s) - with visor for rain and sun protection. • Flashlight with spare batteries and bulb, Binoculars. • FOOTWEAR - Good, lightweight hiking boots with traction and ankle support are essential! You can either wear boots you have or, the ideal footwear for this trip is US Army approved jungle boots with Panama release soles and drainage holes. These are not high tech, light-weight cushy recreational boots. They are designed for use in wet environments and feature drainage holes so you can walk through mud and rivers without removing your boots to drain water. IMPORTANT! Temperatures on this trip range cold below freezing, to highs of 80° F. to 90° F. Guests are expected to make themselves aware for the nature and demands of the experience and prudently judge whether or not they are suited for this expedition. A desire to experience the outdoors, a spirit of adventure, and willingness to sacrifice creature comforts are essential qualifications. Your mountain trekking guide are local experts, knowledgeable and skilled at leading trekkers into these remote areas. They are familiar with local flora and fauna, but they are not naturalists. Furthermore, they are not highly trained or equipped for sophisticated mountain rescue or emergency medical assistance. RISKS AND INSURANCE Costa Rican insurance only cover injuries sustained in our operation, under the National Health Plan. We always recommend our clients to check their personal medical insurance for coverage outside of their country. We have prepared an application, which client must sign personally before realizing a tour.

Until Oct 31 /2008

Price per person (2 Person minimum) $655.00

Cancellation Policies
30 days or more, prior to arrival - No penalties
22 to 29 days prior to arrival - 25% of package cost per person
21 to 15 days prior to arrival - 50% of package cost per person
14 to 8 days prior to arrival - 75% of package cost per person
Within 7 days prior to arrival - Full package cost per person

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