I’m not at altitude person. I get sick every time I go to high altitudes. And I honestly don’t like the types of hikes that go straight up and straight down.
BUT I heard some pretty awesome things about hiking Chirripo. The fact that it is the highest peak in Costa Rica and second in all of Central America…. I was like…..meh…..maybe it’s worth pooping my pants and breaking my knees in half!
Was the experience like I had hoped for? Not exactly haha.
Quick Facts
Example Schedule
- Tallest mountain in Costa Rica. On a clear day you can see both the Carribean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
- Altitude: 12,533 feet (3,820 meters) above sea level (you really do feel the altitude!)
- Trail length: 12.4 miles (20 km) one way from trail head to summit. Most people do the first 14 km in the first day and summit the second.
- Starting point: San Gerardo de Rivas, Costa Rica
- Cost: Permits cost $18 per day (must be purchased through sinac.go.cr)
- Time to hike: 8-10 hours to summit for most people
- Weather: Daytime temperatures are between 40-65F (4-18 C) and nights can get below 32F. It basically rains throughout the year here (11.5 ft/3.5 m/year) but your best chance to escape the rain is to come in Feb/March.
- Size: The park covers 197 square miles and is one of the most rugged and remote National Parks in Costa Rica
- Animals: Tapirs, quetzals, jaguars, pumas and more live here!
My group chose to spend 3 days in Chirripo National Park.
Day 1: 3 am start hiking up to Crestones base camp (11,115 feet elevation, or about 75% of the way to the summit) relaxing, and hiking around base camp. It took us 7.5 hours to summit.
Day 2: 3 am summit to Chirripo (the last 3.4 miles) and a few other small hikes in the area.
Day 3: 7 am descent. It took us less than 7 hours to descend and Jo had a bad knee. You can get down pretty fast or take your time enjoying the different micro-climates!
Expenses
Logistics
- Permit: $18/day
- Accommodations: (Crestones Base Camp): $35/night (includes sheet, pillow, blanket, sleeping bag in a room of 4 people and 8 shared bathrooms)
- Food from Crestones: $10/breakfast, $13/lunch/dinner
- Porters: You can hire a horse/a porter to bring your bag up for you at $4 a kilo.
- You are required to check into the San Gerardo Park Office by 4 pm the day before you hike in. Bring a picture of your passport. The park office is about .5 miles from the trailhead in San Gerardo de Rivas
- You must start ascending by 10 am and descending by noon. No one seemed to check this, but that is the rule.
- At km 4 you reach the official park boundary. Km 7.5 is the Llano Bonito Refuge, Km 14 is the Crestones Base Camp and km 20 is Chirripo summit.
- Water/bathrooms are available at the Llano Bonito Refuge (7.5 km) and Crestones Base Camp (14 km).
- If you want to hire a porter you can pay in dollars, colones or credit card in person or over the phone. Must drop gear off before 7 pm the day before.
Packing List
Helpful Websites
- waterproof jacket
- thermal layer
- warm socks
- hat
- extra clothes to change into to sleep
- headlamp
- batter pack to charge your electronics (electricity is only available from 5-8 pm at Base Camp every day)
- Picture of your passport to check into San Gerardo Park Office
- gloves
- scarf
- wipes
- toiletries
- snacks (trail mix, dry fruit and Cliff bars were the best)
- day pack (you can leave your things in a locked locker all day at Crestones)
- cash
- permit
- waterproof cover for your day pack
- water bottle (water is available at the refuge and base camp. I only brought 1 liter and I was fine, but I don’t drink much.)
- hiking poles if you have knee problems
- Ibuprofen
- ear plugs/eye mask
- phone/camera charger (once again, electricity is only available at Base Camp from 5-8 every day. Wifi is basically non-existent)
Sign up for permit: www.sinac.go.cr You can ONLY purchase permits ONLINE now and no same-day ones are available anymore. Don’t be surprised it the website is difficult. It took us several days of trying to get through.
Reservation Process: https://jameskaiser.com/costa-rica-guide/hiking-chirripo/ this guy explains every step of the process very well!
https://www.sangerardocostarica.com/activities/chirripo-national-park/ is another fantastic website with information
Hire a Porter: 506-2742-5225 (office open from 11-6). Office of Porters and Guides -Asociacion de Arrieros, Guias y Porteadores Parque Nacional Chirripo
Info about Crestones Base Camp: Chirripo.org
My Experience
Crestones Base Camp (14 km from trailhead)
If I learned ANYTHING from my experience, it would be how cold it is up there haha. Crestones Base Camp is freezing. The water in the showers in glacial (I never showered), the walls and floors are stone, and there is no heat.
BRING WARM CLOTHES. Bring waterproof jackets and warm socks and plenty of clothes to change into.
I was surprised how clean and nice base camp was, but I honestly thought I was going to freeze to death. I never warmed up the whole 3 days there. Except for when I was in my sleeping bag (which they provided).
*I have talked to people that were not cold at all while in Chirripo National Park. It depends on the time of year you go, and how well you pack!
Summiting Chirripo
Most people hike up to Crestones Base Camp one day and then wake up at 3 AM for the summit of Chirripo (the last 3.4 miles/5.5 km) the next morning.
I think this was one of the most “This is not what it looked like on Instagram” moments I have had while living in Costa Rica haha.
First of all, I’m dumb and I wanted to save money so I didn’t purchase any meals at base camp. This was not the dumb part. The dumb part was that I filled my backpack with cans of tuna and apples instead of warm clothing.
I packed my bag from where I live in 80 degree temperature, not realizing how cold Costa Rica really can get.
We summited at 3 AM in biting wind and rain. It took us about 2.5 hours to summit those 3.4 miles and then we waited in the pitch black and I thought my hands and face were going to freeze off. The cans of tuna did not keep me warm haha. The last part is a sheer scramble and it was so cold, windy and dark. I definitely did not see the Pacific or Carribean side of Costa Rica. Or Panama. I was busy hiding behind a rock from the wind haha.
Other Hikes from Base Camp
I was surprised how many other hikes there are from Crestones Base Camp. Originally I planned to summit and come back down in one day, but you can spend SEVERAL days up there exploring the area that scientists still are continuing to uncover!
I actually enjoyed the hikes around Base Camp more than the actual summit of Chirripo, itself. It probably helped that it was warmer and the sun was out haha.
I would go during dry season because it rained quite a bit while we were there and it makes it a little harder to see things in my opinion. And also did I mention I froze to death from being a wet rat?
Tips for the Future/Reflection
Overall I thought Chirripo was an INCREDIBLE experience. I am so glad I bought a 3-day permit because the best part for me was the hikes around the base camp when we got there. It takes so much work to get here. The permits, the drive to Rivas, booking everything, the hike up to Base Camp, etc. Take your time and enjoy yourself while you are in the park! There is so much to see!
If I could do it again I would buy at least one meal/day there. You use a lot of energy with all of the hiking and it really helps to have a large hot meal. Plus the food is really good and very filling. It’s just better than any packaged food you could carry in with you. I would bring more warm clothes, especially gloves and extra socks for when you get back to the base camp every day after hiking.
As far as time of year goes, I would also go during dry season (December-April) for a better chance for warmer weather and to actually see the view from the summit of Chirripo! It was kind of a BIG bummer to get all of the way up there after months of planning and anticipating and not see anything. I mean not that standing in a freezing rain cloud wasn’t fun haha but I feel like seeing both coasts would have been a little more fun…..
Also, I know I complained a lot about being cold but this is still one of my favorite experiences I have had while living in Costa Rica. I wasn’t able to see as much from the summit as I would have liked, but it was an incredible experience and I feel really grateful I was able to go.