Cerro Chirripó — Local services in Valle La Estrella

Mt. Chirripo is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I spent 10 days in the village of Canaan about a third of the way up the mountain near San Isidro. Canaan can serve as a base camp for hiking and is a lovely place on its own. It has a retreat center, a mariposaria (a huge geodesic dome, where butterflies and their habitats are seen and studied), a small chocolate factory, a lively arts community . . . I also drove over the mountain, going to San Jose. The views are truly spectacular. The road takes you through several different ecosystems: the low cloud forest (where Canaan is), an alpine level above the first layer of clouds, the high cloud forest, and finally on the slope heading toward the Caribbean, the is jungle complete with vines hanging down...

Splendid mountain, but quite a challenge to do the entire climb in one day! (If the base station is fully booked as was the case for me.) So book well in advance and spend some time up there. That's what I would do if coming back, which is not unlikely. OR be well prepared and in good form for a long and strenuous hike of around 40km and a total of about 4600m+ in elevation climb & descent. Don't use the crazy locals who'll do the race to the base station and back in like 3 hours as a reference. Hat off to...

Such a gorgeous hike! Began at 3 AM Hotel Uran and with a one day permit only (due to late booking and unavailability) we hiked all the way to the summit in 12 hours. Complete round trip with stops took us 21 hours. We arrived back at our hotel at midnight. 40km (~25 miles) & 7,546 ft elevation gain... WHAT A CRAZY DAY. But I would do it all over again. This is one of the most beautiful trails I've ever been on. Be sure to bring a lot of food and water! The trail can be very muddy, bring poles and...