Hiking Chirripo!

On the trail

"Spirits are high" on the trail

Naomi at sunrise

fish face, fish lake

Isaac at the top of Mt. Terbi

sitting on top of the Crestones

the Crestones

On top of Terbi!

Well we did it! Climbed the highest mountain in Costa Rica! Why?? Cause it was there. 

Left the farm at 3:30 in the morning to drive to the trailhead, and we were parked and off by 530! Early Start!! After 7 hours of grueling uphill, varying from gradual to "kill me now full kilometers of steepness", we reached base camp exhausted but happy to have that leg behind us. We all crashed hard and then had simple dinner. Turns out if your part of a tour they cook for you up there, so we had to sit eating our simple meal of rice and beans and tuna all smashed together while people around us had full meals of delicious smelling food!!! We started to get bitter about it pretty fast!

The next morning we were up at 3:00 to try and hike to the peak for sunrise! Heading out with headlamps the first part of the trail was a nice mellow uphill through a valley with lightning lighting up the clouds behind us. The sun started rising as we approached the peak and it was amazing! The final climb was super steep and once we reached the top we were treated to 360 degree views all the way to the Caribbean ocean!

Naomi and Isaac at the Summit

We had some chocolate and headed down, just as some fog started rolling in. On our way back we decided to take a side trip up to a ridge and down another way. We were told it was mellow but i think the guy who told us was actually a mountain goat, or drunk or both, cause it was nothing of the sort!! After a section of super steep uphill with steps and switchbacks, we finally made it to the top of the ridge and hiked along it towards the famous Crestones, huge pieces of jutting rock rising out of the mountain side! Pretty sweet!

So all said and done we hiked about 8 hours the second day and when we got back we were pretty beat! We had an early dinner and went to bed early in order to rest up for the hike down the mountain the next day! The hike down took 5 hours and then we bee-lined to a restaurant for a huge celebratory meal and beers! Amazing Experience!

Sunrise in the mountains

Bird at sundown

Base Camp from the ridge

Sunset in the valley