Mount Chirripó
Cerro Chirripó | |
---|---|
Country high points | |
Coordinates | 9°29′2.7″N 83°29′19.2″W / 9.484083°N 83.488667°W |
Geography | |
Location | Talamanca Range |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1904 Agustín Blessing Presinger |
Easiest route | Hiking |
Cerro Chirripó is the highest mountain in
The great height of Mount Chirripó relative to its surroundings is also evidenced by its particularly high
Climbing Mount Chirripó is possible by obtaining a permit from the National Park office in San Gerardo de Rivas. From the trailhead, the summit can be reached via a 19.5-kilometer (12.1 mile) hike.[4]
Geography
Chirripó is the
Climate
Temperatures on Mount Chirripo during the day can range between 4 °C and 18 °C, and at night they can drop from 1 °C to −3 °C, with this and the Irazú Volcano being the only places in the country that can report these temperatures, so that in the morning the grass is covered with frost. The coldest temperature ever documented in Costa Rica was recorded here (−9 °C).
History
The earliest known civilization to inhabit the area of Chirripó was the indigenous Cabécar people. In 1904, Agustín Blessing Presinger became the first known European to climb the peak.
The first official hiking trail was constructed in 1965; it led to a small sheet-metal hut five kilometers away from the peak. Today, the hut has been replaced by a concrete building visited by 7,000 people each year. In 1975, Chirripó National Park was founded, enclosing and protecting 500 square kilometers of rain forest and mountains around the peak.[5]
Since 1953, there have been five major wildfires in the area. Forest fires occurred in 1976,[6] in the 1990s,[7] and in 2012.[8]
Route
The hike starts 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) above sea level in the village of
See also
- Mountain peaks of North America
- List of Ultras of Central America
References
- ^ a b c "Central America ultra-prominent peaks". PeakList.org. Retrieved April 7, 2007.
- ^ "All About Chirripó". www.hikingchirripo.com. [dead link]
- ^ "Chirripó National Park". costa-rica-guide.com. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
- ^ "notes on climbing Chirripo". peakbagging.com. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 9780262083836.
- ^ Harry Pariser. "First Fire". Explore Costa Rica. Archived from the original on February 8, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
- ^ "Second Fire (Weak)". blog on wordpress.com. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
- ^ David Delgado. "Brigadistas combaten últimas llamas en el Chirripó". Diario La Nación. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.