By Jori McCune, Westminster College
We arrived in Puerto Jimenez the morning of the 30th all overflowing with that euphoric ‘after finals’ feeling. Cece, Avery, and I booked it to the beach as soon as we could, where we were all able to relax and open up the novels we brought along. We stayed true to our ice cream and pizza rituals and ended the evening with an epic movie night that consisted of microwave popcorn, bunk beds, and Harry Potter enlarged by the projector.
We caught the 5:00 a.m. bus the next morning destined towards our next and final adventure: Cerro Chirripo. Chirripo is the tallest mountain in Costa Rica with an elevation of 3,820 meters. A few bus changes and hours later, we retrieved our wristbands and tickets from the Chirripo National Park office and walked up the street to our hostel. This was one of the more memorable moments of the entire trip for me. I had never backpacked out of the United States before, but had always lived vicariously through enchanted stories of friends. It was better than I could have ever imagined as I walked up the steep road of the little mountain town and kept my eyes locked on the massive green mountains peeking out of cloud forest.
The small mountain town of San Gerardo de Rivas serves as the base camp for all those looking to summit Chirripo.
Casa Mariposa only furthered our excitement with its cozy and incredibly unique design. We compared the cabin to the likes of a little fairy house, as it’s nested in the side of a mountain with intricate rock pathways and is embellished with beautiful art and aesthetic wonders.
There are not many things I would be excited to wake up for at 4:30 a.m., but our departure for Chirripo definitely made the list. We hit the trail around 5:00 a.m. and embarked on our journey to summit Chirripo. Each kilometer was named and marked with a sign, and the trail was lined with occasional motivational quotes. Everything was so beautiful and green, which made for a great distraction for the predominately uphill trek. Around kilometer 10, we emerged from theforest to the ridge line that provided stunning views of green sprawling mountains.
View of the cloud forest a few km into the hike up Chirripo
Only with a few more elevation gains, we made it to the base camp in the afternoon after a vigorous 14 kilometers. We settled into our rooms and adjusted to the phenomenon of feeling cold in Costa Rica. Bundled in layers and soothed with some hot coffee and tea, we made the mistake of breaking out the Uno cards. You would be surprised at how fast a game of Uno can ruin friendships.
We managed to settle our Uno differences, and enjoyed a nice dinner followed by bed at 7:00 p.m. Our alarms sounded at 2:30 a.m. and we set off for the summit. We reached the top before dark and anxiously awaited the sunrise. We were lucky enough to celebrate the sun rising with clear skies and with people from all over the world. Warmth finally hit our faces and bright pink pockets scattered the horizon. The colors illuminated the sky and every direction I looked was breathtaking. Mountains seemed to extend into the distance forever, alongside lakes and both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. It was truly one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen and probably ever will see.
The summit of Chirripo and a picture of the sunrise that does it no real justice
We warmed up back at the base camp with some food and coffee and left shortly after to tackle our long descent ahead. I tried to take in everything around me as much as possible, for these are the types of places that you may never revisit in a lifetime. The way down went much faster, however, our knees and feet were all pretty shot by the end. So much so, that I shuffled my way into Casa Mariposa and straight into the candle lit bath, which was exactly what I needed!
Slightly reluctant to leave our cozy place, we made our way to the bus stop the next morning and headed for our final stay together in San Jose. It feels a little bittersweet to be leaving this beautiful country and our tight-knit group after an incredible six weeks, but I know that we will all be returning to our home bases with fuller hearts and more open minds. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been immersed in such a lovely culture and place over this summer, and for all that I learned along the way. Costa Rica has definitely shed light onto all of the challenges that conservation can bring, which has made me more appreciative of successes in the field and even more motivated to be a part of positive change in the future. Til next time, Costa Rica. You will be missed!
The crew outside of Casa Mariposa
PURA VIDA!