Location
20 Km Northeast from San Isidro de El General
Total area of 50,150 hectares (approximately 195 square miles)
Chirripó National Park forms part of La Amistad International Park (Costa Rica-Panama) located on the Talamanca Mountain Range,.
Natural History
Formation
40-60 million years ago in the Eocene by volcanic activity. The presence of basaltic and andesitic rocks and tuffs
18 million years ago - Tectonic folding followed by intense plutonic activity which caused a rapid elevation of the entire area.
3-5 million years ago - The definitive shape of the range was attained during the post-organic phase.
25,000-30,000 years ago. - Formation of glacial lakes by movement of ice which still remain intact. They are u-shaped valleys, such as we can see in Moraines' Valley, the Lakes' Valley, and the Rabbits' Valley
Climate
The climate of the Talamanca Mountain Range varies greatly and depends on altitude and slope incline.
The Caribbean Slope has an average rainfall of 4000 mm (157 inches) a year and is very humid year-round.
The Pacific Slope has rain between 3,000 and 4,000 mm a year.
Driest period: From mid-December to mid-April.
Temperature ranges in lower regions from 18°C (64° F) to 26° C (79° F).
Temperature in the highlands from 0° C (32° F) to 12° C (54° F).
The lowest temperature recorded in Chimp6 was -9° C (14° F).
Night temperatures are very cold and often foggy. During the day temperature could change very brusque with incidence of clouds and drizzle.
Bitterly cold winds can exceed 80 kph with wind chill dropping temperatures significantly.
Hydrology
Chirripo means "Land of the Eternal Waters''. A Chirripo Trek in the rainy season shows numerous streams and brooks. On the top of Cerro Chirripo Grande the participant has a view of more than 30 lakes and lagoons. Some of them disappear completely in the dry season.
Many large rivers have their source in the valleys of the Talamanca Mountain Range such as Rio Chirripo Atlantico, Rio Telire, Rio Chirripo Pacifico and the Rio Ceibo.
Flora
An extraordinary number of habitats can be found here, as a result of the differences in altitude, soil type, climate and topography.
Paramo - From 2,900m up with mixed shrubs, grasses and perennial herbaceous plants of Andean origin.
Swamps - Composed of herbaceous and shrub communities.
Madrono Forests - Predominant species of the upper parts of the park.
Cloud Forest - Large trees like the oak, sweet cedar, nargusta, elm, magnolia, lancewood, and mountain cypress.
Fern Groves - They are mainly made up of the 1-2 meters high Lomaria fern and of sphagnum moss.
Fauna
263 species of amphibians and reptiles, and about 400 bird species have been observed. Chimp6 National Park shelters the largest population of tapir in the country, puma jaguar, peccary, monkeys and many other species of mammals.
Among the birds should be mentioned the most spectacular: The resplendent quetzal.
Human History
In 1904 Agustin Blessing, a priest and missionary of Talamancais, reported as the 1st white human reaching the summit.
Following expeditions in 1905, 1913,1915, 1920, 1932 and 1942.
From that time on many expeditions have achieved the goal: Get to the second highest peak in Central America: Mount Chirrip6.
On August 19th, 1975, Chirripo National Park was officially established. The Park was declared a "Biosphere Reserve'' by the Unesco in 1982, and of the "World Heritage Sites" in 1983. |