Chirripó National Park
Encyclopedia
Chirripó National Park is located in the middle portion of the Talamanca Range
of Costa Rica
, approximately 30 km northeast from the city of San Isidro del General. It protects a number of important ecosystems on the Costa Rican Pacific slope and is notable for including the largest extension of páramo
vegetation in the country. Because of these conditions, the Chirripó National Park preserves a number of plants, animals, fungi and insects, some of which are under study by the scientific community. It is named for Cerro Chirripó
, at 3820m (12,538 ft), the highest mointain in Costa Rica.
to the park ranger's refuge in the Los Crestones sector and save energies for the next 5 km walk from here to the peak. Considering that Chirripó is the 38th most prominent peak in the world, this journey is a once in lifetime experience for most tourists.
This national park encompasses parts of three Provinces in Costa Rica - San Jose
, Limón
and Cartago
, and contains five different ecosystems according to the Holdridge life zone classification system , being these: lowland tropical wet forest, premontane tropical wet forest, lower montane wet forest, montane wet forest and subalpine wet forest (paramo
).
During the dry season the upper regions are susceptible to fires. The latest recorded events have occurred in 1953, 1958, 1976, 1977, 1981 and 1992. This last event, however, affected over 20 km² (5000 acres) of vegetation and forced the administration to close the park for four months.
of Toronto
. The centre was given to the university as a gift by Woody Fisher in 1998.
Cordillera de Talamanca
The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies on the border between Costa Rica and Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in the La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two countries....
of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, approximately 30 km northeast from the city of San Isidro del General. It protects a number of important ecosystems on the Costa Rican Pacific slope and is notable for including the largest extension of páramo
Páramo
The term páramo can refer to a variety of ecosystems. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as “all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline”. A more narrow term classifies the páramo according to its regional placement - specifically located in “the northern Andes...
vegetation in the country. Because of these conditions, the Chirripó National Park preserves a number of plants, animals, fungi and insects, some of which are under study by the scientific community. It is named for Cerro Chirripó
Cerro Chirripó
Cerro Chirripó is the highest mountain in Costa Rica, with an altitude of . It is located in the Chirripó National Park and is noted for its ecological wealth. The high peaks in this and La Amistad International Park host important areas of Talamancan montane forest and Costa Rican Páramo with high...
, at 3820m (12,538 ft), the highest mointain in Costa Rica.
Geography
With a particular climate that includes only two seasons, a dry one approximately from December to April and a wet one from May to November, this national park is among the most exciting ones for locals and tourists from around the world. This is based on the fact that in order to get to the summit (Cerro Chirripó) the visitor has to walk along a 16 km uphill trail from the town of San Gerardo de RivasSan Gerardo de Rivas, Costa Rica
San Gerardo de Rivas is a village perched high up in the valley amongst the Talamanca Mountains.It is the 'base camp' for hikers and climbers wishing to reach the peak of Cerro Chirripó the highest mountain in Costa Rica and second highest in Central America and offers wonderful hikes in addition...
to the park ranger's refuge in the Los Crestones sector and save energies for the next 5 km walk from here to the peak. Considering that Chirripó is the 38th most prominent peak in the world, this journey is a once in lifetime experience for most tourists.
This national park encompasses parts of three Provinces in Costa Rica - San Jose
San José Province
San José is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the central part of the country, and borders the provinces of Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago, Limón and Puntarenas. The provincial capital is San José. The province covers an area of 4,965.9 km²...
, Limón
Limón Province
Limón is one of seven provinces in Costa Rica. The majority of its territory is situated in the country's Caribbean lowlands, though the southwestern portion houses part of an extensive mountain range known as the Cordillera de Talamanca...
and Cartago
Cartago Province
Cartago is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the central part of the country. Bordering provinces are Limón to the east and San José to the west. The capital is Cartago and it was formerly the capital city of Costa Rica until 1823 when the capital was changed to San Jose...
, and contains five different ecosystems according to the Holdridge life zone classification system , being these: lowland tropical wet forest, premontane tropical wet forest, lower montane wet forest, montane wet forest and subalpine wet forest (paramo
Páramo
The term páramo can refer to a variety of ecosystems. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as “all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline”. A more narrow term classifies the páramo according to its regional placement - specifically located in “the northern Andes...
).
During the dry season the upper regions are susceptible to fires. The latest recorded events have occurred in 1953, 1958, 1976, 1977, 1981 and 1992. This last event, however, affected over 20 km² (5000 acres) of vegetation and forced the administration to close the park for four months.
Las Nubes Centre for Neotropical Conservation and Research
The Las Nubes Centre for Neotropical Conservation and Research is a research facility located at the southwest corner of the park and managed by York UniversityYork University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The centre was given to the university as a gift by Woody Fisher in 1998.
External links
- Chirripó National Park at Costa Rica National Parks