After eight months closed for visitors, the Chirripó National Park opened its doors last week to thousands of hikers who want to climb to the highest point in Costa Rica. The Hiking Mountain Club group offers some recommendations before enjoying the mountain.
Preparation
Before starting, they recommend training months before and having a stable physical condition since the minimum distance to walk is 42 kilometers with an accumulated ascent of almost 4 thousand meters.
The second point of preparation is to have previously tried the type of food and beverages that you are going to consume when you do the hike. “All the food that we are going to take to make the ascent and descent to the top must-have already been tried in previous training sessions, to be sure that what we are going to eat is going to be good for us,” they say.
Acclimatization is another important factor
“If we do not train at altitude, our body will not simulate the conditions of Chirripó, therefore, when we are at 3400 meters in the Shelter, we could get nausea, vomit, dizziness, and other symptoms caused by altitude. An important fact is that most of us live at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level, and climbing above 2,500 meters above sea level, without prior acclimatization could generate the famous altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness”, they clarify.
Ascent
On average, a person lasts eight hours doing the ascent to Crestone’s base (shelter).Plan your outing to manage your forces, the amount of food you will bring and the implements.They recommend carrying a package of about 20 to 30 liters, preferably with lumbar support.
Minimum 1.5 liters of water and 800 ml of moisturizer
They should also bring a windbreaker and waterproof jacket, poles and a first-aid kit “Golden rule for any ascent, go at your own pace, if you go in a group do not stress about going with the first or staying last. A constant and stable rhythm will help you better manage your energy”, they explain in Hiking Mountain Club.
Descent
The descent is one of the most important parts to say that it was a success. The poles will help reduce the impact on your knees and joints. Keep the feeding protocol similar to the ascent.
“Many times we do not give importance to food and hydration by lowering, but it is essential to maintain stable energy levels,” they explain. They advise tying your shoes well to avoid foot problems. “Once you have reached your final destination, try to increase your protein intake, it will help you with post-exercise recovery, we also recommend a good discharge massage so that you free the body and help it relax due to the great effort made “, they conclude
