hiking Cerro Chato, Costa Rica

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Chato Volcano, sometimes called “Cerro Chato” (Spanish for “Mount Chato”), is an inactive volcano in north-western Costa Rica …

It is southeast of the nearby Arenal Volcano …

A crater about 500 metres (1,600 ft) wide is filled with a lagoon, Laguna Cerro Chato. …

Chato hike map

Since I hate taxis, I instead walked the 3.5km from La Fortuna town to Cerro Chato Eco Lodge.

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Paid $12 for the hike. And $4 for two Diet Cokes. (One of the ’10 essentials’ of hiking.)

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Many tourists feel prices are too high in the Arenal area. I agree.

The weather looked bad. Normal for the rainy season here.

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Still, I was psyched. I love climbing volcanos.

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There were some views.

Arenal town
Arenal town

You have to get lucky to see animals on popular trails here. I saw only birds.

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And cows. There are plenty of cows.

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It’s steep in parts. Muddy. You must scramble tree roots.

Everyone gets sweaty, regardless of their fitness. It’s hard work in a humid environment.

I stopped at the volcano rim, however, when two hikers told me they had given up on the steep, muddy descent to the water. ’Sketchy’, they warned.

We agreed that there was not much to be seen down there, in any case, as the summit was cloud covered.

After hiking down quickly, I ran some of the 3.5km downhill back to my hostel. A big day, all-in-all. My celebration meal was Calzone. I was hungry. 🙂

more photos

related – Trip Advisor – Cerro Chato

climbing Cerro Amigos, Costa Rica

I was free for a half day. This is one of the few FREE hikes in Monteverde. So I tried it.

There is some signage. Not great.

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If you hadn’t been told by a local to zig rather than take the obvious zag, you’d be lost.

I got lost.

Eventually I did find the service road up.

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Whenever the clouds momentarily clear above Monteverde and Santa Elena you can see the radio, television and phone towers topping Cerro Amigos. (1842m)

The access road to the top is used by the occasional maintenance crews but it’s also a great route for a short steep hike – free and open to the public. …

Costa Rica Guide

The top is not often clear. This is a cloud forrest. It wasn’t clear when we got up.

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Not many highlights, truth be told. Gorgeous Morpho butterflies. 🙂 Scary big wasps. 😦

more photos

related – WHERE TO NOT GO IN MONTEVERDE

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

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The highlight was seeing 2 resplendent quetzal. Another Canadian saw 4 the same day. May is breeding season.

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… The “song” is a treble syllable described as kyow or like “a whimpering pup”, often in pairs, which may be repeated monotonously. …

It was something closer to a puppy whimper than a kitten’s sound.

… classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss. …

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde) … founded in 1972 … visited by roughly 70,000 visitors a year. …

… extremely high biodiversity, consisting of over 2,500 plant species (including the most orchid species in a single place), 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects, has drawn scientists and tourists since. …

I hiked all the trails in less than 4 hours. A number were closed. They looked to me to be closed permanently.

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I did take one of the closed trails for a few hundred metres, just to compare. It seemed about the same but without trail maintenance.

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For lunch I propped myself up against my pack under a giant tree. And enjoyed it so much that I left behind a Summit Stone.

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A second highlight was the bridge through and above the forest canopy. Dangling plants living only on “air” are amazing.

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Cost for entry in 2015 was $20 for a foreign adult. Locals consider that high compared to a similar experience in the other reserves.

On the other hand, this is the only official local hiking area that reaches the continental divide.

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Though you are not likely to see any animals … (I saw only one mammal fleetingly) … I recommend this hike.

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Transportation between San Jose and Monteverde is relatively painless. You can easily get to the Arenal volcano, as well.

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I recommend it. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is one of the best hikes in Costa Rica.

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TrekkingPartners on the Nepal disaster

via email …

Dear Trekkers,

It’s been ten days since a large-scale earthquake shook Nepal. It’s been a hard time for everyone, with the loss of family members, homes, entire savings, and historical landmarks. On the other hand, it’s brought the people of Nepal together in the face of adversity and strengthened bonds with those from outside Nepal who offered aid.

Still, with the death toll estimated at 7500, along with 10,000 injured and 1.4 million in need of food assistance, there is still a need for assistance.

We’ve spent the last few days compiling a list of reliable, effective groups working hard to bring support to the people of Nepal. If you’re able, please consider donating time, money, or volunteering via the links below.

What’s Needed Now

  • Remote villages are still in need of relief;
  • Because of sanitation problems, there is a high risk of disease;
  • Lack of electricity and water supply;
  • The monsoon season is a month away, making shelter an urgnet need;
  • Basic necessities like food, water purification tablets, medicine, blankets, and tents are still needed;
  • Support for the long-term rebuilding of homes, villages, and historical landmarks.

Effective Ways To Donate

If you are in a position to donate, here is a list of local, grassroot initiatives working hard to provide relief. By donating to these groups, your money will go directly to the people that need it most via local channels mobilized by local experts:

  • Rebuild Langtang Campaign Langtang village, in particular, will need rebuilding support after the first weeks have passed. After first medical care has been delivered it will take large efforts to re-establish community life back in the valley.
  • Lokesh Todi’s Relief Fund to support and sustain the work of local NGOs and first responders on the ground.
  • Mountain People’s Initiative to provide assistance to those in need around Kathmandu. They’ve set up a temporary relief centre in Thamel functioning as shelter/store/aid post for local Galdunga people.
  • Tsum Nubri Relief & Recovery Program set-up by the local people based in Kathmandu.
  • Sherpa Gear’s CrowdRise Campaign. 100% of your donation will go for immediate relief on the ground through our Paldorje Education Fund network, already set up to benefit the children of Sherpa families in remote villages.
  • Tripureshwor Village Aid Campaign: raising money to distribute rice to 300 families in Dhading Region (close to the epicenter).
  • GlobalGiving’s Campaign to help address the immediate needs for food, fuel, clean water, hygiene products, and shelter. Once initial relif work is complete, remaining funds will transition to support longer-term recovery efforts run by loca, vetted organizations.
  • Karma Foundation is a non-profit branch of socialtours & Karma Coffee working on responsible philanthropy disbursement to projects in Nepal, now for Quake relief.
  • Seva Foundation is working to supply tents to those in need of shelter.
  • To Da Loo Community toilet builders initiative in the wake of the earthquake. Toilets or latrine pits are raised in densely populated communities.
  • Helter Shelter Shelter relief effort for those left homeless.

Other Ways To Help

There will be long-term rebuilding projects that will need volunteer support. If you’re planning a trip to Nepal in the future, consider volunteering as an option. When the media spotlight shifts to another problem in the world, there will still be people in Nepal working to rebuild and regain what was lost.

Continued News, Updates, Photos…

Please share these links with others whom you feel can help. Thanks for your support, and hope to see you back in Nepal someday soon.

Best wishes,
Alex
Founder | TrekkingPartners

Langtang village destroyed by avalanche

😦 Details on the 2015 Nepal earthquake are still emerging.

I trekked Langtang in November 2014.

The 2014 Nepal snowstorm disaster had just happened, killing at least 43 people including at least 21 trekkers. That was in Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. 😦

I loved Langtang village in 2014. Everyone did.

Langtang Village 2014

😦

Robbie Barnett relays information from Austin Lord on the Modern Tibet Facebook page:

“The village of Langtang was the site of the largest single catastrophe, as the entirety of village was completely buried by an avalanche that came from thousands of feet above on the southern slopes of Langtang Lirung and Langtang II.

Smaller settlements on the outskirts of Langtang, such as Chyamki, Thangsyap, and Mundu were also buried. It is impossible to determine exactly how many people died there, but the estimate is perhaps over 300 people in total.

The handful of survivors, roughly twelve locals and two foreigners, walked down to Ghodatabela below after spending the night of the 25th in a cave – thus there is no one at Langtang itself. This avalanche is perhaps 2-3 kilometers wide …

Above, at Kyangjin Gompa, there were reportedly fewer casualties (perhaps 5-10) yet many injured. …”

Sad. Sad. Sad.

But there are a few miracle stories to celebrate. Pemba Tamang, the 15-year-old who was rescued after being trapped for five days under rubble.

And 4-month-old Sonit Awal pulled from underground.

baby rescued Nepal

Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Utah

Bonneville Shoreline Trail is a mixed use (biking/hiking) recreation trail in Utah that will follow the shoreline of the ancient Lake Bonneville …

Some sections of the trail are complete and some are under developed. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail efforts hope to one day stretch from the Idaho border North of Logan, Utah run South all the way to Nephi, Utah. 150 miles (240 km) apart, but will weave in and out of many canyons of the Wasatch Mountains, totaling 305+ miles of dirt and paved trails. …

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bonnevilleshorelinetrail.org

Vancouver Island hikes

@tomparkr shares some of his favourite hikes on Vancouver Island:

• Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park
• Della Falls
• East Sooke Park
• Golden Hinde
• North Coast/Cape Scott Trail

Hidden Hikes on Vancouver Island with @tomparkr

Click through for links to each.

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Thanks Joan.

Brave Mountain Lion Fends Off Group Of Hikers

🙂

The Onion:

A local mountain lion came face-to-face with a group of hikers and made it out alive, sources reported Monday. Wildlife officials are crediting the courageous cougar’s quick thinking, catlike reflexes, and 150 pounds of coiled muscle with successfully fending off the human foot travelers. …

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