Climbing Costa Rica

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his compact can handle the rough roads. Either way, ask your driver to take you to the White House (La Casa Blanca) Hotel/Casino/Restaurant. From this easily identifiable landmark (via taxi or heel-toe express) continue up the hill, choosing either the right or left of the building marked “Parliament Hill.” If you stay to the right (the shorter route), the paved road will end with a heavily fortified (a retaining wall, electric fence and security cameras) house on the left. Make your way to the top of the fortified house’s property where the road splits to the left and to the right. Make a right turn and continue on the unpaved road for approximately 500 meters until the road becomes paved again and bends up a hill to the left. If you stay to the left of “Parliment Hill” the road remains paved until you hit the dirt raod at the top of the hill next to the heavily fortified house. If your vehicle is not ‘hearty’ I would recommend the longer but paved left route. Continue on the unpaved road.

Along the way you will be able to see rock formations above you on the mountain, but this is not where you will be climbing – although future development may open up this side of the mountain to climbing as well. The rock you are going to faces the opposite way, overlooking San José. After approximately 200 meters the paved hill will summit with a slight turn to the right. At the top of the hill the road will continue to the left, and there on your right will be the main trailhead (which is actually a dirt road for the first 150 meters, but thereafter thins out into a rocky trail only accessible by ATV, horse, dirtbike, mountain bike and foot). Begin the appraoch on foot or ATV, dirtbike, mountain bike, horse, if available.

Approach

Approximate time: 1.5 hours From the trailhead, walk away from the paved road passing the ‘container’ house on the left, followed by a chain-linked fence

Pico Blanco

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