<p><b>Mount Chirripó</b> is the highest mountain in <a title="Costa Rica" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica">Costa Rica</a>, with an <a title="Elevation" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevation">elevation</a> of 3,821 meters (12,536 feet). It is part of the <a title="Cordillera de Talamanca" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordillera_de_Talamanca">Cordillera de Talamanca</a>, and the range’s highest point. It is located in <a title="Chirripó National Park" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirrip%C3%B3_National_Park">Chirripó National Park</a> and is noted for its ecological wealth. The mountain was named “Chirripo”, meaning “land of eternal waters”, by <a title="Indigenous peoples of Costa Rica" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_Costa_Rica">indigenous Costa Ricans</a> because there are many lakes and streams around the mountain.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Chirrip%C3%B3#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup> The high peaks in Chirripó National Park and <a title="La Amistad International Park" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Amistad_International_Park">La Amistad International Park</a> host important areas of <a title="Talamancan montane forests" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talamancan_montane_forests">Talamancan montane forest</a> and <a class="mw-redirect" title="Costa Rican Páramo" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rican_P%C3%A1ramo">Costa Rican Páramo</a> with high <a class="mw-redirect" title="Endemic (ecology)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endemic_(ecology)">endemism</a> and extremely high <a title="Biodiversity" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity">biodiversity</a>. The peaks of these mountains constitute <a title="Sky island" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_island">sky islands</a> for many species of plants and animals. <a title="Snow" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow">Snow</a> has not fallen on the peak in the past 100 years or so, according to the <a title="University of Costa Rica" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Costa_Rica">University of Costa Rica</a>, but <a title="Hail" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hail">hail</a> is sometimes reported.</p> <p>The great height of Mount Chirripó relative to its surroundings is also evidenced by its particularly high <a title="Topographic prominence" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topographic_prominence">topographic prominence</a> of 3,727 m (12,228 ft),<sup id="cite_ref-PeakList_1-2" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Chirrip%C3%B3#cite_note-PeakList-1">[1]</a></sup> which makes it the <a class="mw-redirect" title="List of peaks by prominence" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_peaks_by_prominence">37th most prominent peak</a> in the world. On clear days it is possible to see across the country from the <a title="Pacific Ocean" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean">Pacific Ocean</a> to the <a title="Caribbean Sea" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_Sea">Caribbean Sea</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-distance_3-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Chirrip%C3%B3#cite_note-distance-3">[3]</a></sup></p> <p>Climbing Mount Chirripó is possible by obtaining a permit from the National Park office in <a title="San Gerardo de Rivas" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Gerardo_de_Rivas">San Gerardo de Rivas</a>. From the trailhead, the summit can be reached via a 19.5-kilometer (12.1 mile) hike.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Chirrip%C3%B3#cite_note-4">[4]</a></sup></p> <p>Temperatures on the peak range from 4˚C to 18˚C in the daytime and can drop below freezing at night.</p>