Cerro Buena Vista
We went to San Gerardo de Dota to do a hike from the Savegre River to the antennas of Cerro de la Muerte ... more than 1300 m of slope for those who want a new challenge or to train to climb the Chirripó.
How to get there: Take the street that goes to Cerro de la Muerte and after passing the Quetzales National Park, continue for 5 more minutes until you come across the entrance on the right hand side that goes down to San Gerardo. From there they go down for about 40 minutes until you reach the Savegre Hotel where you park to pay and start the walk.
Waze: https://waze.com/ul/hd1sqkfsm5
Distance: 12.3 km
Difficulty: Hard
Accessibility: Not accessible
What to bring: Comfortable clothes to walk a lot, waterproof jacket, sweater, food, hydration, snacks for 5 hours, excellent attitude, another pair of legs and lungs.
Vehicle: 4x4 high clearance
Parking: Yes
Pets: No
Camping: No
Contact: 2740-1028
Cost: $10 per person $40 per microbus to pick you up
We arrived at 8:30 am at the Savegre Hotel in San Gerardo de Dota, to walk from there down to the antennas at the Cerro de la Muerte (Death Hill).
This trail starts from the Savegre Hotel, right there you pay the entrance fee and they give you a bracelet… you can also hire a minibus that picks you up in the antennas or vice versa (that is, they leave you uphill and you descend the 13 kms).
We got everything ready and started to walk uphill, the first 3 kms are on a wide car-like road and then it becomes a little path. Almost everything is under the shade which is great because it protects you from wind and sun. The slope is very strong and we recommend you to eat while walking. It is also not good to stop for a long time because your body gets cold, and it is difficult to catch your breath later.
On the trail we came across impressive centenary oak forests, an incredible place from the first kilometer. We're not going to lie to you, it wasn't easy, but every step is worth it.
After passing the 10 kms of climb we reached the moor where the vegetation becomes smaller, leaving the Talamanca Mountain Range in sight (if the day is clear).
The last km we felt stronger, although possibly it was also muscular fatigue ... the important thing is that at this point you reach the antennas which are in the street where we run into the minibus.