Monteverde's Extreme

Having been on a few canopy tours I went to Monteverde for the longest, steepest, and numerous zip lines. The Extreme canopy tour did not disappoint. I think the highlight of Monteverde was the time I spent with travelers.

Before going on the eXtreme canopy tour, I ran into the Japanese couples that were my fellow rappellers in La Fortuna. They too, including the one that HAD been afraid of heights were going for the cream of the crop. I tried to join in the tour they were just about to depart for but it was full. We traded stories and laughed later.

The wonderful British couple I dined with in La Fortuna and gave me some sightseeing tips departed for Monteverde a day before me, but left me a message of where they were staying so I could go out that evening with them.

I met a group of two couples at my accommodations that I went out with as well trading stories of what we had see and done and what was next on the list.

All of those mentioned as well as a few others I met had decided to leave the wind and rain of La Fortuna behind, but not our friendships. I met up with some in Manual Antonio.

Quick Tips:

The weather most of the time is both windy and rainy. Ponchos that extend below the knees, but above the elbow are sold everywhere for about . Remember that rain does not mean cold. Don’t make the mistake of wearing a heavy clothes under the poncho. Long sleeves will simply get wet as will the bottom half of your jeans.

The bulk of the accommodations in town are rustic or a hostel. Although "just outside" of town is about a mile from the center of town, the hill is very steep, without street lamps and slick when wet.

The wind blows so hard the rain feels like little bullets. The umbrellas I saw were invariably broken due to the wind. Hooded clothing is a better idea and preferably the poncho.

Whether you book directly for a tour or through your accommodations, the cost is the same. Booking through your hotel could make you more favorable in their eyes and they can usually arrange for the pick-up to be at the hotel and not the travel agency.

Dining upstairs at the Blue Morpho is an experience in quality food and little more than moderate prices. On the second floor is has a nice atmosphere. Miravilla Restaurant is the heart of things with a connecting door to a souvenir shop and internet café has the most reasonable prices around, but the food is a bit on the greasy side.

Within 1-2 miles there are several exhibits to visit. There are the hummingbird, bat, bug and butterfly exhibits just to name a few. The entrance fee to each of them ranges from -10. Similar displays are frequently included in some of the reserves.

Monteverde is touristy and expensive. Combine that with the climate and there is little need to spend much time there. I went for the canopy tours and waterfall rappelling which I had done in La Fortuna. I wanted to see the difference.

Don't bother to exchange currency when you arrive in Costa Rica. You'll find bills and less are accepted nearly everywhere and merchants give a fair exchange rate much better than the few dollars I mistakingly exchanged near the baggage claim area.

Best Way To Get Around:

Monteverde’s surroundings can make it either a long, arduous trip or bit costly. Coming from the La Fortuna-Arenal area a local bus can take 9 hours, but is very cheap. Another option is to take a jeep to Lake Arenal a boat across the lake and then a horse or jeep to Monteverde in 4-5 hours. If you are getting the impression, the terrain is rugged and hilly, you are correct. It is a small price to pay for beauty.

Going to the beach area like Manual Antonio or Jaco is another mountains trek costing about that takes 8 hours not including the 2-½ layover. Personally, I think the 4-½ hour trip by fantasy bus, a division of the worldwide gray line tours was well worth the . Not only is it hotel to hotel service, but also when we asked the driver to pull over so we could take pictures, he was more than willing to oblige.

www.graylinecostarica.com/ and http://www.graylinecostarica.com/graylinetouristbus.html

Roads are narrow, have no shoulders and plenty of curves. Even if you find a place that rents standard cars, choose a jeep or 4-wheel drive model.

Monteverde has two main streets where shops, restaurants and travel agencies are found. Here, the shuttle buses to Santa Elena Reserve and Monteverde Reserve are caught. Although there is a tiny bus station on the corner, unless you are travelling out of the country, you need not go inside. This is where reservations and payments are made for sleeper buses. On the corner outside the local buses and shuttles to the reserves are clearly marked. For about one-way, you can get a ride. If you enjoy hiking on your own or do not want to pay the price of a tour, this is the way to go.

The Monteverde Reserve is a 40-minute ride by shuttle. I originally planned to go to Santa Elena Reserve, but the shuttle was too infrequent. I arrived at the reserve at 12:30 knowing the last shuttle departed at 3:30. I went into the tourist office and told them I had three hours and they told me what three trails I could trek. They seemed to know precisely how long each trail would take and when I returned the bus was there and ready to leave.

The first trail, River Trail, was the perimeter trail that mostly followed along a very cold stream with a short side path that led to a waterfall where there were plenty of large buttressed roots crossing the path. This 1.2 miles trail took just over an hour one-way and then connected to the Swamp Trail. This one-mile trail took about an hour, crossing the continental divide. Gaps of light shown into the area enabling the magnolia and conifers in this section to thrive in the preserve. The Cloud Forest Trail took just under an hour to traverse slight more than one mile.

Nine trails fall within the park with the best panoramic views and riverside trails being on the perimeter. The trails can be quite slippery with pools of mud and large stretches from one step to another. The combination of rain and wind was stinging to the face but far from being cold. The rain poncho I wore left my jeans and forearms to getting completely soaked and weighing near a ton while ascending. This was typical weather and explained the lushness. Unfortunately, the need to watch every step prevented me from looking around unless I stopped. It appeared the little critters weren't about to get out in the nasty weather. I completed the trails and saw the bus boarding the few passengers that awaited.

Miscellaneous
The park is open from 7a-4p and the shuttle bus from Monteverde departs every hour. A guided 3-hour tour will set you back $37, but you will see more. A bird-lover’s paradise a 5-hour tour beginning at 6am for $57.

Because the cloud forest has different climates within, a wide variety of birds and foliage can be seen, weather permitting. The red and green resplendent quetzal with the long tail feathers, Costa Rica’s national bird, is one of the highlights for birders. Jaguars and ocelots, while around, are elusive even with guides.

Ferns, vines and mosses cover the ground. Try the suspension bridge, 300’ above, on the Cloud Forest Trail where the branches at the top of the trees sprout bromeliads, orchids, and small flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds alike.

A small souvenir shop and restaurant are also on premise.

Monteverde Canyoning Tour
www.familiabrenestours.com
506 645-5581

I was standing outside waiting for a tour bus to pick me up for the waterfall canyoning when a young man stopped and stood waiting for someone. He asked me if I was going on the waterfall tour. I told him yes and asked if he was too. He was going to be one of my guides. When the van came back to pick us up I realized others had cancelled due to the rain and I would be the only customer.

I was rather impressed with the fellows from the beginning when one said "Tortuga" and the driver pulled over to pick up a turtle at the side of the road. They were concerned it could get hurt and so they took it all the way, to where I would canyoning and turned it loose.

We arrived at our destination we headed across a pasture where a small shack contained a row of lockers for personal items and rappelling gear hanging from the wall. I put on my gear and make sure everything was snug. The rain could make things slippery so my guide double-checked my gear.

Unlike the other tour I had been on there were no platforms. The first guide hooked the rope to rocks and rappelled down to belay me as I descended. The guide at the top of the waterfall hooked me to the rope and verbally guided me as to what to hold on to stead myself before I actually took hold of the ropes. I reminded myself, since I was actually in the middle of the falls, that I need to plant my feet firmly and lean back. The more vertical my body, the more likely I would be to loose my footing which would mean a bear hug with the boulders. Sorry, but I don’t care to get overly personal with Mother Nature.

Each waterfall was a little higher and had different challenge. Some places the water seemed to be thundering over my foot making lifting it for the next step a struggle. Other times the way the water was flowing, I had to angle myself to the side of the falls. The best, as usual, was the last if for no other reason it was the largest at 30 feet.

I found the difference between abseiling a waterfall with and without platforms intriguing. While the platforms allowed me to run the rope through the faster, hence descending faster, the guides had a great deal of control. Between the guide at the top and bottom holding the ropes, they could direct me in or out of a nasty crevice and bring me down to level ground.

Without a platform, I was starting from the curvature of the falls and having to adjust my body angel based on the changing degree. I also was descending slower to make sure my feet planted firmly planted. At the same time, this method was more challenging to my body and mind.

Monteverde Extremo Canopy
www.monteverdeextremo.com
506 645-6559
3 hrs $40

Okay after a few canopy tours that I thoroughly enjoyed, I began my search for the superlatives. I found just such a place in Monteverde. The website indicated that eXtreme (correct typing) canopy offered the fastest, longest and highest zip lines. Those features weren’t on the one single zip line, but on some 14 zip lines.

I had been talking to the two guides during my waterfall rappelling and had said I planned on going on the zip lines the next day. I was told since it was the same company and very close; I could go there directly after the current tour. I was dropped off at the shop where I waited for a van bringing two other women who had signed up for the tour.

The wind was blowing in addition to the rainy weather, so in addition to our abseiling equipment we were provided with light wind jackets. Our four guides pulled on rain pants that the other women begged to rent mostly to avoid getting their pants soaked rather getting cold on the zips.

Sean walked us over to what looked liked an outdoor jungle gym to show us how to attach our hooks to the lines as we walked up steps to the platform and how we took off one hook and it attached to the horizontal line before unhooking the second one. He explained we would be in trees and mud, not to mention the stinging rain causing plenty of squinting and blinking.

Unlike the other canopy tours I had been on this one, provide two gloves, each with a piece of stiff leather on the palms. Of the four guides accompanying us, two would go across first. Braking instructions weren’t as simply as you might think. The braking the hand was stretched out behind the head. If your hand was too close, your body could spin around. Outstretched you maintain facing forward. The steep angel of some zips created enough speed to warrant using both hands to break. The guides on the other side would signal with their hands when to brake. On the very fast zips, we start breaking at the beginning.

The zip lines crossed a lush green valley below as we went from treetop to treetop. We climbed narrow, steep, muddy trails from one platform to another. We had completed about half of the zip lines when we reached a platform where we RAPPELLED STRAIGHT DOWN to a stream below. Unlike others I had been on, I did not control the speed. Instead, the person with the belay line below zipped me down quickly. I thanked the guide for the ride, as he seemed to know that would be my preference. The two women I was with had been on any previous canopy tours and in the beginning were trying to push each other to going first. He brought each of them down part way at a decent speed, then seemingly stopped them abruptly, and then continued.

After a couple more zip lines, we reached the most extreme zip where the speed was such that we went tandem with a guide who did all the braking. That was super with me. We locked legs and proceeded to speed across the ravine while I was facing BACKWARDS. Not having to break made this zip my favorite.

By now, I guess all of us were getting comfortable with the zip lines, so the guide asked for a volunteer for the Tarzan swing. Since the other two didn’t respond, I went first. We were given a run through of what to expect before the zips, but the guides weren’t going to this time. I walked up the steps and down to what appeared to be a long gangplank.

Below were two guides standing with bike tires slipped one through another creating a rubber-link rope. Not paying attention to them, the guides on either side of me hooked me in to the loop of large rope connected to tree branch. I was instructed to get to the very edge as one held the rope. Then I was told to squat, and squat lower. Almost starting to loose my balance I was just about to ask if it was time to jump when I was booted in the fanny and off I went with a rather vocal gulp of surprise.

I wouldn’t have thought a swing would have been so exciting, but it was. As the momentum of the swing slowed down the guides raised the rope to stop me and then unhook me. While the other women didn’t get a good look at me going off the edge, they had a little less of a surprise then me but not much.

Our last zip line was another tandem with the guides for one last fast and long zip back across the canyon. What a great time I had.

Going from La Fortuna to Monteverde a short distance away as the crow flies is an adventure in itself. Monteverde is the opposite side of Arenal Lake from La Fortuna. The local buses take 9 hours to get from one place to another because the roads are narrow and winding. With no shoulders off the road, vehicles are very near the mountain on one side and sheer cliff on the other.

From your accommodations in La Fortuna, a 30-minute ride in a van takes you to the edge of Lake Arenal. An open-air boat with hard benches whisks you across the lake in about 45 minutes. The lake was like glass with nary a ripple. A few graceful egrets flew above us and as the gray sky brightened and the shore came into view birds flew from the reeds at the edge.

We departed the boat and headed towards a clearing where several trees had Creole horses tied up. The guide came over and spoke to everyone in Spanish. I, not understanding him, just kept me head down until a women asked me if I had any experience. Apparently, the guide had asked and nobody except me was an experienced rider. I had been admiring a pretty paint and petting it affectionately, when I noticed the rest remained grouped together. I decided I would pet some of the other horses and finally a couple of people, watching me, decided to try it.

I was somewhat disappointed when I was shown a white horse that I would be riding. I watched to see who would get the paint, but nobody did. Everyone’s stirrups were fitted properly and we headed up to the trail. The entire trek was full of magnificent scenery. With plenty of lush trees and vines in this rainforest, the Arenal Volcano seemed imposing as it rose from out of the greenery circled by a halo cloud. Butterflies and birds flitted about obviously unfazed by the riders and horses. On the other side of the path, we had a view of the lake nearly the entire way to Rio Chiquito.

I soon realized why I had been given the horse I had. All of the horses responded to the whistles of the guide who was riding behind everyone. I saw a mud puddle ahead, gave a light kick and off I went. My horse was a guide horse and the other guide had stayed behind for another group of riders that eventually caught up to us and passed us. Since I had experience, I was given a lead horse that the others would not pass. I had done what I always did, race ahead going where I want and turning around coming back to join the rest. Every time I saw I puddle I raced for it. That includes the time it was just before a corner with remnants of cobblestone that caused my horse to begin to slip. I have always admired the fact that where ever I go both experienced and novice riders have a great time.

A quick bite and drink in Chiquito and we got into the jeeps that had transported our luggage. For the next hour and a half, we bounced along the road to Pension Santa Elena in Monteverde. If you are not staying Pension Santa Elena, there are plenty of vendors offering brochures and pictures of the available accommodations. In my case, I had arranged to meet friends from La Fortuna, so I was taken to Cabinas Eddy.

To have taken the jeep the entire distance with my luggage instead of horse would have been and 1 hour shorter, but a hundred times less fun.