Conquer The Volcano®
May 3 - 7, 2012

Rincon de la Vieja, Costa Rica
Pura Vida

Your 2012 Team Diabetes Adventure Itinerary

Day One - May 3: Arrive – Liberia, Costa Rica – Transfer to host hotel.

Our host hotel was designed and created in 1999 with the sole purpose of unlocking the exceptional beauty of the Rincon de la Vieja countryside and bringing it to the world. It offers beautiful and private villas with a rustic design yet modern amenities including a full service spa that will let you enjoy a very comfortable and relaxing adventure. Incredible mountain views and breathtaking sunsets are our home during the entire adventure.

Welcome Reception.

Day Two - May 4: Your Time To Explore

Start your day with a hearty continental breakfast then take advantage of the mountain surroundings with a horseback ride, Zip Line Adventure, ATV tour or just relax exploring the lush grounds of the property. Treat yourself to one of the various spa treatments, enjoy volcanic mud baths, natural spring-water hot pools and the beach style pool, or take a short walk on the ecological trails - the day is at your leisure to enjoy.

Carbo loading pre hike dinner.

Day Three - May 5 - Hike Day

Conquer The Volcano Summit Hike – Private transfer to park entry. Starting at 2822 feet, we ascent trough old pastures and plantations that abruptly turn to forest, the hike is beautiful and diverse, both in scenery and ecology, we also cross several creeks until we reach a very arid area which resembles more a moonscape than a tropical volcano. See the hike descriptions below.

Full breakfast and hike lunch included.

Your evening is free to exchange pictures and stories of your adventure earlier in the day.

Day Four - May 6– Recovery and Mission Celebration Day

Start your day with a hearty continental breakfast and enjoy the hotel amenities and self-adventures during the day.

This evening is our Celebration Dinner – and it a fantastic feast! An outdoor barbecue (weather permitting) complete with local entertainment. Pura Vida!

Day Five - May 7 – Departure

Start your day with a hearty continental breakfast and then depart for Airport or Optional Extended Tour to the Costa Rican Beach!

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Hiking With Team Diabetes & Conquer The Volcano®

Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park, in Spanish, Parque Nacional Volcán Rincón de la Vieja, is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area and the Area de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site. It is a national park in the northwestern part of Costa Rica which encompasses the Rincón de la Vieja and Santa María volcanoes, as well as the dormant Cerro Von Seebach.

Rincón de la Vieja is an active andesitic complex volcano in north-western Costa Rica, about 25 km from Liberia, in the province of Guanacaste. Its name means "The Old Woman's Corner", a reference to a local legend about a girl whose lover was thrown into the crater by her father; she became a recluse living on the mountain, and was credited with powers of healing.

Rincón de la Vieja stands 1,916 meters (6,286 ft) above sea level, and its summit is the highest point in Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park. It erupted most recently in February 1998. The volcano has a large number of fumaroles and hot springs on its slopes. It crosses numerous environmental zones and is rich in its variety of wildlife, including more than 300 species of birds.

Conquer The Volcano Hikes

Starting at 820 meters (2822 feet) above sea level, we ascent trough old pastures and plantations that abruptly turn to forest. The hike is beautiful and diverse, both in scenery and ecology, we also cross several creeks until we reach a very arid area which resembles more a moonscape than a tropical volcano. Here you will have the option to reach the two main craters to summit to the extinct crater, which is less arduous or further test your endurance and summit to the live crater. Depending upon the activity of the crater, we may not be able to walk all the way to its edge.

Hike Time & Distance

Similar to all "Conquer" hikes, this is a timed, out and back trail and expertly guided hike.

The most challenging hike is approximately a 5-7 hour ascent and 3-5 hour descent. The elevation gain/loss 915 meters (3103 feet) with the summit at 1805 meters above sea level. Distances will vary due to weather conditions, safety conditions and the activity of the volcano.

For those seeking a less rigorous hike, Conquer The Volcano offers a shorter hiking adventure on the summit trail that provides a challenging and rewarding experience. For guests, though hiking with the groups is not an option, there are plenty of other activities such as ATV and horseback riding tours in which to participate.

An equal challenge to the time and distance is the environmental and geological challenges posed by the trail. The weather on any given day can vary widely from the rain of the forest to cooler and more arid and wind swept conditions of the higher elevations of the trail. The technical hiking aspects of the landscape changes from open grasslands, to dense forests to rocky moonscapes. There are at least 3 different stream and bolder fields to cross on the ascent.

All walks and hikes on Conquer The Volcano are hikes and should not be considered "walks" on improved or paved terrain. All hikes require appropriate boots, gear and training.

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Take The Next Step & Learn More!