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Cerro Chirripo is the highest point in Costa Rica at 3,820 meters (12,533 feet). It is also the coldest, boasting the lowest temperature ever registered in this country, a bone chilling -9 C (16 F). Thanks to differences in altitude, soil, climate and topography, the park offers visitors a variety of habitats. High-altitude microclimates include the paramo (a high, Andean-type woodland consisting of wind-stunted shrubs, grasslands and perennial herbaceous plants), as well as marshlands and fern groves. The lower slopes are home to larger trees such as oak, sweet cedar and elm. In these lush forests, mosses and bromeliads thrive on every inch of available space. The wildlife is just as diverse as the scenery. One can find up to 60% of the vertebrate and invertebrate fauna in the country within the park's boundaries. White-faced monkeys, peccaries and the resplendent quetzal all call the slopes of Chirripo their home. The hiking trails here are good, ascending past glacially formed features to the summit. Small U-shaped glacial valleys, moraine deposits and lakes bear testament to the action and movement of ice masses which passed through the area 30,000 years ago and have been preserved almost intact.
To view other 360ยบ Interactive photos of Chirripo National Park visit http://www.isaacmartinez.com/chirripo To view other Panoramas from Costa Rica and around the world visit http://www.isaacmartinez.com/eng/panoramicas.html 
Shortcut to this page: http://worldwidepanorama.org/wwp_rss/go/n5062
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