Six Proctor sophomores studying abroad in Monteverde, Costa Rica, are discovering that some of their most meaningful experiences come from a simple choice: step outside and explore. They are finding that self-directed adventures – whether scaling the challenging slopes of Cerro Amigos or wandering the streets of Santa Elena – are often the most memorable.
Colin '27 and Cian '27 share how their decisions to venture out with friends led them to discover more about Monteverde's unique environment and culture – from documenting their hike through distinct microclimates and gaining perspective on the local geography to forming spontaneous connections with local children at a playground.
Colin M. '27 - Conquering Cerro Amigos
On January 19, Bode and I decided to hike up a trail called Cerro Amigos, a trail that is 1.5 miles up with a 1,318-foot elevation gain, leading to the tallest part of Monteverde. It was on a road past a gas station and up a short hill. Once we got to the trailhead, we started up the trail at a quick pace, but that did not last long. On a hot sunny day, with the trail being a 45-degree incline the entire way with loose gravel, our pace got slower every step. The trail zigzagging at some parts and then going straight up at others made this excursion harder than I thought. The trail was dry in some parts and straight mud in others, with the weather switching between sunny and cloudy the higher we went up. We took many stops along the way but still tried doing this as fast as we could. With the average hike time of two hours and 15 minutes, Bode and I were trying to take on the personal challenge of beating that despite both of us not being in the best physical shape.
This road we called a trail was not traveled often, and we only saw two other groups hiking. We did pass one group, which made us feel good. As we went up the subclimate, it got muddier, and the road became a slippery clay-like substance. After an hour and 15 minutes, with many stops and our calves crying for help, we finally got to the top. The top was a bit anticlimactic because the trees and clouds covered most of the view, but still worth the climb. We saw the cell towers that were weaving through the clouds, and there were two small lookouts. The cell towers slowly vanished in and out of the clouds above making us see how high we truly were. These same cell towers gave cellular signals all the way to Liberia to also show where we were.
After a 15-minute rest at the top, we headed down. Each step stopped us from falling down the steep incline that was ahead of us. Going back was a lot easier. Taking us about a dozen slips and about 30 easy minutes later, we were at the bottom, and the hike was complete. The road at the bottom had a clear view of the towers we came from. Seeing them from here looked different. Looking at them showed us how much we had traveled in such a short time. Cerro Amigos was an enjoyable hike, and doing it in an hour and fifty also felt good for both of us.
Cian '27 - An Afternoon in Santa Elena
One Sunday afternoon, I was bored. So, I checked the WhatsApp group chat and saw that Siena, Bode, and Lydia decided they wanted to walk around town, so I went with them. First, we all met at the Centro Commercial and wanted to hang out and walk around town. We decided to walk around the stores. We shopped for souvenirs and then went to lunch. We went to a small restaurant and had a good meal. We then went to the park. We played on the ziplines and with a football. We met a kid around the age of six playing on the playground. He was trying to play on the zipline but couldn't drag the rope across the playground as he was too short. Colin, Bode, and I ended up playing with him on the zipline, dragging it across so he could use it. His name was Ali, and we stayed with him for about two hours on the zipline.
Then Siena, Bode, Lidia, and I went to the fallen tree bridge. It costs 1,000 colones to get in because it is a big tourist spot. We walked 100 feet to the tree and climbed on it to take pictures. The tree was a huge ficus tree that bridged a gap between two sides of a small canyon. We then went around and took pictures in different places around the canyon. We climbed up the other side of the canyon and took photos of the tree up close. We then walked down to the riverbed and spent about an hour playing around there. As we were leaving, we saw some construction equipment on the side of the road. Bode and I decided to take pictures of the tractors and bulldozers because they looked cool. After that, we all split up as the day was almost over and we had to be home soon.
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