Leave the daily grind behind, and step into the ‘Pura Vida ’ of Costa Rica! Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School (CRROBS) has partnered with The Redmont School to offer an adventure of a lifetime in the rainforest. You'll be challenged by hikes, rafting, climbing and rappeling through the exciting rivers and luscious rainforests, or enjoy breathtaking beaches and glowing sunsets while learning how to surf.

Get ready for the wild and natural beauty of your surroundings to push your body and spirit to achieve a level of accomplishment and personal development you never thought possible!

This trek will take you through some of Costa Rica's most enchanting forests, rivers, beaches! In only 10 days, you will trek through the rainforest, do a tree climb, raft Class III-IV rapids, try your skills and luck on a surfboard. You will also have the unique opportunity to spend time with Costa Rican families in their homes, and participate in their daily activities and traditions– including anything from milking cows, harvesting crops, to making tortillas by hand! You will never experience Costa Rica like this again!

The elements emphasized in this course will be education, service, and an economic cirriculum of Costa Rica.  All the activities will provide opportunity for interpersonal skill development, as well as personal development as a leader. Students will be given duties and responsibilities throughout the entirety of the course. These duties and responsibilities include and are not limited to group cook, group motivator, group “doctor” (doesn’t give out medication but rather asks each one of his peers the status of their physical condition), group clean up, group leader, group “environmentalist” (makes sure the group leaves no traces behind when leaving any natural area), etc. Students will rotate through these specific duties and responsibilities.

Itinerary
Days: 10
Dates: June 20th-30th, 2007

June 20, 2007 Fly to San Jose, Costa Rica. Meet your Outward Bound Instructors. Transfer to CRROBS base camp in Tres Rios where you will meet your instructors, have an orientation, and do a “duffle shuffle” (repacking of your belongings). Spend the night at our Tres Rios base.

June 21, 2007 Transfer and backpack into the lush, tropical rainforest. Learn about the plants and animals of the rainforest area you are trekking through. The route enters tropical rainforest. This area is home to many species including parrots, parakeets, toucans, birds of prey, ocelots, three species of monkeys, sloths and even tapirs. While mammals are much less frequently sighted, groups can see many bird species as well as evidence of mammals in the form of tracks, scat, and vocalizations. The group may even hear the mantled howler monkey’s call, which can carry over a distance of one kilometer. This area is quite rugged and mountainous, so our pace is unhurried as we take in the abundant natural beauty of the area. Spend the night in Las Rejas.

June 22, 2007 In the morning, you will a hike a little more until your reach your first homestay, the family of Orlando Zamorra. Homestay with the campesino family who will welcome you warmly. Host families throughout the Piedras Blancas region will share many of their traditions and daily chores with you. Activities could include planting or harvesting traditional foods such as bananas, rice, beans, sugar cane, chocolate beans, avocados, oranges, squash, or corn. Food preparation could include hand milking cows or goats, thrashing rice, grinding corn, hand making tortillas and cooking over an open fire.

June 23-25, 2007 Wake up early and hike to your next homestay, the Lopez family. You will spend the next few days here and you will have the opportunity to participate and share in their farm activities. Swim in the refreshing, cascading river. More teachings and group activities. Later that day, experience the Outward Bound solo for 1-2 hours. This activity is optional. Spend time alone in the wilderness to enjoy nature and to take inventory of where your life is and where you want it to be. The solo exercise is designed to allow students to make an introspective evaluation of their personal progress on their course and in life. The solo is not a survival exercise per se; the focus is more meditative, and the environment allows students to be free of distractions.

June 26, 2007 Hike to your next homestay in the area of Brujo.  More group and cultural activities will take place here.

June 27, 2007 Early hike out to the Class III Savegre river where you pick up your paddles and raft out of the rainforest. Transfer to our base in Manuel Antonio where you stay the night.

June 28, 2007 Spend the morning in Manuel Antonio National Park. Partake in a surfing or boogie boarding lesson in the morning, and enjoy free time to beach-comb. Wave formation and coastal ecosystems are discussed. Evening transfer to San Jose. Spend the night at the Tres Rios Base.

June 30, 2007

Transfer to the airport for return flights.