Blue Mountain Peak

The standard climb starts at Penlyne Castle at around one thousand five hundred metres and covers about eleven kilometres to the summit at two thousand two hundred and fifty-six metres. Almost everyone walks it in the dark, setting off between one and two in the morning, because the mountain is reliably clear at dawn and reliably wrapped in cloud by nine. From the top on a good morning you can see both the north and south coasts of the island at once, and on the very clearest days a smudge of Cuba a hundred and fifty kilometres away. The last stretch climbs through elfin woodland of stunted trees hung with moss and bromeliads, dripping even when it is not raining.

The landscape

• Sunrise from the summit - both coasts of the island at once on a clear morning.
• The elfin woodland - stunted moss-hung trees near the top.
• Cuba on the horizon - visible on the very clearest days.
• The coffee farms - passed on the road up through Mavis Bank.

When to go

December to April is the drier season and the most reliable for a clear dawn. The climb starts around one in the morning to reach the summit before sunrise. It is genuinely cold at the top, often near five degrees with wind, which catches out people who packed for the Caribbean.

Good to know

It is eleven kilometres up and eleven back with around eleven hundred metres of climb, in the dark, on a rough eroded track, and people badly underestimate it. The road to Penlyne Castle is one of the worst in the country and needs a four-wheel drive or a local driver. Accommodation at the trailhead is very basic. Cloud beats a good many attempts.

Nearby

Mavis Bank and the coffee factory are on the way up; Kingston is three hours away.

Key facts