The Source Trail

The Source is the spring high on Nevis Peak that has supplied the island's water since the nineteenth century, and the trail to it follows the line of pipes and channels up through the rainforest on the eastern flank, climbing steadily with ladders and rope sections on the upper part. It is a hard walk but easier than the summit route. Vervet monkeys, tree ferns and epiphytes are along the whole of it.

The landscape

• The water works - the pipes and channels the trail follows up the mountain.
• The spring - the source that has supplied the island since the 1800s.
• The rainforest - dense forest with tree ferns and epiphytes throughout.
• The ladders - the fixed sections on the steeper upper part.

When to go

December to April is drier and the trail is more manageable. The forest is wet year round. Rain makes the ladders and rock genuinely dangerous.

Things to know

The trail is steep and slippery with exposed sections and it is not a casual walk. A guide is strongly advised because the route is poorly marked. There are no facilities on the route.

Nearby

Golden Rock is below, and Nevis Peak is above.