Blue Mountain

Saturday afternoon
1:30PM Car Rental
Following the advice of a friend who did the hike before, we rented a 4x4 vehicle.  This took a little longer than expected because the customer service representative pretty much forced us to take their insurance, even though we had full coverage on a credit card.  It was annoying, and it didn't make any sense, but we wanted to get on our way, so we caved and went with the full coverage insurance from the car rental place.  It was an example of an unyielding adherence to the "rules" that customer service reps display here.  Not a good start to the day, but not the end of the adventure, we pressed on!

2:30PM Lunch and supply run
We stopped at the supermarket to prepare for the adventure, stocking up on snacks and drinks to keep us alive and alert for the adventure.  Then we went to the food court for lunch.  Funny thing is that I went to a Chinese fast food place, and the other two Canadians went to get sandwiches and coffee.  When in Rome...  we still eat what we want (at least when we have the option).

5:00PM The drive.. and arrival at home base
After lunch, we went on the road.  It was a bit of a drive and by the end of it, I fully understood why we were told to get a 4x4.  A Yaris (the typical rental car), for all its might and glory, would never have survived the drive.  We passed over rough unpaved roads, crossed a river and went up some real steep hills.  But we made it eventually to Wildflower Lodge, our base camp.  Here, we would park the car, rest up and begin the trek.  But first, we explored the area a bit and walked up a nearby hill to see the sunset. On the hill, we could see some of the crops being raised - scallions, onions, some herbs, Blue Mountain coffee, and there were also plenty of grazing goats.  It's refreshing to see people living on the land and very much at one with nature as it should be.  No need for high-tech agriculture, fertilizer or pesticides here.  Afterwards, we returned to the lodge for an amazing dinner cooked by our hosts (this one was a Jamaican meal!).  We capped the "night" with a drink of rum to help us get some rest before the hike.

Sunday morning
2:45AM Start
Rolled out of bed at 2:20AM, packed the bags and did one last equipment check before departing.  Being from the city, I wore jeans, t-shirt, hoodie, a pair of Nike sneakers, and a borrowed poncho and flashlight.  But I had determination and the trust that the much more prepared west coast Canadians, would light the way.

2:46AM - 6:00AM Journey
That trust and determination soon faded as we faced "Jacob's Ladder".  This was a portion of the hike which our guide said of the people who did quit, did so here.  After hearing that, I really did not want to be one of "those" who couldn't survive.  I think what gets people at Jacob's Ladder is not necessarily the steep incline.  It is fairly steep, and goes on for a little while, which poses a challenge for the unprepared.  But more than that, it's very early on in the hike, which is dangerous for two reasons: 1) excited and ambitious hikers set a pace to ascend the peak in record time, wearing themselves out, and 2) there's little chance to adjust to the altitude.  Not everyone gets to train in the mountains so the latter likely takes its toll on hikers and its effect is made all the more potent, the more #1 applies.  Either that, or I was out of shape....  but I think I'll go with my other reasons.

Eventually we made it past the "ladder" and plodded our way through darkness to the top, stopping every now and again to drink water and catch our breaths.  The sky was clear so we could see what looked like all the stars in the galaxy, as well the city lights in the distance.  Near the top it started to rain a bit and the closer we were to the peak, the more the rain poured.  Finally when we reached the peak of Blue Mountain, 7402 ft. above sea level, we were faced with an overcast sky and steady rain.  We made it in time for the sunrise, but chances were that we wouldn't see anything!  Disappointed, we rested for a bit, ate some of the food we brought to regain some energy and began our descent 20 minutes later.  On a clear sky you can see even Cuba from the peak - unfortunately, clear skies only happen 30% of the time.

6:15AM The way home
As we descended, the rain seemed to only fall harder until we dropped below the cloud cover.  After we dropped below the clouds, we were presented with a fantastic view of the mountain range.  We made it back to the Wildflower in about 2 hours and changed into fresh clothes.  Our hosts provided a cup of delicious Blue Mountain coffee, locally picked and roasted, to warm up and enjoy as a reward.  It was definitely enjoyed, and finally we thanked our gracious hosts and guide as we departed for the drive home.

Would I do it again?  Probably not.  But now I can say that I've climbed to the highest point of Jamaica.

Hike Blue Mountain - check.