Title: Guide to the Blue and John Crow Mountains
Author: Natural History Society of Jamaica
Editor: Margaret Hodges
Publishers: Ian Randle
Reviewed by: A.W. Sangster

We all know where the Blue Mountains are, but how many of us know where the John Crow Mountains are? This book will show you that the two sets of mountains are linked to each other and essentially traverse the parishes of St Andrew, St Mary, Portland and St Thomas.

The pocket-sized book of just over 200 pages is filled with either maps and magnificent photographs of the flora, fauna and the scenery as the guide takes you through the mountains.

Written by an expert

The book is obviously written by an expert and one can envisage that Dr Hodges has, probably in her long and productive life, travelled most, if not every one, of the trails that are so clearly documented. Her son Stephen has also used his camera to good advantage. The book is about the mountains and occasionally reference is made to parks. One gets the feeling that the author would like all the mountains to be a park!

Quite apart from the trails and walks in the park, the book has a number of short specialist chapters which give the reader an insight into various aspects of the territory being covered. They are all exquisitely illustrated.

But this is not a book to take up, put in your pocket and start walking. It will require careful planning and preparation for the trip. You will need a map of Jamaica to go with the guide so that you have a clear picture of where you will be, and the general direction you will be taking as you embark on the outing.

The trip is not for loners. You could get lost despite the clear directions. So step number one is plan the trip with a serious group of people and let your families and friends know where and when you are going. Go through the book so that you get a feel for the areas that are covered. If possible, get an experienced person to come on the trip. The Appendix lists many of the places and points of interest in the mountains as well as special attractions.

Prepare body for trip

Step number two is: prepare your body for the trip. The author gives clear guidelines on what to wear and what to take with you. But are you accustomed to walking on the rough countryside? Get fit and ready for the road for many of the trails are tough on the hardiest of walkers. The author begins in section one on 'Travelling in the Mountains'. The section provides information on: clothing - what to take and wear, etiquette - don't leave rubbish behind, time and weather, dos and don'ts for all regions of the park.

For someone who has hiked to the Blue Mountain peak a number of times, it gets nostalgic as you look over familiar territory - the triangulation stand at the peak where the pictures get taken and the different roads to get there.

In the description of a typical trail, the book carries you along with geography, history and there are detailed and beautiful photographs of the plants, birds and animals that you will encounter, so that each trip and trail can, and should be, a rich learning experience.

This leads me to step number three. A strong and waterproof notebook is a must, to record the journey and the experiences.

Seventeen sections

The book should be in every school in this country and not just for the classroom. It has the potential for students to learn about their country in a positive and healthy way. It has the potential for school projects and could well use up some of the spare, violent energy that many of our children seem to have these days.

The book has 17 sections (not numbered) with an appendix mentioned earlier, but no index. The latter would enhance its usefulness enormously. Here are some more on the sections.

Sections two, three and four cover in a continuous way the approaches to the park from the west and from Kingston and St Andrew. Each trail is clearly marked.

Other sections deal with the approaches from the south, north and east.

Hodges and her colleagues have done the country a great service in the revelations of the beauty of the mountains and the richness of the habitat of the Blue and John Crow Mountains. Robert Kerr in the introduction notes that The Guide is an invaluable contribution to Jamaica's conservation literature and movement, and the Natural History Society should be commended for its perseverance in seeing this project through to completion.