How do you plan a sunrise hike?

There are few better reasons to set an alarm for four in the morning. You climb in the dark with a circle of torchlight at your feet, the sky turns from black to navy to pink, and then, from a rock you have claimed with your jacket, you watch the sun come up over a valley that is still asleep. Then you eat a cold croissant, which at that moment is the finest food ever made.

Choose a route you already know

This is the most important rule. Paths look completely different in the dark: junctions disappear, waymarks hide, and a familiar trail can feel like a new one. AdventureSmart, the UK outdoor safety campaign, advises choosing a route you have already walked in daylight and sticking to obvious paths when walking at night. So:

• Pick a short walk, well within your comfort zone, to a viewpoint facing east.
• Walk it in daylight first, ideally recently, noting the junctions and the tricky sections.
• Avoid exposed ridges, scrambles and steep drops in the dark.
• Have a plan B viewpoint lower down in case you are slower than expected.

Our page on choosing a hiking trail covers reading a route description.

Work out your start time

Look up the sunrise time for your location and date, then work backwards:

• How long is the walk up, at a slower night pace?
• Add a margin for stops, route-finding and the unexpected. Half an hour is not too much.
• Arrive early. Some of the best colour can come before the sun itself appears, so you want to be settled at the top well before the official sunrise time.

Set two alarms. Lay out your clothes and pack the night before, so leaving the house is a matter of minutes.

Light: two torches, spare batteries

AdventureSmart recommends carrying two torches with spare batteries, ideally LED head torches, and keeping the beam low in mist or rain, because glare can hide the ground. A head torch leaves your hands free; your phone torch is a backup, not a plan, because you need the phone's battery for navigation and calls.

Layers, more than you think

It can be properly cold at dawn, and you will be standing still at the top after warming up on the climb. AdventureSmart notes that temperatures can drop sharply at night even in summer, and suggests extra layers, a fleece, gloves and dry socks. In the mountains, the Swiss canton of Ticino's safety guide adds that temperature falls by roughly 6°C for every 1,000 metres of height, and that wind makes it feel colder still.

Take:

• A warm layer and a windproof or waterproof jacket.
• Hat and gloves, even in summer.
• Something to sit on, such as a foam pad or a spare jacket.
• A flask of something hot.

Safety in the dark

This is a summary in our own words; follow local rules and guidance wherever you walk.

• Check the forecast the evening before, including the overnight outlook. Clear, settled weather makes night walking easier and the sunrise worth it.
• Tell someone your plan and when you expect to be back, especially if you are going alone. AdventureSmart recommends going with company where you can.
• Carry a charged phone, a map and a basic kit list: water, food, first aid, whistle.
• Turn back if you feel uneasy, tired, lost or the weather changes. A sunrise seen from halfway up is still a sunrise.

Breakfast at the top

This is the point. Pack something you will love eating cold: a pastry, bread and cheese, fruit, a slice of cake from the night before. A flask of coffee or tea makes you the most popular person on the summit. If you fancy something more Italian, our page on what Italians eat for breakfast has ideas worth carrying up a hill.