Pedestrian Thrills

Exploring St Helena on foot allows for an intimate connection with the landscape

- Richard Holmes

My heart is pounding, lungs aching to catch a breath. I stagger a little higher before my legs give out. Collapsed on a hard concrete step, Jamestown is laid out below me; the fishing fleet and tour boats bobbing at anchor as gentle swells roll into James Bay.

Just 699 steps. How hard could it be, I had thought, standing at the bottom of Jacob’s Ladder. Running shoes laced up with bravado and naivety, I set out to jog up St Helena’s famous staircase. It looked to be no trouble at all. But looks can be deceiving; I discovered this not 100 steps from the bottom.

It’s a rare visitor who doesn’t tackle ‘The Ladder’. Built in 1829 to link the island’s capital to the hilltop settlement of Half Tree Hollow, each of the 699 steps is at least 30cm high. With the Ladder inclined at up to 45°, the annual Jacob’s Ladder Challenge has become a highlight of the annual Festival of Running (see sidebar). The current record stands at an impressive five minutes and 16 seconds. By the time I topped out my stopwatch stood at 10.03; three seconds shy of my goal.

While pitting your fitness against the Ladder is an extreme way to explore the island on foot, this up-and coming destination in the mid-Atlantic is fast becoming popular with adventurous travellers keen to lace up their walking shoes.

Though touring St Helena by car is an easy way to discover the farthest reaches of the island, wandering on foot allows you to appreciate the smaller details. A stand of wild yams – a popular breakfast dish for St Helenians – in a lush gully near Lemon Tree Gut. Mossy gate posts standing proud at the head of an overgrown trail, the remnants of an old homestead. A tiny country church, its mossy graveyard with tales to tell.