The concept of Letterboxes on Ascension Island probably dates back to the 17th Century. Ships travelling south would leave messages on the Island for northbound ships to pick up and take home.
This idea obviously appealed to later visitors to the Island because by 1913 a green tin box was placed at Bottle Point near to the site of the modern day Letterbox. Notes were left by those visiting the area with the idea being that the next person to visit would take the note and put it in the general mail.
At the time of writing there are known to be 18 'official' letterbox walks and 4 'unofficial' and the aim of this booklet is to give background and guidance on each one. It is written in readable, plain English, giving simple instructions on where to go as well as the type of terrain one might encounter:
“…it involves no climbing, just ‘boulder hopping’. Be warned – it can be easy to twist an ankle unless you tread carefully!”
There are also handy tips to ensure the safest, most enjoyable route:
“Take the path on red ash and clinker up the left hand side of the hill. Do not be fooled into taking the ‘easier’ looking route up the middle that has been marked by stones in the shape of an arrow. If you take this route there is a dangerous rock climb at the far end to reach the letterbox!
***Please note that this walk is on the Broken Tooth Firing Range – check for any operations planned before you start by calling x3315***”
The walks described here vary in difficulty, but all are rewarding in gaining an appreciation of what Ascension has to offer in terms of views, terrain and flora.
All of the featured sites have a hand stamp and inkpad (to prove you were there) and this guide supplies a space on each page for the corresponding mark, and a few lines for notes on the experience.
Because of this and the book’s small size and notebook style, it is the perfect travelling companion for the Ascension Island explorer.
