A Handmade 118-Foot Rope Bridge, Rewoven Every Year

In Peru, a centuries-old tradition brings Inca infrastructure into the present.

BY SCOTT FERRARA AUGUST 29, 2017




The last crossing of the 2016 Q'eswachaka before the new bridge was constructed. ALL PHOTOS: SCOTT FERRARA


lthough the Inca Empire has long since vanished, Peru’s Cusco Region is saturated with archaeological and historical sites that offer a glimpse into pre-Columbian civilizations. In one particular remote mountain village, Inca tradition is alive at a three-day event that has been performed annually for 600 years: the rope-braiding festival of the Q’eswachaka, the last handwoven Incan rope bridge. 


During the festival, members of four local Quechua communities contribute strands of rope woven from grass. These strands are then woven together to create a 118-foot bridge that is slung across the Apurimac River. It replaces the bridge woven the previous year, which sags more and more over its 12-month reign.

The 2017 festivities took place in June beside the river, nearly a four-hour drive south of the city of Cusco. The trip is over rough and mountainous terrain and past cookie-cutter villages influenced by early Spanish conquest.



More:
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/qeswachaka-rope-bridge