Q’eswachaka: The Inca Rope Bridge Hanging 100 Feet Above the Apurímac

The Inca Empire is known for being one of history's most prosperous, advanced and extensive cultures. Its territory, referred to as Tahuantinsuyo, stretched from Colombia to Chile in a network of routes covering over 30,000 km. A complex system of roads called Qhapaq Ñan, the Great Inca Road. The challenge was to link towns in this mountainous territory. To cross rivers and gorges, the Incas built stone or wooden bridges. But one of the most outstanding techniques was with vegetable fibres. This is the story of Quezhuachaca, the last Inca suspension bridge in the Andes. The story of a people unwilling to give up their customs 500 years after Spain's conquest. Quezhuachaca, the last Inca bridge. This is Quehué, a remote area in the district of Cusco, in the heart of the Peruvian Andes. At 4,000 m above sea level, the lack of rain and resources make this one of the Earth's most inhospitable places. Nature here is cruel to those who do not know how to use the few opportunities it offers. Its inhabitants certainly know how to. They are used to living in the middle of this bleak upland. The river Aporimac divides the territory in two. Communication between them is a genuine challenge. But here, on the vast Puna, is where they have found the answer to this challenge. The Coyhechu. This fibre of this hardy grass is used to make ropes. This is the raw material for Quezhuachaca, meaning rope bridge in Quechua. During the Inca Empire, this 30 m long bridge was the only way to span the gorge. This technique enabled them to build it in a few days, allowing a whole army to cross, simply destroying it afterwards, thus isolating the enemy in the event of war. But this bridge must be rebuilt every year because the harsh climate deteriorates the fibre, making it dangerous to cross. It is the second week of June, only a few days before Quezhuachaca is renewed. The machines hurry to prepare the paths down to the river. Victoriano lives quite close by. He is a chacaruac, a bridge builder and the main person in charge of Quezhuachaca's renewal. His position is a family tradition that goes back centuries. Like every year around this time, he must collect enough coir to make 70 m of Quechua, a length of rope that each family must provide for the bridge renewal. Fortunately, the grass grows close to home. Coir is highly sought after and, during the dry season, it is hard to find in the scrubland. Vidal is Victoriano's son. He is studying art in Lima and only comes during holiday time. Victoriano's dream is for his son to carry on the family tradition. But Vidal seems to have other ideas. Like many young migrants, he is torn between the comforts of the city and the harsh plain. His wife Jennifer keeps house and looks after their daughter Paloma. With their husbands away, women take on the men's work and the jobs assigned to each family by the community. Rural drift among young people offers hope for the economy. However, it also puts family stability and a traditional lifestyle at risk. Permission is asked of the Apus, the mountain spirits, for each activity. Daily life here is full of rituals reflecting people's relationship with the environment. Balance is the essence of Pachamama. Each intervention by humankind in nature must be carefully gauged. Jennifer prepares the huatia, a way of cooking food by using an oven carved in the ground. For the children, work is a game that will soon teach them to feel useful. This is what Paloma is doing. Her neighbour Valentin too. Today he skips school. He'd rather be here and learn from the Chacaruhuac. I don't know how to do it. Yes, look, it's more difficult. Be careful, my dear. With my feet? Yes, with your feet. Victoriano has collected enough coya. It is time to lay it out in the sun before preparing it next day. Early morning in Kewe. There is an unusual amount of activity on the newly prepared roads down to the Apori Mag. Today is the official beginning of the renewal of Keswechaka. Some have been walking since night time. Those from villages furthest away have had a two-hour lorry drive. Over 1,000 people from four communities take part in this feat of engineering that will take three days to complete, using over 25,000 metres of rope. The first day is dominated by hustle and bustle and good humour. Many villagers are meeting again for the first time in the year. Latecomers work on braiding their Keswech to the very last minute. Besides the material provided by each family, rope is weaved constantly during the whole renewal process, particularly by the women. A commission keeps a tally of what each villager delivers. Everyone is keen to give their opinion, so the Chakaruak must lay down the law. Work begins by stretching the Keswech out on the ground. The idea is to sort them into groups, making a thicker rope with each one. However, there is not a set number of ropes in each group. Sometimes it is not clear how many must be joined. More rope must be added. This is crucial and it is best not to fall short. The thickness of individual strands is not always equal and the final sturdiness of the bridge depends on the exact number of Keswechs in each group. Once the Keswechs are sorted out, they must be twisted. This produces a thicker rope, referred to as Keswecha. Once joined, the rope is pulled tight to temper it. The villagers almost regard this as a game. Time for a break and a snack. The commission hands out bananas and bread. Simple food, but enough to keep them going during this long day's work. On the other riverbank, the village Koyana has moved on to the next stage. Their Keswechas are ready and they use them to make the bridge case. There are two types, the durus, making up the floor, and the makis, used as handrails. Each duru is made up by braiding three Keswechas. Only two are needed for the makis. They need the rest of the day to complete the four durus and two handrails making up the bridge frame. As evening falls, durus and makis are brought to the bridge base where they remain until tomorrow. Work is over for today, but not for everyone. Cayetano is the paku, the local shaman or priest. He treats the sick and oversees rituals. He also decides when to harvest crops and sorts out rows between neighbours. The spiritual leader is the only one allowed by the apos to set up the ritual table. This includes offerings dedicated to the Pachamama by the villagers. Coca leaves, alcohol, tobacco, corn and other products. The offerings are made via a fire that will be kept alight until the bridge is renovated. This is extremely important. Consent by the apos and Pachamama is crucial if accidents are to be avoided. The Apurimac, the talking god in Quechua, is one of Peru's major rivers. Its source on the snowy slopes of the Mismi is the furthest from the Amazon River. For most of its 700km course, the river flows through canyons, waterfalls and rapids. During this season, however, the water level is at its lowest. It divides the district of Kewe into two parts. On one bank there are the villages of Winchiri, Chaupibanda and Chocaiwa. On the other side, Coyana-Kewe, where the administrative capital is located. Agriculture and livestock for personal use are the key activities. At this altitude, it is not easy to grow crops or find fresh pastures to feed cattle. In the last few years, the rainy season has been getting shorter. Erosion and drought make this place a harsh, dusty territory, where life seems to be impossible. But the same land that denies people its bounties conceals a treasure deep in the earth that humans found in the Andes thousands of years ago. The potato is the main food source at this altitude. It is grown in small family plots called chagres. There can be up to 300 hardy varieties of potato in these plots, known to the Incas and their predecessors. The diet is also supplemented by small amounts of cereals and dairy products from cows, sheep, and particularly llamas and alpacas, the only animals native to these high plains. Most of the day is spent moving around these vast spaces, taking the cattle to graze. This also includes the children. There is only one school for the whole area, and some have a two-hour walk to get to class. When they come back, they help their parents on the land. Despite being a chacaruac, Victoriano's family have the same austere lifestyle as their neighbours. But even so, they are lucky. A couple of cows and their calves is more than a lot of people can afford. Both animals and humans share the same resources. The calves must not feed more than necessary. Peasant families are the basic economic and social unit in the Andes. Today, Vidal is making chuño, a traditional method of freeze-drying potatoes using the sun and frost at night. This way food can be kept for years. From her vantage point, Victoriano's mother, Cecilia, seems to blend in perfectly with her surroundings. She watches as the next generation takes charge of the house. A few days before Quezhuachaca is renewed, Victoriano has already cut the colla and sun-dried it. But before braiding his quezhua, he must soften the fibre to make it easier to work with. Paloma enjoys her grandfather's company. Children here are very independent and their upbringing is not strict. In return, they learn to respect their elders from a very young age. But sometimes, living together every day gives rise to differences between the generations. As well as being used to build bridges, cuya has many other uses in daily life. For example, one of them is as a mould for making cheeses. Who is this? This is my grandfather. Who is this? He is my grandfather. I am his son. You are his son? Yes, I am his son. Dad? Daybreak in Quezhuachaca. The icy winds sweep across the scrubland while first light energises the Apus, who silently rule over the gorge where the old Quezhuachaca awakens for the last time. Victoriano uses cow dung to rekindle the sacred fire that has been burning all night. After a short sleep, Cayetano and his men lay out the offerings again next to the ropes that are piled up for the villagers. Alcohol warms them up on this freezing cold morning. Cheers! Jokes and good humour precede the ritual ceremony. Prayers blend with more mundane matters. Victoriano looks worried. On the first day, work is on dry land, but the riskiest tasks will begin from today. The fire smoke and the murmur of the river create a relaxing, almost magical atmosphere. Important Andean rituals always require an animal to be sacrificed. Fire is the mouth through which Pachamama is nourished. Blood is essential to ensure successful harvests and the fertility of livestock. Also, to soothe the Apus and drive away misfortunes. The Apus eat the same thing as humans, and this sacrificial meat will provide a meal for the men. The villagers have gathered on both sides of the bridge. First, the old rope must be cut away from the supports. The sturdiness of this construction may be seen here, as the whole process takes several hours before it is all untied. The old parts of the Keswachaka are carried away by the river. No nails or other artificial material are used in its construction. Everything that falls into the river is completely biodegradable. Before dismantling it all, the men begin passing the new cables from one side of the bank to the other. This task is carried out in both directions. A rope is passed from one bank to the other. This is firmly tied to each cable in order to pull it. Every time a cable is passed to the other bank, it must be attached to stone supports. This process will be repeated until the six cables making up the bridge frame are in place. In the meantime, in a nearby meadow, the villagers of Chukaiwa make the floor. They use Chilka branches to do this. Branches from this bush, tied with string, make the base. This base must be compact enough to prevent animals' hooves going through it when they cross. The women braid Keswas non-stop. They can't go down to the river. It is believed that their presence could bring bad luck. The villages through which the Kapak Nyan passed had to maintain the road and renew its bridges. This was carried out in the Minka, a communal work system that still exists in the Andes, when engaging in large projects for the benefit of the community. They have already passed the main cables over the river. Once the base of the new Keswa Chakka is anchored, the old bridge is history. The past plunges into the waters of the Apurimak. A new project re-emerges in the Altiplano with the promise of a better future. Now comes one of the toughest parts of the process. The ropes must be tautened and firmly attached to the bases. Extra help is needed. Koyana's help is urgently needed. However, they have finished their work and don't agree. Chokaiwa has already prepared the bridge floor. They must hurry to leave it at the base. Night will soon fall and there is still a long journey back home. Windchiri makes the most of the fading daylight to tauten the ropes. After pounding the koya to make it pliable, the next step is to wet it. It is crucial to keep the fibre damp during the whole process, so that the Keswa is strong and even when braided. Koka leaves are an essential source of energy and a remedy for altitude sickness. Although more usual in the humid jungle areas, not at this latitude, people of the Altiplano are never without it. To extract its most active properties, it is mixed with yifta, a type of limestone. This releases the tiny amount of cocaine in the leaves in just a few seconds. But while this substance is quickly eliminated, the body makes the most of the minerals and vitamins essential for its survival. Victoriana must braid 40 arms lengths of Keswa. That means roughly 70 metres. This laborious task will take him several hours. Very good, very good. Women are not allowed to be a chakarurwak. But Paloma will soon learn the braiding technique and at the same time something that is much deeper and significant. The Keswa made of two straws and the braiding method reflect an essential part of the Andean mindset. The world is a system of opposites that complement each other, that keep the flame of life burning. Masculine and feminine, light and darkness, life and death. This duality is the driving force of the universe, an energy that is in constant flux, dividing and multiplying to form more complex realities. Like all the universe, Keswa Chakar is also built from multiplying and dividing its original dual source, the Keswa. Papa! The afternoon goes by with the rhythm of a working day. Victoriano has finished his Keswa. Jennifer washes the suit her father-in-law will wear during the bridge building. Cecilia enjoys the last rays of sun. And Vidal daydreams of being a success on stage in Lima. The new day Today is a crucial day. A tough battle is being waged over the gorge of the Apori bank. The day began as it ended yesterday. The men are in a race against the clock to finish the bridge. The duros and handrails must be tautened again. This is vitally important. If it is not taut enough, the safety of the whole structure could be at risk. Orders are given quickly and the villagers start to get nervous. How are you? This is one of the riskiest moments. To avoid accidents, the whole team must coordinate. A man is in charge of anchoring the cables beforehand. One false step or an unexpected movement of the ropes could make him lose his balance and fall. The hardest job is carried out on the floor. The cables must be attached to their supports without them coiling back. The most skillful men twist it around the stone bases, gaining extra centimeters bit by bit. Maneuvering in the narrow channel where the bases are makes this job particularly complicated. Ho! Ho! After several hours of strenuous work, the cables are taut and anchored to their supports. It is midday and that means a well-deserved rest. How are you? Meanwhile, the villagers of Chokaiwa set about making the kayapos, poles that will act as crossbeams on the floor of the bridge. Ho! Ho! The moment that Victoriano has been waiting for. The final weaving of the bridge. Until recently, Victoriano was the only bridge weaver. But this meant work went on till nightfall. So Victoriano taught Eleuterio, his disciple. They start from opposite ends and weave until they reach the middle. Knowing how to move properly when you are 50 meters up can mean the difference between life and death. It is best not to have vertigo and concentration is absolutely essential. There is total silence. Only the babbling of the river as it waits to swallow up the men. As they move along, the bridge becomes less stable and increasingly dangerous. But the Chakaruak move along confidently. They gradually join the floor cables to the handrails. Every now and again they add the kayapos, thus giving the bridge the stability it needs. When two weavers meet, the new bridge is almost ready. There is one detail still missing without which few would dare to cross. In just a few minutes they place the matting, which completely protects the floor of the bridge. Mission accomplished. Thanks to everyone's effort, the community may now cross safely. A new cycle begins, life is renewed and work turns into party time. The uniform okre of the landscape contrasts with the bright party costumes. The meadow is filled with bonfire smoke and the revelry of the villagers. Victoriano can relax at last. Now it is time to socialize, enjoy oneself and eat plenty. There is time to eat one's fill with meat and other delicacies. The four villages of Kewe celebrate the renewal of life again. There is good reason to be happy. A new generation is making great strides to ensure their customs are not forgotten. Young blood must face up to modern times with intelligence and innovation. But without ever forgetting the teachings of the past. The new Keswechaka Bridge, splendid and proud, reminds us that each blade of grass represents an inhabitant of them. Fragile by themselves, but powerful and invincible when they join forces. A bridge that reflects their history. A masterpiece built by men and women, who make a stand generation after generation. But it is also an expression of their smiles, their love and their illusions. It is their eternal destiny, weaving dreams from pieces of grass to make golden cords that are as strong as steel. To remind us, year after year, that nothing is impossible if we work together.