Or for me either. I’m scared of heights as it is – walking on a spiderweb would give me the Shivers.
Me, too! I wouldna walk across, for I wouldna step out on it.
It appears strong enough that I might give it a go. Now if it was higher, say 200 feet, I might pass.
So how did they get the first bridge up?
Echo: that one doesn’t look particularly scary since it’s not a long fall.
That’s the Big Question. After the first one, it is if not easy, at least not as difficult. But that first one? THAT had to interesting!
Note that the structure with 4 + 2 cables is ‘rated’ at dozens of people at once when first constructed. No doubt lifelong users of the bridge learn how to revise that estimate downwards as it ages, and how much is safe to load it just before replacement.
Initial obstacles you need to overcome are knowing that a bridge is possible, and getting buy in from the adjacent communities. First can be addressed by using rope in other ways. Second implies a culture of trade networks in both communities. Risky but not instantly lethal methods for a person to travel across, or shouting, might establish the communication between the communities.
One takeaway is something about the culture and trade networks of the initial construction period.
With the right tech for projectiles, you can get a cord across. Atatl (spelling?), plain spear, bow, catapult, thrown rock, rock thrower, slingshot, sling, staff sling, near bola style swinging the rock on the cord, etc…
Use the cord to pull a rope across, secure the rope, have a boy or small man carry another rope, and then you have a single person two rope bridge.
The bridge we see here is for heavy foot traffic, or for freight. Implies a lot of continuing need to service that traffic, to make harvesting that much material worth it to the communities every year.
You’d have more issues with this style a lot closer to the water. Moisture and rot, etc. Different terrain types make different types of folk bridges, folk road enhancements, etc more feasible. And then there has to be trade to make economic potential, and a culture that does not encourage banditry to a prohibitive degree.
That’s enough fall to bash your brains on a rock.
Pretty cool. Wonder who figured how to do it in the first place such that it didn’t fail? Must have had some oopsies along the way.
Noted the narrator was a civil engineering prof from MIT – wonder if he learned anything from studying the bridge?
Anyone having a sword fight in the middle of that bridge would have to be extra careful!
I guess that the bridge works if they’ve been doing it every year for past 3,000. And they are smart enough to rebuild it rather than walking on it until it fails.
Note: Not government employees or large corporate contractors.
No delays or cost over rides. No grievances filed On time on budget.
All- Good points in the comments, and ‘history’ and lack of .gov is not a hinderance to these folks…
Posted from my iPhone.
Hey Old NFO;
Really cool video, I don’t know if I would want to walk across it….but cool video non the less.
I might walk it. Everyone else does, and has for generations.
I’d walk it. If they do it everyday and it holds them up, why not me?
It didn’t look to be much more of a drop than the high dive at your local swimming hole so likely too scary.
Good things generally happen when the locals fill a need WITHOUT outside interference.
It would be interesting to see in person. Kinda hard to get a sense of scale from the pictures. Sure, I would walk across it.
I admire their organizational skills and ability to work together.
Walk on it? Absolutely!
Or for me either. I’m scared of heights as it is – walking on a spiderweb would give me the Shivers.
Me, too! I wouldna walk across, for I wouldna step out on it.
It appears strong enough that I might give it a go. Now if it was higher, say 200 feet, I might pass.
So how did they get the first bridge up?
Echo: that one doesn’t look particularly scary since it’s not a long fall.
That’s the Big Question. After the first one, it is if not easy, at least not as difficult. But that first one? THAT had to interesting!
Note that the structure with 4 + 2 cables is ‘rated’ at dozens of people at once when first constructed. No doubt lifelong users of the bridge learn how to revise that estimate downwards as it ages, and how much is safe to load it just before replacement.
Initial obstacles you need to overcome are knowing that a bridge is possible, and getting buy in from the adjacent communities. First can be addressed by using rope in other ways. Second implies a culture of trade networks in both communities. Risky but not instantly lethal methods for a person to travel across, or shouting, might establish the communication between the communities.
One takeaway is something about the culture and trade networks of the initial construction period.
With the right tech for projectiles, you can get a cord across. Atatl (spelling?), plain spear, bow, catapult, thrown rock, rock thrower, slingshot, sling, staff sling, near bola style swinging the rock on the cord, etc…
Use the cord to pull a rope across, secure the rope, have a boy or small man carry another rope, and then you have a single person two rope bridge.
The bridge we see here is for heavy foot traffic, or for freight. Implies a lot of continuing need to service that traffic, to make harvesting that much material worth it to the communities every year.
You’d have more issues with this style a lot closer to the water. Moisture and rot, etc. Different terrain types make different types of folk bridges, folk road enhancements, etc more feasible. And then there has to be trade to make economic potential, and a culture that does not encourage banditry to a prohibitive degree.
That’s enough fall to bash your brains on a rock.
Pretty cool. Wonder who figured how to do it in the first place such that it didn’t fail? Must have had some oopsies along the way.
Noted the narrator was a civil engineering prof from MIT – wonder if he learned anything from studying the bridge?
Anyone having a sword fight in the middle of that bridge would have to be extra careful!
I guess that the bridge works if they’ve been doing it every year for past 3,000. And they are smart enough to rebuild it rather than walking on it until it fails.
Note: Not government employees or large corporate contractors.
No delays or cost over rides. No grievances filed On time on budget.
All- Good points in the comments, and ‘history’ and lack of .gov is not a hinderance to these folks…
Posted from my iPhone.
Hey Old NFO;
Really cool video, I don’t know if I would want to walk across it….but cool video non the less.
I might walk it. Everyone else does, and has for generations.
I’d walk it. If they do it everyday and it holds them up, why not me?
It didn’t look to be much more of a drop than the high dive at your local swimming hole so likely too scary.
Good things generally happen when the locals fill a need WITHOUT outside interference.
It would be interesting to see in person. Kinda hard to get a sense of scale from the pictures. Sure, I would walk across it.
I admire their organizational skills and ability to work together.
Walk on it? Absolutely!
Dammit, want to go there and walk the bridge.
All- Thanks for the comments!
Posted from my iPhone.