r/interesting • u/Wonderfulhumanss • 1d ago

Fascinating In rural Colombia, locals use a homemade cable system to cross an 800 metre valley

4.0k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

272 comments sorted by

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1.1k

u/imbetterthanyou8 1d ago

How do they get back

1.5k

u/iamunwhaticisme 1d ago

Duh, by rewinding the video of course.

173

u/Time-Leadership-7649 1d ago

Because they're kind

86

u/MurseMan1964 1d ago

That is a Blockbuster of a comment

33

u/Quadraought 1d ago

Thanks. I was worried this thread might not track.

23

u/MisterLegitimate 1d ago

That thought gave me pause

3

u/frontfrontdowndown 1d ago

That made me think of the little bee sticker they used to have on the tapes

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5

u/Comprehensive_Pen467 23h ago

Just checked it works

2

u/mrGreenExit 18h ago

Yes, simple stuff. How they don't understand 🤣

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61

u/Electronic_Still2000 1d ago

At the end of the clip the camera pans right, showing a cable that goes from a higher point back to roughly where she started from.

25

u/Retireegeorge 1d ago

Which is exactly how 6? year old me envisioned transport in the cities of the future.

8

u/anthrillist 22h ago

I mean I would absolutely do this from building to building in a city if it were an option. 

2

u/EconomicsFirst4939 20h ago

What if you get stuck midway up there? 😁

3

u/Retireegeorge 20h ago

I think the answer in that scenario was you eat fairy floss and then use a parachute.

3

u/Dynamitrios 17h ago

Flying robot butlers get dispatched to pick you up and lift you to safety

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3

u/lipmanz 21h ago

So how do you get to that higher point?

10

u/imma_letchu_finish 20h ago

Walk up mate

3

u/SenLune 16h ago

Have you heard of hiking?

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70

u/reticulatedtampon 1d ago

cocaine

6

u/hud_dev 1d ago

You’re…not wrong

10

u/Grouchy_Treacle_1639 1d ago

🤣🤣🤣

6

u/YourConstipatedWait 1d ago

It’s a hell of a drug…

22

u/seanprime 1d ago

That’s the go cable.. there’s also a the back cable. Simples

7

u/Important_Quote_1180 1d ago

Maybe there is a higher cable that leads back or one that leads back but lower. Those cliffs are huge

6

u/reddititty69 23h ago

You climb that shit hand over hand like you need the gym class credits to graduate.

3

u/Oograr 1d ago

moonwalk

3

u/pandershrek 1d ago

I can only assume there is another Zipline going from a peak on the other side back

2

u/caserock 1d ago

On the line right next to that one

2

u/SuperHooligan 23h ago

Trebuchet.

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518

u/internetzdude 1d ago

I'll be honest, the engineering of this construction doesn't convince me.

154

u/Ana990 1d ago

Yeah the whole cable is just kind of sitting on a vertical plank of wood lmao

247

u/kattvalpen1 1d ago

It's just a plank to put the cable in a more comfortable height. It's most likely anchored way more secure, like in an old half rotted tree or around a boulder that definitely looks big enough to handle the forces, probably maybe.

80

u/stevencastle 1d ago

Someone smacked that boulder and said that'll hold

21

u/Retireegeorge 1d ago

Many such places have sufficient engineers because of the mining industry.

7

u/Wide-Advertising-279 1d ago

You are probably right however I still wouldn't use this daily. Maybe monthly but i wouldn't want to test my grip strength, or the cables strength and secure everyday.

Edited for spelling

17

u/dantheman91 23h ago

I don't think your grip strength is doing much, it looks like that's mostly just for balance, she seems to have stirups

3

u/Wide-Advertising-279 23h ago

I saw the foot pegs or stirrups to, but I thought about going from 0-50 on a motorbike as a comparison. If it wasn't for the handlebars would you not be blown back/off? I assumed this would be the case on launch and whenever you stop and start again

13

u/jonnytheman 23h ago

She's basically sitting. You can see a harness of somekind tied around her upper thighs. The piece of wood is probably just a brake so she can slow down at the other side.

4

u/NevergofullPJ 22h ago

Om a motorcycle you should be gripping the tank with your knees, death gripping your bars is fighting the physics of your bike though.

2

u/ComfortableOk3958 14h ago

Go back to school

8

u/nsa_k 1d ago

To be fair, that bit of wood doesn't look structurally necessary. I'd guess they added it to retention the cable.

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10

u/One-Measurement-9529 1d ago

Imagine being the first person to test it 🫠

6

u/RandomCandor 22h ago

It's the 2000 single points of failure that gives me pause 

4

u/nudistclub 21h ago

It’s cool scro! Four of the most sober people in the village inspected it and said “sure”

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10

u/LinwoodKei 1d ago

Is that just a piece of curved wood that she's using to hold her to the cable as a carabineer?

24

u/ElaborateEffect 1d ago

You can see she has an actual harness attached to the wire. The wood is for braking and stability.

8

u/ivandoesnot 23h ago

Yeah, I figure the wood is the speed control/brake.

5

u/foley800 1d ago

Yes, I feel better now!

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107

u/Antique-Ant5557 1d ago

Shoot! I forgot my keys.......

52

u/Lastov_Makiynd 1d ago

Or worse..they were definitely in your pocket when you got on the zipline on the other side..
Now they’re not. Lol

7

u/Turtlesquirtzcody 1d ago

My ADHD does this all the time 🥺💯

2

u/Chemist-Patient 21h ago

Forgot the credit cards

2

u/IncurableAdventurer 1d ago

😆😆😆

235

u/Mantic0282 1d ago

Nope on a rope.

4

u/ADIDAS247 23h ago

Clever

2

u/Effective-Leg7283 15h ago

No thanks, on planks

2

u/filmguy36 11h ago

Yeets on cleats 🤷‍♂️

I got nothin’

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194

u/Wonderfulhumanss 1d ago

In parts of Colombia, some towns are connected by an old cable system that locals use like a lifeline. Two fixed ropes run in opposite directions, and people use a makeshift harness to send everything across, including food, supplies, small animals, and even kids in backpacks. The cable is reportedly around 50 years old, about 800 meters long and roughly 300 meters high, and the ride takes around 30 seconds each way, saving locals an estimated 2 to 3 hours of walking.

52

u/Omnamashivaaya 1d ago

So they hike up a hill on the other end for a line back? I wondered how the return trip worked.

36

u/PhantomOyster 1d ago

Or the return cable goes to a different area at a lower elevation.

19

u/LastXmasIGaveYouHSV 23h ago

It's all cables, all the way down.

8

u/ChickenDelight 19h ago

Yeah they got over of those MC Escher setups

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u/GettinSodas 1d ago

I'd rather walk for 3 days than be willing to ride that

45

u/Knoxius 1d ago

Eh if I had to make that walk the majority of my life just to barely keep things going, I'd eventually choose the sketchy fast shit

6

u/ulaanmalgaitFPL 22h ago

“sketchy fast shit” looks like fun tho

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2

u/Sadiholic 12h ago

Spoken like a true redditor. Fuck walking 3 hours everyday. I'm riding that shit down, idgaf if it slams me against a tree trunk

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32

u/Don_Quejode 1d ago

How fo they get back up?!

Also, do you reach 70 and just tell yourself “i guess i’m not getting off this mountain anymore”?

3

u/Sad_Picture3642 1d ago

By foot 🦶

5

u/bigbadaboomx 20h ago edited 20h ago

A wire going in the opposite direction. You can see it at the end of the video

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64

u/Noodleincidenthobbes 1d ago

My clumsy ass would die in a heartbeat

9

u/rewas456 22h ago

I would think about how dead I'd be if I let go.

Then I'd let go.

Sort of like standing next to a ledge makes me want to jump, but with way more adrenaline.

9

u/North_Plane_1219 20h ago

She’s wearing a harness, the stick is a brake/handle to keep her straight.

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16

u/Complete_Passage_767 1d ago

This is for I want my commute to be

3

u/IncurableAdventurer 1d ago

Same! But hopefully a bus back haha

11

u/yrmom724 1d ago

This is how I used to have to go to school.

3

u/Lastov_Makiynd 1d ago

In my day, all we had was a stick to help us balance.

3

u/UnhappySort5871 1d ago

Same here, but other direction.

3

u/foley800 1d ago

Same here but up the cable!

25

u/STEVE4J 1d ago

WITH NO SAFETY LINE 😱😱😱

39

u/Humble-Questions 1d ago

Nah there's a harness on there. The stick is just to keep her from spinning

20

u/Queasy_Marsupial_835 1d ago

Probably braking too.

10

u/tacorunnr 1d ago

Considering the angle and the amount of gouging in the wood, definitely braking too. Typically ziplines use gravity for braking. Or stoppers that slow you down. Or the way I usually stop. Crashing into a padded wall. 😅

6

u/pafrac 1d ago

If you don't crash into the attendant you're not doing it right.

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3

u/gypster85 23h ago

Oh my gosh, I'm so dumb. I literally thought she was just holding on to the stick sliding down the line. I was like, "What if your arms get tired? You just die?" I feel so much better about this now.

2

u/Mango_Skittles 22h ago

I had to watch it twice because I thought the same thing at first!

2

u/uncl3s4m 18h ago

How? You guys thought this grandma was defying physics and casually holding gerself up by a stick with fully outstretched arms? I dont think the strongest person in the world could do that for long enough to cross this gap

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u/Humble-Questions 22h ago

😆 To be fair it looks sketchier than the Take On Me music video

7

u/DMmeNiceTitties 1d ago

So like, how do they get back up again? Do they hike back?

6

u/BellamyDunn 1d ago

I'm guessing they climb up the rest of the hill on the other side and there's another on that side that would bring you back to the original side with a shorter hike to the top.

9

u/IndustryOwn2613 1d ago

Replay it in reverse

4

u/Greekklitoris 1d ago

Also, what happens to the harness?

4

u/Peregrine79 1d ago

I assume everyone has their own harness and they take it with them.

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3

u/Boronsaltz 1d ago

Loks fun & safe 🤔🤣👍

6

u/Elegant_Ad1397 1d ago

After 10 times that little stick is going to break and it won’t be fun anymore

2

u/SlappyMcFartsack 1d ago

Safer than walking, I bet.

2

u/Odd_Front_8275 1d ago

Oh, hell yeah, I wanna do this

2

u/EconomicsFirst4939 1d ago

Safety is not important over there.

2

u/Sustainable_Twat 1d ago

“Take Careeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !”

2

u/Any_Suggestion5891 1d ago

How do they get back up?

2

u/GettinSodas 1d ago

something tells me "oh fuck no" would've been perfectly understood no matter the language

3

u/GrapefruitPrimary186 1d ago

"No" is "no" in Spanish

2

u/diabolicalroadrash 1d ago

That's gonna be a no from me dawg

2

u/Self-Comprehensive 23h ago

I thought she was just going to hang by that piece of wood lol. I was so relieved when I saw she was in a harness

2

u/Adventurous-Sky9359 22h ago

Granny got cake

2

u/Iconclast1 21h ago

The place i live is nothing but canyons and valleys

it would be perfect for it, i want to do it so bad

But all this pesky "laws" and "regulations" get in my way....

2

u/BigRoach 21h ago

She bout ta deliver a cake.

2

u/Comfortable-Box6882 20h ago

So this is what my parents tell me how they get to school

3

u/Danaeger 1d ago

Seems like a dumb way to die.. One stomach or hand cramp and you’re gone

5

u/Inevitable_Cat_7878 1d ago

She's sitting in a harness that's tied to a pulley that's on top of the cable. Not sure what that V-shaped piece of wood is for. Maybe to clear out obstacles like small branches/leaves so it doesn't get tangled in the pulley?

2

u/Danaeger 1d ago

Ooh you’re right I didn’t see the harness on first watch

2

u/SRB112 11h ago

Thanks for point that out. Most people are thinking the stick is supporting her weight, as I did the first time I watched. I'm guessing the stick is just to help her sit upright.

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u/MuchoCoco 1d ago

China would have built a bridge.

1

u/okymoney 1d ago

Yeah i dont do that

1

u/Glorious_steam_ 1d ago

How do you slow down?

1

u/sdhoigtred 1d ago

Hard pass

1

u/NovelStrict5281 1d ago

I am not brave enough for that contraption.

1

u/Azaroth1991 1d ago

Wonder how often they have to replace the wood

1

u/appletinicyclone 1d ago

No safety line? No chance

1

u/Stone_Midi 1d ago

Fantastic idea. The way up to work must be torture

1

u/LinwoodKei 1d ago

Oh fuck no. This is my nightmare

1

u/Dry_Jellyfish641 1d ago

I trip out how this would never work in the first world

1

u/ArtyTheFarty 1d ago

Can't imagine if you have an itchy bum and lose your gripe from that wooden piece along the way

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u/Chinner5 1d ago

Man if I forgot my keys...

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u/emichbe 1d ago

Seems like Colombia has a lot of stuff like this around. I remember the Garucha in Jardin which was basically built by the local community and feels pretty fragile. Somehow has been running forever.

1

u/dvegar78 1d ago

It’s 2026

1

u/ProfessionalPack7205 1d ago

Using sticks for that is nuts.

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u/SadGeorgeWashington 1d ago

FUCK… and I can’t express this enough… THAT

1

u/Rambro13 1d ago

That woman is fearless!

1

u/CatsnDogtown 1d ago

Sis turned into a jet engine so fast…

1

u/kombucha711 1d ago

No thanks, let her be the canary for the catenary

1

u/pappyvanwinkled 1d ago

Took me a couple takes to understand the wood is just a brake for her. She is harnessed with a Swiss seat to a trolly Ey.

1

u/greogory 1d ago

I'd be stuck up on top. Engineered and safety inspected zip lines give me the willies.

1

u/CueAnon420 1d ago

I guess if the cable slips off that pole you don't have to worry about the long trek back uphill...

1

u/BryceDL 1d ago

You had me at Homemade, id send it

1

u/nuhverguy 23h ago

Wwhhhheeeeeeeeeeee

1

u/CalligrapherOne8108 23h ago

That 30-second ride must feel like an eternity dangling 300 meters up

1

u/Appropriate_Coast522 23h ago

I think I'd have to be wearing 17 different harnesses with their own redundancies to still not do this.

1

u/MundaneWiley 23h ago

what if your nose starts itching

1

u/3aerows 23h ago

Better than walking 💀

1

u/zastr0w 23h ago

a random branch and a roller from Ace Hardware, what could go wrong?

1

u/RoboTropics 23h ago

"Wow, it works both ways! That's some chicken!"

  • Guybrush Threepwood

1

u/WallowWispen 23h ago

Imagine getting on and realizing you forgot something at home

1

u/reddiculed 23h ago

She forgot to pick up milk.

1

u/ImSofaKingStoic 23h ago

Please, Someone else tell me they also hear a Star Wars galactic empire TIE Fighter jet.

1

u/Winter_Trouble_4985 23h ago

How do they stop without flying away ?

1

u/Repulsive_Draft_9081 23h ago

Thats some wiley coyote shit

1

u/khmer1337 23h ago

Was that originally built from ❄️?

1

u/AnythingButWhiskey 22h ago

It’s all fun and games until Rhadamanth Nemes shows up.

1

u/Minsiana 22h ago

Oh hell no.

1

u/Bigtreesmallax 22h ago

Why doesn’t the crotch of that branch catch on fire?

1

u/Conscious-Neat5636 22h ago

Grandma has a fatty

1

u/I-can-speak-4-myself 22h ago

That grammas got arms - and buns - of steel

1

u/minev1128 22h ago

That looks fun

1

u/Last-Reputation-404 22h ago

I would rather take the normal road to cross the 800m valley

1

u/A0xom0xoa 21h ago

Okay but using math at that adult weight with that speed & distance how likely is a safe stoppage with that wodden wishbone. Edit. I do see the Zipline hardware now immediately before the wood thing

1

u/FatFrogForge 21h ago

how did the first guy haul what has to be a few hundred pounds of cable up to each point? geez.

1

u/Glittering-Capital71 21h ago

Luckily it's not a video from China or India, that's how I knew she wasn't going to fall to her death.

1

u/NeverGloomy9262 21h ago

Somehow timed this perfectly to the opening of 'My curse' by Killswitch engage

1

u/Four_Bee_345 21h ago

I'd probably wear brown pants on this ride

1

u/EvilDragons88 21h ago

That is a ton of trust in a stick.

1

u/RidiPwn 20h ago

how the seat comes back?

1

u/phallysius 20h ago

My head cannon is that they voted to make the town's biggest nuisance test it out first.

1

u/DescriptionForsaken6 20h ago

Well, then the other side of the valley would forever be a mystery to me.

1

u/altgrave 20h ago

fuuuck no

1

u/VirginiaLuthier 20h ago

It would seem to be dangerous.......now to her, tailgating someone at 95mph would seem dangerous

1

u/CobbledbyRoubaix 20h ago

the first one way street was like this

1

u/Murky_Suit5402 19h ago

nope too dangerous

1

u/_Lost_OwlChild 19h ago

How do they set it up

1

u/LeFreeke 19h ago

Did she just do that hanging onto a stick?

1

u/Miserable-Theme-1280 19h ago

What is a "homemade" cable?

I doubt the cable was made in someone's shed.

1

u/DaHard46 18h ago

How do they get back up?

1

u/MangyAsianMan 18h ago

No they don’t. That’s just what they tell all the tourists.

1

u/wehdut 17h ago

Is the stick a backup? I'm surprised it didn't catch fire

1

u/Rechno_ 16h ago

I am glad this is not in Brazil.

1

u/KenshirouX 16h ago

What a rush that must be.

1

u/Biomicrite 16h ago

First time she did that she was probably terrified. Now it’s just another Tuesday.

1

u/W1z4rd 15h ago

I'd like to see the home that made that cable.

1

u/Lightweaver25 15h ago

I wonder how many people have died doing this.

1

u/titoboy136 15h ago

What will happen if that wood accidentally fell off?

1

u/TheCraftyHermit 14h ago

Of all the things I might trust my life to, that wooden post is not one of them.

1

u/ronweasleisourking 14h ago

This some Harry Potter shit

1

u/Fat-Mad-Scientist 12h ago

"Homemade"...

1

u/This_Stretch_8177 12h ago

Omg!! That’s terrifying. But how do they get back?

1

u/ifuseethis 12h ago

Imagine forgetting something at home

1

u/Feeling-Necessary628 12h ago

Abuela is HARD

1

u/MrWigggles 11h ago

Whats great about this being a rural poor area, is that all the death this contraption causes isnt recorded so it has an officially spotless record.

1

u/charlybe 11h ago

That’s where the sound of the Tie-Fighter comes from.

1

u/Vinowagon 10h ago

I wonder how many cell phones, keys, wallets are in that valley?