Rope / ذوغیری شامییانی
36.5000° N 72.4667° E
Baleem, Laspur Valley, Upper Chitral
Altitude
7500m above sea level
Gender
44% male
52% female
2% trans
Population
1,625
Almost every family years yak. Yak is taken to the pastures in the summer, and yak wool is plucked once a year by the men in the family.
The unavailability of the rope in the market is what drives the families to make their own.
On the very outside, the hair covering the yak is used for making tents and ropes. Spinning yak wool into rope is often a family activity.
Step 1
After plucking and cleaning yak wool,
it is separated by hand.
Step 2
The separated hair is spun into a
shape of a thread using wooden
spindle called the chaatur charman.
Step 3
Lowari daar is used to
increase the length of the rope.
Step 4
2 or 3ply thread is made
using dukh
Step 5
The thread is tightened between
two trees and then they start
knotting and tightening.
Step 6
The thread are twisted
into a rope, the thickness
of a rope depends on
the number of threads.
It is an honor for someone to be gifted this rope as it is strong, crafted beautifully and made with care.
48
hours
of winter daysto make a 13 meter rope.