What do you think it was like, long ago, climbing up this ladder into a cliffside home? The wooden ladders of Bandelier reflect a climbing heritage used by Ancestral Puebloans who thrived in these cliff dwellings. Standing at the base, looking up at the ladder against ancient stone, you can almost feel their daily footsteps. More than wood and rock, this is a direct link to a way of life from centuries ago in Bandelier.
The climb invites curiosity. With each rung, you imagine life close to nature, with the rugged New Mexico landscape stretching in every direction. Holding my camera steady, I focused on the texture of the weathered wood against the cool, shaded cliff face. These ladders, solid yet worn, have been carefully placed to allow visitors a glimpse into history. They’re practical, but also deeply symbolic—stepping into the past, one careful rung at a time.
I wanted to capture not just the ladder, but the story embedded within it. Every crack in the wood and every groove in the rock. The ladders of Bandelier are more than a tourist attraction; they connect us to the Bandelier Pueblo people who lived here. At that moment, I wondered how many people, visitors like me, had gripped those rungs with the same respect.
This climb, this glimpse, and this photo—it’s a small part of preserving a rich history. The wooden ladders remind us of the resilience needed to thrive in Bandelier, where life was carved into cliffs. Standing there with my camera, I felt privileged to capture that legacy of strength and survival etched into rugged cliffs.
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