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Published: December 15th 2008
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our trusty steads
lined up and ready to go. You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do
- Eleanor Roosevelt
This is quite a thing to tackle on the tourist route if your heading through La Paz. But it´s not called Death Road for nothing. It is the worlds most dangerous road due to the number of lives it has claimed. The North Yungas Road (also Grove's Road, Coroico Road, Camino de las Yungas, El Camino de la Muerte, Road of Death, and Death Road) is a 69 km road leading from La Paz to Coroico. It is legendary for its extreme danger and was named in 1995 as the "world's most dangerous road". One estimate is that 200-300 travelers were killed yearly along the road. The road includes crosses marking many of the spots where such vehicles and people have fallen.
The road was built in the 1930s during the Chaco War by Paraguayan prisoners. It is one of the few routes that connects the Amazon rainforest region of northern Bolivia, or Yungas, to its capital city. Upon leaving La Paz, the road first ascends to around 5 km, before descending to 330 m, transiting quickly from cool altiplano terrain to rainforest as it winds through very steep hillsides and
the start
a glorious day for a bike ride! atop cliffs. Because of the extreme dropoffs of at least 600 meters, single-lane width — most of the road no wider than 3 meters — and lack of guard rails, the road is extremely dangerous. Further still, rain and fog can make visibility precarious, the road surface muddy, and loosen rocks from the hillsides above. This information doesn´t bode too well when you start the cycle in, yes, wind, rain and fog! Still For me knowing the facts behind the road, gives you a much needed sense of respect and reality of what it is that your about to undertake.
One of the local road rules specifies that the downhill driver never has the right of way and must move to the outer edge of the road. This forces fast vehicles to stop so that passing can be negotiated safely. Also, vehicles drive on the left, as opposed to the right like the rest of Bolivia. This gives the driver in a left-hand-drive vehicle a better view over their outside wheel, making passing safer. Again, you need to get this information into your head for the trip. So yes, there is a guide out front to warn
blessing of the bikes
pure alcohol on the tyres, ground and lips! you of oncoming vehicles, but should a large gap appear btween you and the guy infront, you need to know what to do if a vehicles swings round a blind corner at you.
On July 24, 1983, a bus veered off the Yungas Road and into a canyon, killing more than 100 passengers in what is said to be Bolivia's worst road accident. It is belifed that the driver had been on the road for 12hrs and had started to drink. The danger of the road has ironically made it a popular tourist destination starting in the 1990s, drawing some 25,000 thrillseekers. Nevertheless, the Yungas Road remains dangerous as there is a cyclist a year that loses their life on the road. This year already there has been two cyclists and a jeep of 8 people that have lost thier lives.
Now I know many reading this will think to attempt this road by bike is madness, and you may well all be right. But having spent the last years back in Edinburgh (amongst other things) as a Health and safety advisor and having had the advantage of seeing how over the top so
view!
the most amazing bike ride of my life much of it really is, it is good to be able to go somewhere and do sometings that aren´t wrapped up in paper work, red tape and preventing you from enjoying yourself beacuse the risk assesment says its too dangerous. Well, without trying to sound over the top, to live is to die. Life is risk. Now i´m not one to go stare death in the face deliberatly for the hell of it, but I do want to the things that I am curious about and know that I have enough sense in background and training to judge the risks involved. I am no adrenaline junkie and am not looking for thrills, but I am looking for adventure and cycling this road was certainly one.
We started by blessing the bikes by pouring alcohol on the tyres and our lips and were given our instruction by a guy called Dale. He was really good, very thorough and carefull. The first leg of our journey was in clear sun in the high peaks. cold but beautiful. As we got to out first check point, the weather turned and we were given the oiption of cycling the next 5k
check point
an amazing first start through the mountains uphill, or bussing it. Only 3 of us took the harder option and hit the uphill, very hard work! The bus caught up with us and we all got ready for the off road downhill section that has claimed so many lives. With Dale out infront and each person staying to their own pace, we headed off. It wasn´t too long before i heard a cry from behind us "oh my god he´s fallen! Gone over the edge!"
Thankfully, the rider, a young aussie, had stayed on the roadm but his bike had taken a nose dive down about 50ft. He was fine and the guide at the back climbed down and rescued the bike. There were several times my speed was close to matching that of my ability, which served as a reminder to enjoy, with care. The whole cycle down was increadible, the best bike ride i am ever likely to have. The veiws were amazing and I could barely stop grinning and wanting to shout the whole way down. Downhil, at pace, for about 4 hours.
On reaching the bottom, and we all did, we ate in an animal sanctury and cleaned
feeling the thrill
the scenery and cycle was increadible off all the grit and mud, played with a few goats and monkies before getting on the bus for the ride back up the hill! it was just as exciting as the way down, except this time, you were in the hands of someone else and at times, mere inches from the edge.
Despite its obvious dangers, if treated with the care and respect it needs, you and the other ten thousand riders it has every year, will have a great ride.
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