Death Road, Bolivia

THE DEATH ROAD.....AARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!! No seriously it isn't that bad. If you have no common sense and no idea how to handle a mountain bike on a dirt track than maybe this isn't for you. But for most kids who grew up tearing around their neighbourhoods and hitting some "sweet jumps" as Napoleon Dynamite would say it is one of the most enjoyable and exhilarating rides I have ever done.

After sifting through all the agencies in La Paz I ended up going for Barro Biking which were charging a mid-range price of 380 Bolivianos (a bit under $40US). They had nice Giant bikes with disc brakes which was all I really wanted. I don't usually wear shinpads, elbow pads and a motorbike helmet when I ride back home so why would I want to wear that type of gear now? In my opinion it didn't make any difference what I was wearing if I was tumbling over a cliff. Anyway I felt completely safe which was the main thing. Fortunately a few people in my group pulled out on the day so it was only myself, another Aussie guy and the instructor........time for some speed.

We were driven about 30 minutes to the starting point on the tarmac that was around 4000m altitude and bloody cold. There was snow on the surrounding mountains and after putting a few extra layers on we set off for the "95% downhill and slightly uphill ride," as my guide put it. The tarmac sections were public road so you just had to be sensible and maybe avoid doing a Casey Stoner move into a sweeping right hand bend. But once we hit the dirt tracks we could ride wherever we liked because the "Death Road" has been closed to traffic for the last two years hence it is much safer now. But still, you don't want to go left.

The next 4 hours really went by in a blur; an enjoyable blur. We stopped every now and then for the obligatory photo; especially at one point in the track where it looks really dangerous. I have included a couple of these photos but one comment I would make is that this is the most extreme drop off to the left and it isn't all like this. Still, I was being extra careful as we took those bends and didn't hit it with as much speed as I was previously doing. There were some large rocks on the road that if hit at speed could cause a second of drama. Otherwise you just had to stick to the well worn tracks in the left or right edge of the road and it was smooth sailing all the way to Coroico.

After some lunch at a memorial site for a young Israeli girl on the edge of a drop off we pushed on pretty hard all the way to the end. There was less danger to the left now and we were hitting some serious speed down the hill. I miss mountain biking. I will get back into it when I eventually return to Australia but I'm not sure if I will experience this kind of danger/scenery again.

If you sign up for the ride just be sensible and you will have the time of your life. Enjoy

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