Death Defying Action on the ´Worlds Most Dangerous Road´

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What is it in human nature that feels the need for fear. That overwhelming pleasure at a warm pulse of adrenaline coursing through your veins. Heart pumping with trepidation, preparing, almost sensing this could be your last. Make a mistake here and you will die.

Welcome to Bolivia and ´The World´s Most Dangerous Road´

It seems a little naive that when the World Bank presented that title to the road from the dizzying heights of La Paz to the jungle of Coroico they assumed people would heed the warning and stay away from such danger. Unfortunately, the opposite was true and like a red rag to a bull, or moth to a flame more likely, a world of idiot travelers has taken the challenge. Now day after day hundreds hurtle down this suicide track from 4,800m in the mountains surrounding La Paz to the depths of the Yungas Jungle a mere 1,100m above sea level. That´s 3,700m (for those without calculators) over only 64km - most of it over only 8km. Throw in 400m+ sheer cliff faces and you can see why it has claimed 46 lives this year alone.

No amount of training can prepare you for blistering speeds and hairpin bends where one mistaken can, nae will, kill you

Note: For those of a nervous disposition (hello nan) and those who have a problem understanding the concept of time in cause and effect we did of course survive!. Just in case you were worried.

The dangers of this road, however, are not simple limited to the rather ridiculously suicidal corners, oh no. As our guide took pleasure in informing us many Bolivians drive drunk and their national pastime seems to be overtaking on blind corners. They actually wait just to see how dangerous they can make it, charming.

So after a quick blessing from the Powers that be in this part of the world, and a quick shot of Bolivian Vodka for the nerves, we were off. Quickly accelerating to speeds of almost 50-60kmh leaving the pedals well and truely defunct.

Obviously these speeds began to slow as the cliff face began to fall away into the misty jungle below and the road appeared to cling on the rock face with an ever failing desperation. But on we continued facing tighter and tighter corners, more precarious drops and more reasuring stories from the guides about previous unfortunates.

People really do die doing just cycling this road, 8 so far, although the lists of other injuries is far more extensive. From broken bones to well ... lots of broken bones. You get into trouble out here and you´re on your own. It turns out that a little quirk of the Bolivia Ambulance service means that you have to actually turn up to their office in person to request the ambulance, they don´t accept phone requests. So help could be a long time coming. Despite all this and the fact that 3 people in our group did fall off (none seriously, but one was quite funny) we successfully descended all the way into the safety of the jungle to be recieved by our celebratory beers and free t-shirts (woo hoo, less washing). We had made it.

Unfortunately, we then realised that the bus we had just climbed into was heading straight back up the way we had just come down!

This time with even better views.

p.s. The pictures are of La Paz not the ride. Taking pictures while cycling would have just been too suicidal for us. We left that to others

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