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The first time i heard about the Death Road was from an Irish lad in Cusco, it seemed to involve downhil mountain biking down a cliff hugging road with sheer drops for a day, sounds fun. That was until the facts became apparent, and i love facts.
The road from La Paz to Coroico is 64km long and its 90% downhill, built in the 1940s its claimed on average 36 vehicles a year, considering these vehicles can contain upto 40 locals/tourists, thats alot of lives each year, that last buss went over a month ago, no one survived. If you beleive the locals this is due to the ghosts of the prisoners of wars, who built the road, still haunting the road and pulling the trucks over the edge, however the road being single dirt track with a 400m vertical drop and no barriers what so ever means its more likely to be that the road just isnt safe for buses or trucks or any vehicle at all.
Unfortunately with everyones experience of the ride came a different horrfic story, the most common being that of an Isreali girl who complained of weak brakes, on the next bend she
went over. After an investigation into her death and the company the Bolivian judicial system came to the conclusion of suicide.
Me and Matt feel its too good an oppurtunity to miss, the worlds most dangerous road on a bike, aslong as it didnt rain we were happy.
We booked with Gravity Downhill, by far the most recommended and famous of the companies. After an early moring breakfast we head up the mountain to the sounds of Black Sabbath with the bikes strapped to the roof. As we arrive at the summit it becomes clear how high we are with the 6000m+ summit of the local mountain in touching distance. We get geared up with jackets,vests,gloves and introduced to our bikes, which are Kona with front suspension and the best disc brakes in the world (Hayes MAG and HFX-9 Hydraulic Disc Brakes). After a potter around we gather for a briefing and to bless the road (as mother nature wants blood apparently) this involves drinking 96% alcohol drink and then splashing some on the road, it was very strong.
The first part of the ride was amaing, it was downhill asphalt for 20km just to get used
to the bikes. With the sun shining we flew down the beautiful road overtaking tucks and buses, the road was so wide and conditions clear that it was so easy to push it and go as fast as you can, personal land speed bike record smashed.
After the asphalt stopped and gravel dirt track began the fun really started. First 40 minutes was a tough uphill climb, at this altitude and with the rocky road becoming more uneven and narrower it wasnt easy, some even resorted to hitching a lift up in the support bus.
At the next meeting point we re-group as the bikes are checked, this is where the worlds most dangerous road begins. By now thick fog/cloud had decended and the visability had been reduced to metres, with this the ground had become a muddy trail, great so now were about to start the hard bit we have no visability and slippery road.
As the death road starts its hard to forget the 400m drop to your side, we have been told constantly that because of passing buses and trucks we have to stick to the outside, aka the edge. Due to the steepness
of the decent its impossible to go slower than really fast and with large rocks littering the track i soon realised its better (and scarier) to just go for it, so at full speed we race through the thick fog and water logged track with the ever present reminder of where we are by the crosses and memorials which litter the edge. Half way down after regrouping we pass through some human traffic lights which are men holding up red/green boards, these started after a man witnessed his wife and child die in a head on collision round a blind bend, the same man still works to this day only paid by the mountain bike firms who ride through.
After a few hours of this intense downhill and passing several trucks which have been forced to reverse to allow other trucks to pass we decend out of the cloud. Finally we get a clear view of the valley and the drop off the side, this coupled with the road now becoming dust meant this final stretch would be very different to the previous two sections. The dusty decent was possibly the fastest on the trail, with everyone realising it
was near the end and letting go, after a very dusty, fast decent and crossing a few rivers we finally reach our destination covered in mud dust and sweat (no blood) to enjoy a well deserved beer, and to collect our survivors t-shirt.
Ill add a link to the days pics soon but heres some off their site (www.gravitybolivia.com/gallery/PhotohighlightsfromtheWorldsMostDangerousRoad)
After some hot showers and dinner at a local hotel its time to return to La Paz, along the most dangerous road again, in a bus. And as Matt kindly reminded me, its not bikes that go over the edge its buses, cheers mate. The conditions dark and misty we head back, 3 hrs later we see the bright lights of La Paz in the distance, now i was allowed to joke about it all.
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