death road

---

---

lots of catching up 2 do with this diary as I cycled death road weeks ago, oops well heres what I can remember....

First off the day before I was so scared I spent 3 hours netting out and reading stories about it and then went to the pub and spoke to aout 20 different people and drank a bottle of wine and decided that I was brave enough 2 do it and ran to the office to book up with nikki, lachy and mick to cycle the worlds most dangerous road!!!

I had loads of nightmares the night before I cycled the road and was happy to let everyone know that i was sooo scared!!! Loads of people have been killed on this road, mostly in buses or lorries and only a few cyclists!!!!!!

I was so afraid that I decided not to look for a bargain and 2 do the bike ride with the most reputable and expensive company and pay an extra 20 dollars for a double suspension bike.

The road was hewn out of the side of a mountain by Paraguayan prisoners of war in the 1930s, in the decades since it has acquired the name of “The Death Road”. Every year an average of 38 busses tumble off its side, the most that died in any single crash was 100 people and the most in one year 358. The reason behind these fairly morbid statistics is that the road is the main thoroughfare between La Paz and Brazil; every day HGV’s travel along this single lane dirt road trying to pass and overtake despite the 400m precipice that shadows much of the route.

So after a forty minute ride from La Paz took us up to a spot called La Cumbre, at 4,760m, this was the start of the trail. Before we set off the bikes were blessed with a splash of CEIBO, the 96% alcoholic drink that is the Potosi silver miners favorite tipple, we also had to take a gulp for luck- yuk as so strong.

I was very happy to let the guide know I was afriad and stayed at the back with him until I was happy I has asked every possible question about my bike and what to do (even although he had gone through this) So for about an hour we sped down the initial section of asphalt road at over 80km/h!!!! At the top it was really cold and so the descent to 3,150m and the warmer weather was good. And this was where we started the worlds most dangerous road. The dirt track begins, the landscape was amazing but of course when u r cycling u can only look at the road in front of u. The brown mountainous landscape of southern Bolivia was gradually replaced with thick tropical rainforest, which somehow managed to cling to the shear mountainsides.

Over the next few hours we rode along winding rocky tracks surrounded by stunning mountainous views (which we were not meant to look at). At one point on the trail we rode under waterfalls which was great.

Then we had to get off our bikes to go walk with them past a few buses and a massive car transporter,who were all having a massive argument. The vehicles coming down must give way to the vehicles coming up, but the car transporter refused to back up as he said it was impossible as his vehicle was so heavy( to be honest I saw lorries reversing back to give way and their wheels where off the edge!!!! crazy shit man!!! So anyhow back to the argument with the bolivan drivers, thankfully for us the argument lasted for hours which was great as this meant that their was no traffic coming down the mountain behind us that we had to give way 2. The guide actually said in the 6 months of doing the job he had never got such a clear cycle. This made my day as usually u have to get off your bike and have your bike on the side beside the drop and u the other beside the vehicle in case the vehicle knocks u over a bit!!!

The biking was very hard work and when I first started on the dirt track, I actually thought I would have to ride down in the bus as I thought I might be to scared to cycle down. A series of volunteer human traffic lights lined the road, a man who lost his whole family who died when a bus fell off the road started it at the blind spot where his family were killed. And now the road is filled with people at blind corners with big red or green flags. My only near accident was when i was shouting out gracias and looking at them, oops!!!! The many crosses which line the roads are a big incentive to keep your eyes on the road and for me to cycle safely.

When the bolivan drivers did finsih their argument we did have to give way to both sets of traffic a few times. Every time a vehicle came close our guide would blow on his whistle and we would all have to find one of the well spaced passing bays in which to shelter as the trucks rumbled by. Since we were going downhill and didn’t have the right of way these bays were always on the cliff side of the road, it always proved interesting when we came across two vehicles passing.
The road ended by going through a small stream and then we were all given beers 2 celebrate. Once the bikes were all loaded up, we were taken up to Coroico for more beers and food!

An amazing amazing day, defo one of the most amazing things I have ever done, I had the best fun, feel absolutely great for doing it and loved loved loved it, totally totally totally amazing!!!!

Obviously mum and dad, this was one of those things I thought it best not to tell u I was doing!!! Bet your glad!!!!!

Big up Boliva!!!

---