Blogs from Yungas Road, La Paz Department, Bolivia, South America - page 8

Dear mothers, concerned relatives, worried friends, and everyone else, there is a reason why we didnt tell you before we did this and you will soon find out why. Firstly the road known as the worlds most dangerous starts near La Paz at around 4600m and ends in Coroico at 1600m. The road is about 75km long and is mostly downhill, with speeds of around 70km/h being reached with realitve ease. The road was called, ¨the worlds most dangerous road¨ in 1995 as over 300 people die each year on the road. Which until 6 weeks ago was the main route into northern bolivia with 100s of buses and trucks all using a road only just wide enough for a car let alone 2 buses. Also the road is built into the side of a cliff ... read more

So there has been a dearth of communication.....the main reason being that Teresa fell on Death Road and had to be flown home, that was after five days of hospital in Coroico and hiding the fact that anything was wrong from the duine in Ireland. So between pretending that nothing was wrong on gmail chat, when people "jokingly" asked if we had killed her, impersonating her on gmail chat (that thing should be banned, totally invasive!), ringing the insurance dickheads and trekking back up that bleeding road to Coroico to see Teresa in hospital, there was not much time to be doing anything culturally orientated. Excepting drinking and eating in Ollie's every day. So even when Teresa, completely famous now to all backpackers, got back to Ireland it seemed rude to leave La Paz and our ... read more

On the Death Road with Sissi and the space cadets Every morning a couple of cyclists gear up at La Cumbre, the 4700 meter pass outside of La Paz to whiz down what has officially been declared the most dangerous road of the world. A relatively narrow gravel road, with huge drops on one side and waterfalls spilling onto it from the other side, which plunges down 3300 meters (over only 80 kilometers) to the misty valleys of the Yungas. According to our guidebook an average of 26 vehicles disappear each year into the great abyss which earned it the inglorious name "the Death Road". As if the facts wouldn't get the adrenalin pumping already, tour operators have come up with additional stimulation methods. Some dress up their customers with motorcross helmets, ski goggles and something ... read more

The day I rode 64km down the death road and survived. Yes I have typed correctly and yes it is called the death road for a reason. Just out of La Paz the death road has on average 280 deaths per year and has been officially named “The world’s most dangerous road”. After having ridden down it on a bike (At least my life is in my own hands) I can not believe that it even called a road because in my eyes it is a track! A very wet, slippy, rocky and narrow track. There are certain parts of the road which are that narrow I can not believe that one car can fit let alone the 40 - 60 seated buses which drive down there, navigating around hairpin, blind bends and probably with ... read more

Today i officially mountain biked down the 63kms, that officially make the worlds most dangerous road, aka Death Road. I was scared to death (no pun intended), and prior to speaking to a lovely Saffa- Rosanna i wish i had your email adress, thanks a ton!!- who informed me she thought it was just as a stupid idea as i did, until she found aaron, his puppy sam, and his company downhill madness (biiigggg plugg)- where she fell in love with the kick of adrenalin it offered!! We, as fate would have it bumped into aaron walking sam in the street, fell in love {with boy and puppy who he rescued from death road..melting}, and booked our downhill adventure with him promptly- not so savagly convinving him to swap his day off so we could ride ... read more