Advertisement
Published: January 23rd 2012
It's just riding a bike, you never forget. Right? That's what I was telling myself on the way to the starting point to the 64km mountain bike ride down the World's Deadliest Road, just outside La Paz, Bolivia. However, remembering to ride a bike in your driveway is a little different than trying to remember on your way down a road that is at its narrowest is only 10ft wide with 800 Ft drop offs! Oh, and did I mention is called the World's Deadliest Road!!
It is not that I don't know how to ride a bike, it's just that I never really rode one after a I got my license, 20 yrs ago! I did ride about a week ago around San Pedro which helped me remember how to use the brakes, shift the gears and turn 😊. The time before that was about 2yrs ago on a wine bike tour in South Africa. Now that was dangerous! So I was a little concerned, but only just a little. I had to believe there was truth in the saying "It's like riding a bike, you never forget". 😊
The tour started above La Paz at an altitude
of 4,700m where for the first 20km we road down on pavement. It was a good chance to remember how to really ride a bike. Although only after a few kms we were hitting speeds of 50km/hr. It was like Tour de Bolivia.
Soon we were at the start of the famous "Deadliest Road in the World", named that by an international organization that did a study on the road in the early '90s that found, on average, over 300 people were getting killed on it per year. Over a decade later a new road was finally opened; however, the old dirt road is still used by the public today.
Ironically (or as human nature is) a year after being named the deadliest road in the world, it became a worldwide tourist attraction. Since 1995, 19 tourist have died biking it. The last being May, 2011 (about 1 per year). However, as our guide made sure to point out on many occasions, none died with his company. That was comforting. 😊
After riding it I can see why it was called the Deadliest Road in the World. A narrow dirt road on the side of a mountain
with sheer drop offs of over 400ft (the largest drop off being 800ft) combined with two way traffic and blind corners definitely equals death.
I chose to ride with the company that pioneered the ride - Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking. They are the most expensive but considered the best. I figured if I was riding the World's Deadliest Road I probably shouldn't skimp and go with Budget Biking - "Cutting corners to save you money not your life." 😊
Riding it by bike was definitely an adrenaline rush. Lots of Holy Shit moments! The first part you are just trying to stay on the bike and more importantly stay on the road. After about half way you gain more confidence and comfort with the bike and the fact that you are only a few feet away from el morte. So you start to go faster and getting a little closer to the edge - that's when the fun starts!
After about 3 hrs we were at the end of the World's Deadliest Road, having descended over 3,000m in altitude in that time and having at least a couple of close calls (i.e. holy shit moments).
After
biking all the way down we got to drive back up the Deadliest Road in the bus like it was originally meant to be done. I think it was scarier going up then down. Going down you are just focused on staying on the road and not really seeing how close to death you really are. That is not the case on the way up; you have about 1.5hr to do just that. I was lucky and sitting next to the cliff side window. Looking directly down over the cliff for most of the way up I could appreciate how one small error could send you over the edge to a sure death. The drive up also gives you a chance to look at the amazing scenery - spectacular!
Biking (and driving) the World's Deadliest Road has been another highlight of the trip and one that I will always remember - mostly for surviving!
P.S. It's true. You don't forget how to ride a bike. Thank God! 😊
Advertisement
Tot: 0.117s; Tpl: 0.018s; cc: 7; qc: 52; dbt: 0.0714s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Jake
non-member comment
Top Gear had an episode driving this road! Looked pretty insane!