The Death Road

After our ordeal at Huayna Potosi we decided that going down should be easier than going up.

We took on the infamous Death Road, also known as the most dangerous road in the world. On a mountainbike. It is called this because of the number of deaths (estimated 200 - 300 a year). Once you see the road you understand why there are so many! The path is very narrow and steep, dropping off MANY meters, often very muddy and gravelly with poor visibilty! This with two way traffic! Luckily a lot has changed recently. A new road is almost completed and already open. This leaves the old road purely as a playground for crazy bikers (like us). The trip is divided into two mayor parts. The first part starts at 4700m and involves a two hour ride on a tarred road in (mostly) good condition. This part is quick and very cold. After this you get to the three hour Death Road part.

a view from the start

the group

In all honesty, the road is a bit over hyped. We experienced it more as an incredibly beautiful scenic trip with periods of adrenaline, than a heart-thumping , near-death experience. The great thing about the trip is that you start high and work your way to town of Coroico at 1500m. The scenery changes from the cold relatively bleak altiplano to hot dense rainforests with stunning views the whole way. There are also hundreds of beautiful waterfalls (you pass right under a few big ones). You still have to be extremely careful, as any mistake can certainly kill you. The weather also didn´t play along, it rained the WHOLE way. And when I say rain, I mean the hard, constant, water curtain of tropical rain. This turned the trip into a mud bath and we were so dirty by the end, only our mothers would have been able to recognize us (maybe).

the start of the death road (great conditions)

wheee!

Finally after having mud in our eyes for a few hours we stopped in a little town at the bottom of the hill and from there it was on to Coroico with our bus for a nice hot shower, clean clothes and a buffet lunch in the EXTREMELY nice 3-star Hotel Esmerelda.

i think we´re losing him...

Coroico is a beautiful village (a weekend hangout for the richer middleclass from La Paz) with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and forest. We would have loved to stay here a few days, but our time in Bolivia is getting very short.

Coroico in all its splendour

the view from Hotel Esmerelda

another glorious sunset

All in all the trip was amazing! For the very reasonable price of $38. This includes all gear, the bike, great breakfast and lunch and transport (and a free t-shirt and CD with pictures and videos of the trip). We had a few days rest to recover from all the recent action. Tomorrow we have to move on again to Copacabana, a town on the shores of Lago Titicaca, and the Isla del Sol. Neil