While we were in La Paz I (João) experienced something new..
And there was I. Constantly going downhill on this narrow road less than 3m wide. The ground was very uneven, the road made of gravel. From point to point I was making a sudden turn with my bike to avoid a pointy rock coming straight from the ground or a loose huge rock. Sometimes I would just hit them. But by that time I was already fully trusting my sturdy bike with its double suspension, downhill pneumatics and disk brakes. Regarding to the environment around myself I could do little unless keeping on the right side of the track (each in this case was the left side), avoiding hitting the wall of mountain rock on my right side and keeping the bike to fall off an unprotected edge of the road that takes you into a cliff of 600m!
And there was I. Constantly going downhill on this narrow road less than 3m wide. The ground was very uneven, the road made of gravel. From point to point I was making a sudden turn with my bike to avoid a pointy rock coming straight from the ground or a loose huge rock. Sometimes I would just hit them. But by that time I was already fully trusting my sturdy bike with its double suspension, downhill pneumatics and disk brakes. Regarding to the environment around myself I could do little unless keeping on the right side of the track (each in this case was the left side), avoiding hitting the wall of mountain rock on my right side and keeping the bike to fall off an unprotected edge of the road that takes you into a cliff of 600m!
I had heard many times of the Death Road near La Paz, Bolivia, before we reached the city. I knew by that time that it had become popular to ride down the road by bike and had great recommendations to also do it. But it wasn’t until our last days in La Paz that I actually considered doing it. There are plenty of companies that provide this ride, but there are only few trustable. I ended up with the most known one, Gravity, which is actually owned by the guy who first brought the biking tourism to the Death Road about 10 years ago. They have quite a reputation of having great guides and almost new high quality bikes. The only downside is that they seem to offer an only English orientated rides, although I might be mistaken. So, if you are looking for a Spanish guide ask if they have it available.
I have visited other companies and some of them seamed also safe, but on the other side, after a careful research I have found some bad reviews online on some of them. Although they were cheaper than Gravity the difference was not that much and for security you may want to spend some extra cash.
I have visited other companies and some of them seamed also safe, but on the other side, after a careful research I have found some bad reviews online on some of them. Although they were cheaper than Gravity the difference was not that much and for security you may want to spend some extra cash.
The Death Road has many names. The kind-of-official name is Camino a los Yungas (Yungas Road) because it connects La Paz to the Yungas region, which is a transition part from the high lands of the Andes to the rain forests of Amazon in the east. The road was built in the 1930’s during the Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay. Many Paraguayan prisoners died on the construction of this road being why was firstly known by Ruta de la Muerte (Death Road).
Later, as the traffic on the road grew, the nickname acquired a second meaning. Driving on the road was difficult. Most of the road is very narrow, having approx. 3,2m width which is the same as one vehicle. With no guard rails and weather conditions that would turn the poor gravel base into mud and limit visibility, accidents happened often. The deadliest ones would include the fall of vehicles into the cliff. Because of its death rate, the road was considered in 1995 to be the "world's most dangerous road" by the Inter-American Development Bank. It was estimated that 250 people died per year on this road, until an alternative modernised route was built.
After the opening of the new Yungas Road in 2006, the old Death Road was left to bikers and their support vans and occasional local cars. Although it isn’t the world’s most dangerous road any more, this path has still its dangerous. About 20 incautious bikers have perished on this road on the last 10 years!...
Later, as the traffic on the road grew, the nickname acquired a second meaning. Driving on the road was difficult. Most of the road is very narrow, having approx. 3,2m width which is the same as one vehicle. With no guard rails and weather conditions that would turn the poor gravel base into mud and limit visibility, accidents happened often. The deadliest ones would include the fall of vehicles into the cliff. Because of its death rate, the road was considered in 1995 to be the "world's most dangerous road" by the Inter-American Development Bank. It was estimated that 250 people died per year on this road, until an alternative modernised route was built.
After the opening of the new Yungas Road in 2006, the old Death Road was left to bikers and their support vans and occasional local cars. Although it isn’t the world’s most dangerous road any more, this path has still its dangerous. About 20 incautious bikers have perished on this road on the last 10 years!...
It was with all these facts in my mind that I joined my biker group in La Paz and went together in a van to the top of La Cumbre (4.700m above sea level) where our adventure would begin, only ending 64km after in Yolosa, in the Yungas region, at 1.100m above sea level.
Once up there, we put the gear provided by Gravity on and had a try on our bikes. From the very beginning, our guide, an American expert on downhill called Dustin, was giving us all the information, guidelines and safety rules for the ride. This would extend throughout the entire trip, making the ride not so difficult and not so dangerous. We would also stop several times for photos, rest and a small briefing for the next part of our route. After a blessing ceremony that included pouring an almost pure alcoholic local beverage into the ground, the bike and your own throat, we were ready to go!
Once up there, we put the gear provided by Gravity on and had a try on our bikes. From the very beginning, our guide, an American expert on downhill called Dustin, was giving us all the information, guidelines and safety rules for the ride. This would extend throughout the entire trip, making the ride not so difficult and not so dangerous. We would also stop several times for photos, rest and a small briefing for the next part of our route. After a blessing ceremony that included pouring an almost pure alcoholic local beverage into the ground, the bike and your own throat, we were ready to go!
From La Cumbre we started our descent on the first and easiest part of our route. The first kilometres are a fast and beautiful way across the mountains on an asphalted modern road. After that is where the true Death Road begins: the asphalt is taken for the gravel, the width shrinks to 3m and the road starts to make impossible curves. The first minutes I was holding tight to my bike, but as I kept on going down I started to relax. The bike was proving to be good and fit to the track and I was remembering everything that I’ve learned when I was biking around my grandfather’s village when I was a kid.
We drove on the left side of the road and not on the right as in rest of Bolivia’s roads, which is the side of the cliff for those who are going down. The reason is so that the car drivers who are on the side of the cliff, descending, can be closer to the cliff and have better control of its left wheels.
We drove on the left side of the road and not on the right as in rest of Bolivia’s roads, which is the side of the cliff for those who are going down. The reason is so that the car drivers who are on the side of the cliff, descending, can be closer to the cliff and have better control of its left wheels.
Never forgetting this and many other rules and advises, I started to enjoy the ride. And what a ride! The road is constantly going down, so no need to pedal. It goes snaking along the green mountains of the yungas. The mist and fog turns the scenario into a surrealistic road, taken from a fantasy movie. One of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever seen. The speed that I allowed myself into, according to my own limitations and expertise, made the whole ride even more thrilling.
As we did our way down, the air started to warm up and the fog to disappear reviling us the true depth of the cliff that had been on our side. As we arrived to Yolosa I was both happy, tired and sad for the ride having finished. After the meal included on the tour, we visited 'La Senda Verde' Animal Refuge, an animal sanctuary. The different species of monkeys on this refuge were curious about these strange visitors and many tried to steal any human object that one would carry. Certainly, a great end for our ride!
We still had to come back to La Paz on the van thourgh the same road we had just came. It was nice to enjoy once again the Yungas Road, this time uphill and comfortably sitting, but I think I was more afraid depending on someone else’s drive that my one when I was descending with the bike!...