Bicycling down the "most dangerous road in the world"!

On Monday, we went on a mountain biking tour down “the most dangerous road in the world”! We got decked out in all-weather biking jackets, pants, and helmets, had our guide check our gears, suspension, and upgraded disc brakes, and we were on our way!

The bike route is a 64km stretch down Yungas Road, from La Cumbre, just outside of La Paz, towards the jungle lowlands, to the town of Coroico 3000m below. From the mountain pass at the top, we took off high-speed down the paved road for about 30km. The ride was smooth and fast, and a lot of fun!

Then we came to a corner at the beginning of what the locals call “Death Road”. Here, the road becomes a rocky, narrow dirt ledge cut into the side of a very steep mountain. As you are going down, the right hand side of the road is the mountain wall, and on the shoulder-less left hand side, the cliff drops abruptly down to the deep canyon floor.

This road earned its name in 1995, when a record number of deaths occurred from vehicles going over the edge of the cliff. Since the road opened in 1935, the road has claimed an average of 100 lives per year. The roadside is scattered with crosses and grave markers in memorial. (Though the road is supposedly relatively safe for bikers. They are building a new, safer road for through traffic which should open this year. At that time, Yungas Road will be open only to bicyclists.)

The traffic on this section of Yungas Road only is reversed. The vehicles drive on the left so that drivers going downhill on the cliff-edge side of the road are sitting directly above their left wheel, and have the best possible view of the cliff’s edge.

On most sections of the road there is only enough room for one vehicle to pass. So vehicles going downhill, who are made aware of upcoming vehicles by their honking horns, need to stop at the nearest pull-out and wait for the vehicle to pass.

Of course, I proceeded down this road very slowly. Though we had great weather that day, it had rained a few days before and some parts of the road were still really muddy. Some parts were so narrow or muddy that I just got off my bike and walked across. At another part I walked because there was a small waterfall falling down from the mountainside and onto the road. I had to walk the bike through the waterfall!

Only one time on the way downhill was I at all nervous. The road is very curvy and you can’t see too far downhill in front of you. And I didn’t hear the honking from the upcoming vehicle. I turned a sharp corner, not going fast by any means, and suddenly saw a big truck which was rounding the curve at the same time. I had to stop a little too abruptly to let him pass. From then on, I always came to a crawl before I turned any corners.

Other than that, I was comfortable with the ride (though I wouldn't recommend it to everyone!) Our guides were competent. I went as slowly as I wanted and walked many parts, and was always in complete control of my bike. And it was a good bike. The upgraded brakes was a good investment since I rode them non-stop for hours.

It was a fun adventure. At the end of the road, we were exhausted, and covered in dust and mud. They took us to a fancy hotel in Coroico where we were able to use the rooms for quick showers. We had a buffet meal in a restaurant with a fantastic view of the valley. And then we got in the van for the ride back up the hill.

This is when the fear really set in. Riding in a van on this road was a completely terrifying experience! And by this time it was dark outside! Despite the fact that going uphill we were on the inside of the road, everyone in the van was nervous. At first we all had a sense of humor about the situation, and we just laughed about it. But when the rain started, it got very quiet in the van for a while. Our driver told us he had been driving that road everyday for over 30 years.