Part 35 - The Road of Death

This trip definitely deserves a post of its own, as it's something I've been fascinated by after seeing a documentary about it at as a kid. Never did I think I'd be lucky enough to see it for real, let alone "drive" down it on a bike. 

The upper part of the Road of Death

The Death Road was built in the 1930s by Paraguayan prisoners-of-war. And quite the shoddy job they made of it, because as well as the almost complete absence of crash barriers or passing points, it is susceptible to landslides, fog, and other adverse weather conditions. It used to be the main road between the Yungas region and La Paz, and the 200-300 deaths per year well justifies its nickname. 

The Bolivian government finally built a proper road, leaving the Yungas Road free for approximately 25,000 mountain bikers every year, although the road is still used by quite a few local motorists as a handy shortcut.  

Our day started near the top of the new road with a lengthy but much-appreciated safety briefing from Victor, our guide. Due to various call-offs, there were only two of us in the group, so it was quite surprising it still went ahead. Before we get to the Death Road, we have a 20km descent to the main road. Thankfully, all the cars, buses, and trucks passed us with plenty of room to spare, although given the many pot-holes and speeds approaching 60km/hr, the potential for serious injury was arguably higher here than on the Death Road itself. 

Part 1 - Hurtling down a main road at breakneck speeds

The starting point at La Cumbre (4,700m above sea level)

Near the top of part 1

Myself and Marc, my fellow thrill-seeker

One of the few action shots!

The tunnel denoted the end of part 1

After lunch (at 10am), we were ready for the main event, the Road of Death. It's incredibly bumpy, almost completely devoid of crash barriers, and contains sheer drops of up to 500 metres in many places. 

Part 2 - The actual "Road of Death"

The start of the Death Road proper

Not long after setting off, our tour guide told us how his brother nearly died at this point when his brakes failed, but he "got lucky" and escaped with two broken wrists. Near the middle of the video below, you might be able to make out our guide describe how the last bus to fall down the ravine used to be visible until the jungle grew round the wreckage. There are literally hundreds of irretrievable vehicles lying way down in the jungle below. 

A little further down lie the Devil's Bridge and the Devil's Tail ...  

The Devil's Tail - one of the most dangerous parts of the road

The Devil's Tail (and me!)

Despite its name, the Death Road isn't that dangerous if you don't cycle too quickly and your bike is well maintained. It's still much more dangerous to drive, especially considering how wet and slippery some parts can get. Kudos to our minibus driver who followed us all the way down and had to drive on roads like this ...

Near the end of the road (but still frighteningly high up), we encountered an area where landslides are common. Our tour guide jokingly said we'd have to go climb the 25km back up the mountain to the start in the minibus, and I non-jokingly told him I'd much rather cycle it. Thankfully, he was jesting, and it was plain sailing to the end of the road. 

Landslides are a common occurrence

Victor, our guide, and me. He insisted on doing a "llama" sign

The end of the Death Road (900m above sea level)

And that was the Death Road. I can't recommend it highly enough, and it probably wasn't even the most dangerous activity I've taken part in on this whole trip.