The worlds most dangerous road
BOLIVIA | Saturday, 2 September 2006 | Views [32386] | Comments [5]
Danger, danger high voltage!
I think the photos speak volumes about this ride. In Bolivia a hour drive out of La Paz, it started up at 4700m, freezing cold with a 65k decent to 1400m in the jungle to Yalumba. Starting the ride rugged up, fleeced up on tarmac. Smooth road that you flew down. Stopping occasionally to look ove the edge and witness the destruction that lay below, burned out buses that flew off the edges. Whilst riding down you have to ride onthe outside. Up coming traffic has the right of way. When the tarmac ran out at about 20k, you were down graded to dirt trail 3 meters wide and a basic highway for all traffic travelling into the Amazon Basin into Brazil. With numerous drugs check points to pass, looking for the obvious cocaine related paraphenalia, not coca leaves, the chemicals used to make it. The dust was unreal and i couldnt see at times when i was behind a truck kicking up dirt. We wore dust masks and goggles which without them it would be impossible. Did the ride with a company called Gravity assisted mountain biking. Kiwi owned so it has a good rep and hasnt killed anyone since it started the rides. 5 hours later we finally arrived at our hotel, dirty is not the word, and our hotel was amazing with a pool, sauna, breathtaking views to boot. Which is a real break fromt he dirty, freezing, smoggy, crazy world of La Paz.
Tags: Adrenaline