14 years
Actually you don't have to do it. You could decide to do something completely different and not follow what everyone else thinks you "have to do". There are a lot of experiences out there.
Sounds more foolhardy than brave.
Cycling on the "World's most dangerous road"
Travel Talk
Found this article interesting, about cycling on a road in Bolivia. I always wonder about comments like
"If you go to London, you have to see London Bridge and if you go to Sydney you have to see the Opera House," says Andrew Jagoo, 26, from Melbourne, recovering his breath after the ride. "And if you go to Bolivia, you must do the most dangerous road. There's an element of risk but you can say afterwards that you've done it."
Actually you don't have to do it. You could decide to do something completely different and not follow what everyone else thinks you "have to do". There are a lot of experiences out there.
- Comments
14 years
Have to agree with you Scotch. I hate it when people tell you "you have to go there" or "you can't go there its so touristy". How about just going to wherever you fancy - be it touristy, commercial, off the beaten path or whatever it is.
Having said that I have biked that road - more famously called Death road and it was awesome, but I like these kind of things. Not the best written article though.
14 years
Having said that I have biked that road - more famously called Death road and it was awesome...
It's worth trying? I just see the words "300 deaths per year" and probably wouldn't personally risk it... :)
Do you think the people that don't make it are just being risky, or is it so dangerous that random people fall off no matter how careful they are?
14 years
I just wonder about the woman who said she'd never mountain biked before. Surely if this lives up to its reputation then it's no place to start mountain biking? If a complete novice can do it then is it really that dangerous. There are mountain bike courses around here that I certainly wouldn't recommend a novice doing as they'd be too dangerous.
Surely there are roads through areas of American cities that would be more dangerous than this too? I've certainly been to some areas I wouldn't fancy riding through as a white middle class backpacker. Maybe there's a niche there?
14 years
Death Road is a day trip, you get a lift to the top of the road - going up the newer sealed road. The route takes on different sections and isn't on the edge the whole way down (mostly though). The scenery is superb and it is pretty much downhill the whole way and takes several hours. You can go as slow or as fast as you want to and actual traffic is minimal now because of the newer road. Having said that, yeah it is dangerous - risk taking and accidents can actually kill.
The company I went with was quite professional considering. There were tour riders who lead and followed the group and also a support vehicle. Overtaking was not allowed and slower riders went in a different group. Also you had to state your ability before going on it and fill a load of forms, but of course people can lie.
Scoth Argus - I'd say if you can ride a bike, then you can do it but you would have to be mindful of what is over the edge. There are no barriers and loads of tight corners with a width of only 10ft-20ft in places. It is dangerous but novices do it because they are allowed to. I think if it was not in S.America people would think twice about doing it. But you know how people are when they are abroad and not at home. In fact I doubt the tours would be allowed in the western world, the road itself would not exist in the western world anyway...
Hostels - The 300 deaths a year would have been when the road was the only one available and all vehicles used it - lorries, buses etc. And with it being an unsealed single lane track, would have been easy to drive over the edge when passing. I guess its quite remote so getting people to hospital would take an age too. I know of one girl who went over and they couldn't reach her for 5 hrs and by that time she had hypothermia as well as the collapsed lung and broken ribs.
If I recall there are a lot of companies offering it and its marketed as an adrenalin type activity and most companies offer DVD's CD's, mpegs and Tshirts at the end to show you have lived through it. It helps to continue (aptly) calling it Death road to continue getting bums on saddles!
14 years
Scary isn't it!
The first 28 secs on the first video isn't Death road though (the tunnelled sections in a lighter stone) - not sure where it is.
Top Gear did an episode on Death road as well. This segment gets your stomach lurching a bit:
14 years
Thanks for all the info on that decepe - really interesting to read the perspective of someone who's done it. I think I'll pass though. I wonder if Clarkson was really in that 4WD? Seems a bit unlikely, and the way they were videoing the rocks crumbling seemed a bit set up to me.
14 years
Î have been in La Paz in 1994 and 1997 - I guess I should be cursing myself for having missed that one.
I can´t believe they have built a new one and keep the old road as a tourist attraction now!
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