Heol Marwolaeth
Mae´r heol rhwng La Paz a Coroico yn syrthio 3,600 medr ar ol teithio dim ond 64 cilomedr. Mi gafodd yr heol ei thorri mewn i´r graig, a mewn rhai mannau does ond lle i fws wasgu drwyddo, gyda dibyn o 600 medr yn aros os bod y gyrrwr yn cymryd cam gwag. Yn ol Banc ´Inter-American Development´, dyma´r heol mwya peryglus yn y byd. Mae damweiniau angeuol yn digwydd yn aml, weithiau pob pythefnos (fan hyn, a fan hyn).
Gyda´r holl wybodaeth hyn, ´ro´n i bach yn nerfus ar ol penderfynu marchogaeth beic mynydd lawr holl hyd ´Death Road´. Ond mae rhaid chi wneud y pethe hyn, ond oes e? Ar ol yr hanner awr cynta, do´n i ddim yn siwr pam ´roedden i wedi cachu pants cymaint. Hewl tarmac neis, dim dibyn, hawdd. Yr unig rhannau caled oedd y llefydd ble ´roedden ni´n gorffod mynd lan y bryn. Achos yr uchder mae gwneud unrhyw fath ymarfer corff yn uffernol galed. Er gwaethaf fy malchder, ´roedd rhaid i fi gerdded am beth o´r ffordd ar y bit caletach. Damo.
Arhosodd yr hewl ddim yr un peth yr holl ffordd lawr. Ar ol cwpl o oriau mi newidodd y tarmac mewn i ffordd garegog, a´r fforest ar un ochr mewn i ddibyn anferth. Pan ddigwyddodd hyn, mi aeth y theori ´dim ond menwod sy´n defnyddio brêcs´ mas o´r ffenestr. Am yr hanner awr gynta, do´n i ddim yn gallu helpu edrych ar y dibyn drwy´r amser- roedd y blydi peth weithiau droedfeddi i ffwrdd. Fel aeth yr amser ´mlan, es i´n fwy hyderus a dechreu mynd yn fwy cloi.
Amser cinio mi getho ni´r dewis o fynd lawr mewn grŵp cyflym neu un araf. Aeth y Ffrancwyr i gyd mewn i´r grŵp araf. Y cachwrs.
Llwyddes i gyrraedd y gwaelod heb gwmpo off y dibyn (eitha amlwg, gan fy mod i´n sgwennu hwn nawr). ´Ry chi´n gallu gweld arwyddion o bobl arall oedd heb fod mor lwcus yr holl ffordd lawr- mae croesau a blodau di-rhi ar ochr yr hewl. Yn ol y boi oedd yn rhedeg y trip, mae wyth beiciwr wedi marw yn y pum mlynedd ddiwetha. Sai´n poeni gormod i fod yn onest- fi dal yn fyw, a hwnna yw´r peth pwysig. I fi, ta beth.
The Death Road
The road between La Paz and Coroico falls 3,600 metres after travelling just 64 kilometres. The road was cut into the rock, and in parts there´s only just enough space for a bus to squeeze through, with a 600 metre fall if the driver loses concentration. According to the Inter-American development bank, this is the most dangerous road in the world. Fatal accidents happen often, sometimes once a fortnight (here and here).
Knowing all this, I was a bit nervous after deciding to ride a mountain bike down ´Death Road´, but you´ve got to do these things, haven´t you? After the first half hour I wasn't sure why I´d been so nervous- nice tarmac road, no shit-your-pants cliffs, piece of piss. The only tricky bits were the uphill parts, which the altitude made very difficult. Damaging my pride a bit, at one point I had to get off and walk. Dammit.
The road didn't stay the same all the way down, though. After a few hours the tarmac changed to dirt track, and the forest on one side turned into a shit-your-pants cliff. At this point my ´Only chicks use brakes´ theory went out the window. For the first hour or so I couldn´t help staring at the massive drop, sometimes feet away. Got a bit more confident as time went on, though.
After lunch we had to choose between going in the quick group or the slow group. The French all went into the slow group, en-masse. The cheese eating surrender monkeys.
Got to the bottom without falling off the cliff (obviously). There´s an amazing amount of memorials to people who haven´t been as lucky, though- crosses and wreaths all the way down. According to the guy who runs the trip, eight bikers have died in the last five years. It´s very sad, but to be honest, I´m not really that bothered. I made it down OK, and that´s what matters. To me anyway.
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