World´s Most Dangerous Road Bike Trip

  La Paz, Bolivia
Tuesday, November 29, 2005

We completed our most adrenaline packed adventure of our trip. The experience is a bike ride on the Worlds Most Dangerous Road. Over the course of a day we descended 11,800 feet from snow-covered plains and mountain ranges down to the hot and dusty Amazonian Jungle. The ride starts at La Cumbre (15,400 feet) where we got to see an amazing view of the snow-covered peak of Huayna Potosí (19,973 feet). From here we descended very quickly down a twisting road among mountain peaks, grazing alpacas and tiny villages. It was gorgeous!



The road changes from paved road to the infamous narrow dirt road known as the Worlds Most Dangerous Road. It is called this because on this road there are the most deaths per kilometer here than anywhere else in the world, around 100 per year over a 20 KM (15 mile) section. The road is cut steeply into the side of the mountain and descends 6,500 feet. There are over 3,300 feet sheer drop offs on the left side of the one lane road. All of us riders agreed it felt safer to be on a bike on this road then on a huge bus that travels this road at the same time. This is a good photo of one of the cliffs that is next the road for hours.



At the bottom of the ride it got much hotter and very dusty. It felt like we were riding in sand. The last 2 hours were the hardest and we were excited to wrap up the ride in Coroico and take a much needed shower! The ride was around 5 hours in total and exhausting and exhilarating at the same time!

If you ever visit Bolivia, this adventure cannot be beat!