Cycling Bolivia’s Death Road
Sometimes I like to push my limits a little and step outside my comfort zone. I don’t do any extreme sports—actually, I don’t do any sport at all, full stop. The only exercise I get is walking and cycling to work every day. So it is quite exciting to try something that is usually more popular with younger travellers and get a bit of a buzz out of it.
That is why I had decided to cycle down Yungas Road, better known as the Death Road in Bolivia. It is a 64-kilometre downhill mountain route, starting high in the mountains near Laguna Estrellani, at around 4,670 metres above sea level, and ending at approximately 1,200 metres.
There are plenty of companies in La Paz offering this day trip. They take you to the starting point, provide mountain bikes and helmets, and have a support vehicle following the group. It is important to choose one of the more reputable companies, as safety really matters on a route like this. Which company offers the best bikes and helmets? This is one trip where it is worth doing a little research beforehand.
The journey begins
We met early in the morning and had breakfast while receiving information about the trip and the safety rules. We then drove for about an hour from La Paz to the starting point high in the mountains. It was a beautiful day, and Laguna Estrellani looked stunning in this high-altitude landscape.
There were six of us taking on the challenge that day: a family of four and two solo travellers. We were given our bikes, helmets, protective clothing and gloves. We had two guides and a driver in the support vehicle. Then it was time to set off.
The first half hour was on the new paved road, which reminded me a little of Trollstigen back home in Norway. The scenery was fantastic, but there wasn’t much time to enjoy it properly while speeding downhill.
Eventually, we reached the old Yungas Road itself. The asphalt came to an end, and the road became considerably narrower.
The road was built in the 1930s, partly by Paraguayan prisoners of war during the Chaco War. In many places, it is extremely narrow, with drops of several hundred metres and few protective barriers.
The Old Yungas Road
One interesting detail is that traffic travels on the left-hand side of this road, even though vehicles normally drive on the right in Bolivia. This allows drivers travelling downhill to sit on the side closest to the drop and judge how close they are to the edge. Uphill traffic traditionally has priority, so vehicles coming down must give way when necessary.
The road gained a reputation as the most dangerous in the world and was given that distinction by the Inter-American Development Bank in 1995. Estimates from its most dangerous period often quote between 200 and 300 deaths per year, although many accidents were never officially recorded. The figures are therefore uncertain.
In 2006, a new, wider road took over most of the regular traffic. The old road is now mainly used by cyclists and some local traffic.
The cycling itself went surprisingly well. Nobody in our group had any problems or accidents. I took it easy and stayed towards the back of the group, usually being the last to arrive at our stops. The parts of my body that suffered most were the tendons in my forearms from all the braking, and my backside from the constant jolting.
At one stop, we could climb onto a rock and look over the edge. Far below, we could see the remains of a bus, apparently dating from the 1950s or 1960s. We were told that the people who had been on board were never recovered.
As mentioned, we had two guides. One of them often went ahead to film and photograph us as we passed. We were given strict instructions never to let go of the handlebars to wave at the camera. They had examples of accidents where something as simple as that had caused serious problems.
The changing temperatures also became very noticeable. We started high in the mountains early in the morning and ended up in the tropical lowlands, around 3,500 metres lower down.
At the end of the ride, we were taken to La Senda Verde, a wildlife rescue and conservation centre. It was a little oasis filled with animals and tranquillity. We were also served a late lunch there.
After lunch, we got to see the photographs and videos taken during the ride. We also watched examples of accidents and near misses that had occurred on the road. That made me wonder whether I should have been even more careful.
I wouldn’t discourage anyone from trying this excursion, but take it easy and don’t try to be a hero!
After eating and having the opportunity to take a shower, we were driven back to La Paz along the new road.
Valle de las Ánimas
As I am now about to leave La Paz, I also want to include another short excursion I made here, to Valle de las Ánimas, or the Valley of the Souls. It is an almost surreal landscape of towering rock spires and earth pyramids.
The area lies roughly 20 kilometres from La Paz. I couldn’t find an organised tour when I was there, and getting there by public transport seemed a little complicated. The easiest option was therefore to hire a taxi for a few hours. The driver took me there and waited while I explored.
The taxi takes you some distance into the valley, and then you have to continue on foot. The area lies at around 4,000 metres above sea level, so this is certainly not a place to rush up the hills. You have to take it slowly and enjoy the extraordinary rock formations.
This was a wonderful contrast to the previous day on the Death Road, and a good opportunity to take things a little more slowly.
That evening, I went to a classical concert, and the following day I continued to Copacabana and Lake Titicaca.
