The Worlds Most Dangerous Road

La Cumbre (4700 mts) to Coroico (1700 mts) 64 km of mainly down hill fun!

We met all the bikers in cafe La Terraza at 7.30am Our Guide Lynn gave us the low down and then we headed Up to the start in La Cumbre. 55USD for the days ride with Gravity Assisted.

Bolivia's Yungas Road is officially the most hazardous on earth. Local people pray before using it and the nearest hospital is a two-hour drive away. But none of this deters foreign tourists from biking over its bumps at 40mph. Its a scream...!

It starts of so high we needed several layers. A safety/support bus follows you down, so as you descend and it becomes warmer you can place your kit in the bus.

The first 20 kilometers were asphalt and, at speeds approaching 40mph, we barrelled along, jockeying to get to the front of the pack, all laughter and wind-squeezed tears. At a place called Unduavi, though, the road splits. We stopped to survey our route, a muddy track slicing across the jungle gorge. In places it was no more than 10 feet wide, and waterfalls cascaded either onto the road or directly into the void below, a drop of 500 metres. And not a safety barrier in sight.

You drive on the right in Bolivia - except on the Yungas road. Here, when vehicles pass, drivers hang out of their cabs to edge closer to the cliff, or closer to the abyss. Before setting out, they pour 98% proof alcohol onto the ground to pacify Pachamama, the earth deity, aswell as a cheeky sip yourself! lol.

In 1994, 26 vehicles went over the edge - an average of one every two weeks. In 1995, the Inter-American Development Bank listed the road as the most dangerous on earth. The new road circumvents the worst sections but hundreds of vehicles use the old dirt track as a short cut. In each year since it was built, up to 200 people have died on this highway: coca-growers, soldiers - and the odd tourist. From stepping off their bikes the wrong side, looking and following a butterfly over the edge, and of course a wheely under a waterfall and over the edge!!

We had several stops on the way down for maintenance checks, food and drink.

Paul and I naturally chased the guides all the way down! Got a little scary on some of the switchbacks, but great fun. At one point Lynn took Paul and I over a steep hill just to see if we had the minerals...Paul 1st lol!!

Bouncing in the ruts, riding our rear brakes hard, we started to pass shrines - names, dates and fading flowers. On 24 July 1983, Carlos Pizarroso Inde drove his bus over the edge, killing more than 100 passengers in Bolivia's worst ever road accident.

Kids through water over us as we passed through shallow streams. A couple of sweets and these little dudes were quite happy. Ger, Ultan Paul and I had a fantastic day.

We finished our ride at La Sende Verde, A beautiful animal sanctuary where we recieved our T´shirts and a cool beer. A hot shower, dip in the pool and a buffet dinner... we were now ready for our 16hr jeep journey into the amazon.

Friends made, we left promising to take Lynn out for a great day!