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Glacier to Jungle: Mountain Biking the World’s Most Dangerous Road
A complete guide to mountain biking Bolivia's infamous Death Road. From high up in The Andes mountains, down to the edge of the Amazon.
One of the questions I’m most frequently asked about my travels is, “what is the coolest thing you have done?”
While that question is almost impossible to answer, and my definition of cool and the corresponding response seems to change depending on my mood, I do have a memory that I always come back to: mountain biking the World’s Most Dangerous Road in Bolivia.
This experience packed most things I love about travel into a convenient day trip, and left me feeling thrilled, awestruck, satisfied, humbled and incredibly fortunate.
For those who haven’t heard about this excursion, it may sound a bit extreme, and it absolutely is in many ways. But in reality, if you are mildly capable on a bike and have common sense, then it is safer than it sounds.
The World’s Most Dangerous Road isn’t just a flashy name to lure people into a tourist attraction. It does work perfectly to do that, but it also backs up its claim with cold, hard facts. The name was actually given to it by the Interamerican Development Bank and had nothing to do with pulling in tourists with a death wish.
History and Facts about Bolivia's Death Road
- Before claiming thousands of lives over the years, the road was originally, and technically still, known as The North Yungas Road.
- It was constructed in the 1930’s by Paraguayan prisoners during the Chaco War and for 70+ years it was the main link from the city of La Paz up in The Andes, down to the town of Coroico in the Amazon.
- The North Yungas Road is 43 miles (69 km) of unpaved, hairpin turns carved out of near vertical cliffs, frequently shrouded in fog, and dropping thousands of feet down into dense wilderness.
- It peaks at 15,260 ft (4650 meters)surrounded by the rugged Andes mountains and descends all the way to 3600 ft (1,200 m) in the hot and humid Amazonian Jungle.
- Most of it is a single lane, it rains frequently and even has waterfalls partially washing away sections of the road. And the most common vehicles to see on this road? Huge trucks and buses, of course!
- There are no exact records of the lives lost along this road, but it is estimated that between 200 and 300 hundred people die each year. Although it is worth noting that in 2007, a safer, paved road was constructed, most likely decreasing those numbers significantly.
- In 1983 the road claimed the most lives, at 320. This was largely due to it’s most tragic accident, when a bus filled with 100 people toppled over the edge.
- Since the opening of the new road traffic has decreased, yet there are still a good number of vehicles that take this route. On my journey down I passed at least 15-20 vehicles, from cars, to small buses and commercial trucks.
Why is this experience so amazing?
For many reasons.
First off, the scenery is absolutely incredible. You start at 15,260 ft (4,6500 m) with views of the peaks and glaciers of Huayna Potosi, the highest mountain in the area at 19,973 ft(6,088 m).
Then, you cruise downhill past the rugged wind-swept landscape, largely void of vegetation and watch as it slowly becomes greener and greener until you reach the turn off for the official start of “The Death Road.” From here you continue downhill past lush valleys, waterfalls and cliffs for a total of 40 miles into the dense Amazon rainforest ending at 3,600 ft(1,200m).
That is an elevation change of 11,660 feet in just a few hours, which is insane. Where else can you do that? It’s also a complete change in climate. It was 30 degrees F and snowing at the top, and we ended in 80 degree F, dripping in sweat, engulfed by the Amazon’s lush vegetation.
You don’t just end in the jungle either, you end at an animal refuge, with a lunch buffet. So you get to eat pasta and hang out with monkeys, parrots, tortoises and other jungle creatures all the while being genuinely confused at how you ended up in some lush tropics after just being in the snow.
The biking itself is a lot of fun and almost entirely downhill, so it’s not like you are putting a lot of effort in, other than squeezing the brakes and concentrating like your life depends on it. You can really let go if you want to, or you can ride the brakes and take in the scenery. I went for a healthy mix of both and walked away unscathed, with a beautiful buzz of adrenaline and serenity.
While there are many tour companies that offer this adventure, I went with Gravity Bolivia. They are the first company to offer this adventure back in 1998. They also have the best safety record and top of the line bikes. This was a huge plus for me, both for having fun and feeling safe.
I had heard a few stories in the hostel about cheap companies using crappy bikes that have blow outs and faulty brakes, resulting in accidents of varying degrees of bad. These accidents and mechanical failures can happen anywhere, with any company, but I felt safer and happier to pick a company using top of the line bikes that are routinely maintained by professionals.
I did this tour in February, which is summer in Bolivia, but a storm rolled in out of nowhere. So as we drove past the towering peaks of The Andes, we stared out not at sunshine and blue skies, but at snow, icy roads and white haze. The least ideal of biking conditions.
We couldn’t begin our bike journey where they typically do, on a paved road cruising past barren, intense mountain peaks, because the roads were simply too dangerous, and quite literally freezing.
On the drive back to La Paz, which is about two hours, you take the newer, paved road and get to take in the stunning scenery in a way that is way less dangerous. You pass tiny villages and roadside stands, massive mountains, valleys, lakes, waterfalls and rivers. It is a humbling experience and one that I think back on frequently.
Practical advice and how to prepare
- Wait a few days to acclimate to the altitude. As you will already know arriving in La Paz, you are at high elevation. La Paz itself is sitting at 11,942 ft (3,640 m) and you go up a few thousand more feet for this trip. So give yourself several days to acclimate to the altitude before you consider any physical activity.
- Bring layers and a change of clothes. On my trip we had a temperature change of 50 degrees F in a few hours. Depending on the time of year, the change may be less drastic. There may be snow, rain, freezing temperatures, and almost definitely a hot and humid ending. You will also most likely get wet one way or another – whether its rain, waterfalls or sweat. Most companies offer a full body suit and/or poncho, so you are protected, but anything can happen.
- Ride blind corners on the left side. Yes, this will be cliffside. The side that can lead to your untimely demise. But, the vehicles that still drive this road drive on the left and will be hugging the cliff if they are going up the mountain. When approaching a blind corner you obviously want to avoid a head on collision with a truck just as much as flying over the edge.
- Safety check your bike. Even the best companies with the newest bikes may have a faulty part. Do yourself a favor and check everything before you get going, especially the brakes. The last thing you want are the brakes to fail when you need them most.
- Get a good night sleep. It’s a long day with pick up times around 7:30am and return times around 7pm. And even though most of it is downhill, you are still biking 40+ miles at high elevation with heightened awareness due to the possibility of death or injury. So getting drunk, staying up late the night before and biking with a hangover is not logical.
- Enjoy the scenery, cautiously. There are plenty of opportunities to take in the variety of landscapes you will pass. But use common sense. Biking along a cliff with no railing and stunning views is a recipe for disaster. Don’t be that guy. It happened to somebody on my tour and while they weren’t seriously injured, it was a very close call. They weren’t paying attention, turned too late and skidded out, landing just a couple feet from the edge of a 1,000 foot drop. So, just don’t, okay? Slow down to a crawl if you must. Or better yet, stop. Definitely enjoy it all, but safely.
- Be careful of the big rocks. There are a lot that you may have to navigate around. Which isn’t a big deal, but be prepared to actually watch what you are doing.
- Bring snacks and water. Most tours offer snacks, water and a lunch at the end. But not all of them, and it is a full day adventure, so it’s better to be prepared, especially in case altitude sickness kicks in. And on that note, bring along some coca leaves to help with the altitude, or Diamox if you are so inclined. There are also some roadside stands that you can stop at to buy drinks and snacks if you get desperate.
- Zipline at the bottom. Many tours offer the option of ziplining once you get to the bottom. If you need a little bit more excitement once you are done biking this is an easy add on. I didn’t personally do it, but those who did on my tour said it was worth it.
Conclusion
This is one of the must do’s when in La Paz. It may sound intimidating, but if you have basic abilities on a bike, common sense, and listen to the advice of your tour guides, it isn’t more dangerous or scary than many things we do in daily life and don’t think twice about.
The group I rode with was a mix of thrill seekers pushing it to the limit, and people slowly cruising down, so just go your own pace and don’t worry about what others are doing. If you have a fear of heights you may want to skip this one though, because technically you are mere feet from certain death for an extended period of time.
But for everybody else, just be smart and it will be an absolute blast. The World’s Most Dangerous Road can be a chance to take in some incredible landscapes and traverse different climates in mere hours.
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