Mountain Biking Down The World s Most Dangerous Road (also known as “The Death Road”)
Quite deservedly, this mountain bike ride is the most popular and World famous. We has been featured guiding and riding this road in more than 60 magazine and newspaper articles, (as well as six television shows and on the lips and Blogs of almost every backpacker and adventure traveler in South America)
- Incredible scenic variety and a spectacular descent of more than 3,600m/11,800 feet, from snow-covered high-altitude plains and mountain ranges down to the steaming Amazonian Jungle. Part of the ride is on the dramatic and scenic “World s Most Dangerous Road,” dubbed such by the Inter-American Development Bank in 1995, and locally known as “The Death Road” or “Camino de la muerte!”.
- 64kms (40 miles) of downhill riding with only a few small uphills and a couple of flat bits!
- Afterward, you can take a dip in the pool, relax under the shade of the trees, grab a refreshing drink, or even enjoy a hot shower.
Suitable for:
Confident beginners to experts, average fitness and above, and in particular, those looking for a long, world-class, downhill mountain bike ride.
Description:
We begin the ride at wind-swept La Cumbre (4,700m/15,400 feet) where you ll see fantastic views of a number of snow-covered peaks, including Huayna Potosí (6,088m/19,973 feet). From here we descend rapidly down a twisting asphalted road among mountain peaks, grazing llamas and alpacas, tiny villages and a drug check-post (?!). We stop for refreshments, photos, and rests along the way — all the better to give us time to take in the scenery: towering cliff faces, dramatic drops and ever greener vegetation… while preparing ourselves for the next breath-taking section. After a snack we descend further, and after a brief undulating section of road we enter the jungle itself and the most challenging part of the ride. This infamous narrow dirt road is cut precariously into the side of the mountain and descends 2,000m (6,500 feet). With 1,000m+ (3,300 feet) sheer drops off to our left and hulking rock overhangs and cascading waterfalls to our right, we ride through mist, low cloud and dust. With your positive attitude and our expert instruction, coaching and supervision you can safely enjoy some of South America s most dramatic and beautiful scenery as you hurtle down the road. (Note that since March 2007 the majority of traffic has stopped driving down the WMDR, and now drives down the new road … leaving the road for us to enjoy without battling very many trucks, buses and cars!)
We pedal over to our lunch spot, which is the residence of a local sculptor, whose house seems to be his grand masterpiece. His family serves us a delicious buffet lunch. Afterward, you can take a dip in the pool, relax under the shade of the trees, grab a refreshing drink, or even enjoy a hot shower. We drive back up the road, where you get to see all the views you may have missed while riding, and our guides get to tell you all the scary stories you didn’t want to hear on the way down. When we get to La Paz, we drop you off near your hostel/hotel.
You head out to tell all your mates at the bar about one of the most amazing days that life has to offer!
Total Time Required: Start in La Paz at 7:00 am, drive to La Cumbre 1 hour, riding time 4-5 hours, We pedal over to our lunch spot, which is the residence of a local sculptor, whose house seems to be his grand masterpiece. His family serves us a delicious buffet lunch. Afterward, you can take a dip in the pool, relax under the shade of the trees, grab a refreshing drink, or even enjoy a hot shower.
Approximate Riding Time: 4-5 hours
Approximate Downhill: 90% (one section contains a few small uphills)
The World s Most Dangerous Road – Tourist Entrance Fee
Please note that the Municipality of Coroico recently introduced a small charge (currently 50 bs.) for bikers riding The World s Most Dangerous Road to Coroico. The money raised from this entrance fee will be used to fund much needed infrastructure projects such as:
• Clean Public Toilets on the route
• Road Maintenance (since the road is not used by much traffic now, without this fee it could be closed without maintenance)
• Safety, emergency and rescue facilities.
