They say you should do one thing every day that scares - well I think I am good for the next six months as yesterday I mountain biked down the worlds most dangerous road just outside of La Paz Bolivia and let me tell you, it was very very scary - well at least for me it was. We had heard about this mountain biking excursion from a few friends before we left for our trip and going in I was pretty sure there was no way I was going to do it. The thought of riding a gravel road that ranges from only about 4.5m to 3.2m wide at its narrowest part, down a mountain from 4,700m (15,400 feet) all the way down to 1,100m (3,600 feet) that has 1,000m+ (3,300 feet) sheer drops off the side scared the living crap out of me. Oh and did I mention that at parts we also had to bike under waterfalls, past landslides and over 1 river on this road. They really don`t call this the dangerous road for nothing! One of the sections of the road is even the site of the worlds deadliest 1 vehicle accident, where a bus went over the cliff with 112 people onboard (112 people I know.....but this is Bolivia). They are also many biker injuries - in our day alone there was 1 dislocated shoulder and 1 guy with a totally smashed up face and wrist injury.
Before we arrived in La Paz the boys were pretty certain they wanted to do it, Kait was still a bit on the fence but was pretty sure she would do it if the boys wanted to and I was still undecided on the matter. Part of this trip is supposed to be stepping out of my comfort zone and this would be a great way to do it. Once we arrived in La Paz and spoke to a few others who had done the ride and told us that is wasn't that bad and the scenery was not to be missed we set out to some tour companies to get an idea of what the damage would be. While in the Gravity Bike tour office, in a sudden surge of confidence I decided I would do, signed all the appropriate waivers, sized all my gear and handed over my credit card in preparation for the ride the next day! After all the girls I spoke to at the hostel said it wasn't that bad and since they introduced a new paved alternative road there was almost no more cars on the road so I wouldn't have those obstacles to worry about - now you only see about 5 cars/day
A little info about this road - until 2007 when an alternative paved road was introduced for cars, this was the only road to take through this part of Bolivia and upwards of 200 cars/trucks/buses per day took this EXTREMELY rocky, narrow and dangerous road. Each year upwards of 26 cars would disappear off the side and bikers also (Yes this did do this bike tour when cars took this road - To my dear friend Erin Mutrie who did it during this time, I now understand your description and you must have nerves of steel to have been able to do that)
After another early morning wake up call to make it to the meeting spot for 7:30, we set off on the bus to get to the starting point and get used to the bikes. We do a few KM on a paved road to get used to the bikes before hitting the gravel to start the actual mountain biking.I would not really call what I was doing actually mountain biking, it was more mountain bike breaking down a massive, jagged rock faced, death dropping cliff, gravel road only mountain. I am pretty sure that there was not more than a total of 2 minutes where completely laid off my breaks during this 3-4 hour bike ride so needless to say my hands and arms are quite sore today. After hours of riding at the very back of the pack, death gripping my handle bars, a few speed wobbles (well in my case they may have been lack of speed wobbles) and a couple near wipe outs I finally made it to the bottom unscathed and could not have been more happy about it! It really was an amazing ride and I am really happy that I did muster of the courage to do it......but I can say with total confidence that I will never do it again! (just counting the number of memorials that are set up along the road for both bikers and vehicle passengers pretty much secured that for me)
In my surge of confidence at the bike tour company I also pre-signed up for the optional zip-line add on at the bottom that takes you on 3 rides across the valley of the mountain range over the town of Yoloso. Based on the degree to which my hands and legs were still shaking from the ride I wasn't so sure about it anymore but bit the bullet and did it anyways and it was also amazing.
After the zip line the tour company we went with takes you to La Senda Verde Animal Refuge for dinner, drinks, hot showers etc before heading back to La Paz. At just about the time that my fists where starting to unclench again our guide announces that we are about to head out on the bus back...... oh and guess what we are actually not driving back up the MOST DANGEROUS ROAD IN THE WORLD. I thought that the downhill mountain biking part was scary trust me the ride up in the 15 person van, that had probably already seen better days in the '80's was much more terrifying.
All and all I am very glad that I did it. I do not know if I would say that I conquered my fear but I was able to push though it and make it all the way along for the ride.
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| Local kids trying to ride our Guides bike at a snack stop..... Always safety first in Bolivia lol. |
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| Smiling through the fear mid-way as we stopped to look at the scenery |
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| Finally Done the road!! Then off to Zipline |
LINK: http://www.gravitybolivia.com/index.php?mod=homeb
Youtube special on the road: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtUaherTC50
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