La Paz and the World’s Most Dangerous Road

Arriving into La Paz after our two lengthy bus trips. we were fit for little else but some tasty food and a serious amount of sleep.  After what we felt was a well deserved lie in the following morning, we set about exploring the city, Bolivia’s largest.

Shamefully, the first port of call was far removed from the plethora of cultural experiences on offer.  Instead, we set about finding a good coffee shop for a tasty cuppa and cake!  That thirst satisfied, we did eventually manage to see more!

Strolling around the streets, I was reminded of the hectic pace of life in Asia, optional road rules, dawn till dusk street trading and once more an incredible array of colours.  We made our way to the famous Plaza San Francisco, home of the Iglesia de San Francisco, and the main focal point for tourists.  This however, is not for the church itself, but rather that it serves as the entrance point to the historically indigenous neighbourhoods in the city.  The biggest attraction in the area is the well known witches market. 

Indigenous women, clad in voluminous skirts, alpaca wool blankets and bowlers, smiling their gold capped toothy grins, sell not only the usual array of colourful handcrafted goods, and trinkets aimed unashamedly at the tourist market, they also sell some more unusual and typically Bolivian items, such as dried llama foetuses.  These are apparently used as offerings to Pacha Mama, mother earth and would be given traditionally as a gift to a young married couple.  The foetus would be buried under the foundations of their new marital home, no co-habitation here, as an offering, asking Pacha Mama to protect them.  Another, if less common use, is for the foetus to be blended into a liquid and consumed as a fertility aid!  I think I’ll leave them to it!

Our second big activity in La Paz, was actually not in La Paz, but on the old road connecting the city with Coroico.   The famous “death road” mountain biking experience.  We had heard from almost everyone we had met who had visited Bolivia that this was a must, so who were we to argue?  

We might have been willing to take the challenge on, but we were not stupid about it.  Having heard some horror stories about the road, we opted for what we had heard was the safest company on the road, and it turns out, the only one which carries rescue equipment.  Of course they didn’t tell us this at the time, but as it happens, this rescue equipment is really more recovery equipment.  If I was in any doubt as to the credibility of the “world’s most dangerous road” title, our guide Phil, left us in no doubt.  He recounted terrifying stories of cyclists making fatal, if usually stupid errors, and sailing off the edge of a 200 foot plus drop.  The road side is literally a sheer cliff for at least 60-70% of the road, and even when the gradient decreases, it is only by a few percent.   

Not to be scaremongering, he did reassure us that Gravity, the company we travelled with, have by far the best safety record and warned us that most fatalities have occured with either experienced riders taking stupid risks, or people making silly mistakes and taking silly chances while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

With the frightening brief , safety instruction and strict guidelines on how to ride out of the way, we hit the road for the first 20km of the descent, which is down a public road, asphalt surfaced which would be our training ground for the day, providing an opportunity to become friends with our bikes, to get the feel of the gears, and the super sensitive brakes.  It also gave nervous riders like me, the chance to gain a little confidence, which was essential. Slow riders are just as likely to injure themselves as the speed demons on the WMDR!

Finally reaching the focal point of the day – a 10-15ft wide road, of gravel and loose rock, over 40km in duration, with a 200 foot sheer drop on the left hand side.  I really began to worry that I was certifiable to be even considering undertaking this.  The option of sitting out the ride in our support van was always there, but there was no way I could wuss out at this stage.  Slow (ish) and steady all the way.  Our guide suggested to us that a great way of keeping relaxed on the bike on the gravel was to sing to yourself, kindly suggesting such songs as “Freefalling”.  Ultimately, on this bluebird day, with the sun belting down, the only song that would come into my head was “Singing in the Rain” – but it helped. 

The end of the road brought us to a local animal reserve, for a cold beer, a hot shower, a fantastic feed and all wrapped up with a dip in the pool watching the spider monkeys playing in the shade!  Just the long journey back to La Paz.  We had conquered the world’s most dangerous road.  The only thing that could possibly have been more terrifying than cycling it, was driving it.  Where could the route home possibly take us?  Where else? Right back up the same way we came down.

Actually, it was fantastic to do take this route back.  The journey down required such intense concentration that I had no time to look around and appreciate the stunning views, the rich lush forest carpeting the mountainsides and of course the sheer craziness of what we had just done.  As we motored slowly up, I was about to comment to Schmo how strange it was that on a road which had seen so many fatalities, in such a staunchly catholic country, that there were no memorial crosses.  Just as I opened my mouth however, I saw one, and another, and another, and a cluster of 4, and memorial plaque and yet another cross.  For virtually the entire journey, the roadside was peppered with crosses, plaques and flowers marking all those who had lost their lives on this road.  It was a sobering sight, one I am glad I did not see prior to or during the ride down, because I almost certainly would have stopped.  And it may be a crazy thing to do, it may be the world’s most dangerous road, but it was some fun and a fantastic way of seeing some of the incredibly scenery Bolivia has to offer!

Arriving back in La Paz, after a long day riding down the WMDR and then driving back up it, we had nothing left to do but check in for our 25 day tour, which will take us from La Paz, through the salt flats and mines of Bolivia, into the Brazilian Pantalan, to the infamous Iguassu falls and ultimately to the islands of the Brazilian Atlantic coast and Rio de Janeiro!  Plenty more adventures in store before its time to head home!