i got what it takes to ride down the world's most dangerous road

That's what my t-shirt says, so I guess I really do.

Our service vehicle. Seriously, the road is much scary in pictures than it actually is.

The web says that the North Yungas Road was dubbed by the Inter-American Development Bank as the World's Most Dangerous Road in 1995. I couldn't find a link to the exact article but they say that it's because of the number of people who were killed in this road every year. It is also called Camino de la Muerte or Death Road.

When I was researching about La Paz, the Death Road is one of the top things to do in the city. I told my self that there would be no way I would miss it when I get to the city. The fact that my insurance wouldn't pay me if anything bad happened since I was willingly exposing myself to danger didn't deter my enthusiasm. So I searched for a reputable operator and found good reviews about Vertigo. They also have a tally of their riders' nationalities in their website so it became my goal to put Philippines in it. Haha.

Since I got sick the day after I got to La Paz, I was not able to visit their office to book a ride earlier. I was only able to do so a day before and alas, no one has booked yet. They only leave if there were at least three riders. Because I really wanted to ride with Vertigo, I told myself that if I couldn't leave the next day I would just go to Tupiza and take another chance when I get back to La Paz.

Later that afternoon, I received a call from them and told me that two other people confirmed and I could ride on the day I want to. Yes! I rushed to their office to fill-out forms and for fitting of their safety gears which include full face helmet, elbow and knee pads, full finger gloves, jackets and trousers. The fee was 480Bs but since I 'liked' their Facebook page, I got a 10B-discount.

Extreme llama at La Cumbre.

We were supposed to leave at 8am but there was a marathon so we had to leave an hour earlier. That morning I met the English couple, Cat and Ed, whom I will ride with. They didn't have prior experience in downhill mountain biking. I also didn't. (I don't count that one time when I biked from Mahukdam to our camp in Tubod.) So we told ourselves that we would do it really slowly. Though it was impossible to go slow when the road is sloping down.

By the time we got to La Cumbre, the start of the ride, there were already many other groups. We were at 4700masl and during that time, it was the highest elevation I have been. The end of the ride is at 1200masl, a total of 3500m of descent for a span of 63km. It was really cold even though the sun was intense, which was almost always the case when I was in the Andes.

Our guide Jose and our driver Jose (yes, it's crazy) gave us our bikes and safety gears. We had a short practice on our bikes before we descended and I was trying to recall the last time I took my bike out for a ride. I couldn't. Haha. But still, I was confident and that was more important. Jose also gave us a few safety reminders and tips to avoid any accidents.

Admiring the beautiful scenery.

While keeping our eyes on the road.

The first part of the ride was along a few tens of kilometers of concrete road. The view was really amazing with snow-capped peaks, deep valleys and very rugged terrain. I was at the back of the group and going a little slower, trying to take in the scenery. But I had to focus more on the road because there was still traffic and the curves are really sharp that if I apply brake a little late, something not good might happen. There was also one point when there was a slow-moving truck ahead of us. Everyone has already overtook it but I was hesitant because by the time I got close to it, the road was already winding and there were oncoming vehicles. The driver of our service vehicle, which stayed close to us (or me) at the back, had to sound his horn to tell me that it was already safe to pass the truck.

We had a few breaks along the road to rest and take some photos. Jose was also taking photos and videos while on his bike and I found it unsafe but crazy and amazing how he manages to focus on the road and the camera. We then stopped at Unduavi to pay a fee of 25Bs. The money is used for road maintenance since it isn't (supposed to be) used by the public anymore and for other safety services. We also had snacks (breakfast for me) and pee break. I found it weird and annoying that the cubicles don't have doors. Even if there were separate toilets for men and women, I still wanted my privacy.

Enjoying the ride. I was smiling in all the pictures our guide took.

From Unduavi, we rode our van to skip the 8km-uphill part of the road. When we got to the start of the dirt road, Jose reiterate the safety protocols and explained that in the Death Road, vehicles going down should be on the left side. And that's the side where the steep cliffs are. Then I started doubting if I could reach Coroico unscathed. Good thing is that we didn't come across any vehicle going up.

It's not called Death Road for nothing.

As I was riding down, I didn't feel any fear and my anxiety faded away. I was completely enjoying the ride. The road, I think, is wide enough. There were parts where the rocks on the ground were loose but I managed to tackle them with ease. And although there were lots of hairpin bends and very sharp curves, if the rider knows that he has to slow down when approaching the bend and not when he is already there, the ride is pretty safe.

While we were resting, Jose told us stories of some riders who fell to the cliff and died. One guy was being playful with his friend and they were pushing each other while on their bikes. One person fell and it's so horrible just thinking how the other guy felt after the incident. The other was a girl who got surprised by a vehicle (not sure if it was coming up or down) and was not able to stop or control her bike and fell. The most recent incident was that of vehicle driven by someone who was drunk.

Waterfalls! And one of the many crosses along the Death Road reminding everyone of the lives claimed by the road.

The ride was approximately four hours though I couldn't be sure because I wasn't really tracking time. I just knew that we were nearing the end of the ride when it started to get hot. It was so hot that I felt like I was back home. But I didn't took my jacket off because I didn't like the sun. Haha. And in the Yungas, I was bitten by small yellow bugs on my arms. They didn't hurt and wasn't itchy at all so I wasn't aware that I already had lots of bites. It has been more than a month but I could still trace the marks left on my skin.

 *All the photos in this post are taken by our guide, Jose, of Vertigo.

(I am trying to post a video but since my connection right now sucks, I will post it soon.)