Death Road - What A Crazy Adventure

Time to mountain bike down Death Road. We started at an altitude of 4600m and biked down to 1200m for 4-5 hours. It is called 'Death Road’ because of the numerous deaths that occurred over the last few decades, mainly from trucks falling down high cliffs due to the very narrow path. No trucks are driving on the road anymore, however, which provides the opportunity for our adventure. Crazy, right? But hey, should be great fun.

Maria and I were definitely both a bit nervous. Maria has never been on a mountain bike before, but when I asked her if she wanted to do the Death Road she said 'hell yeah'.

The first part was easy. It was still paved with cars and trucks driving on it, i.e. relatively safe and a good practice for the actual Death Road. We made frequent stops to admire the breath-taking views and Maria was telling me "this is actually great fun, I am enjoying this a lot".

Then it was time for the real Death Road. No cars, no concrete, no guardrails, just gravel and the looming abyss right next to you. Cycling on gravel is very different than cycling on a paved road. A few times I could feel my wheels slip away underneath me and I had to recover at the last second to avoid a fall/crash.

Cycling down Death Road, we continued to make frequent stops to admire the stunning scenery. Every time we stopped, Maria and I looked at each other and laughed, probably about how crazy this whole thing was. At some point, I felt Maria had lost all sense of nervousness and restraint, as she was speeding down some areas, where I thought slowing down would be a VERY good idea.

It was an absolutely amazing experience biking through small waterfalls, along deadly drops and landslides. Just as we were finishing with the last downhill section of the entire Death Road, it happened. I was cycling behind Maria, when I saw her lose control of the bike and fly over the handlebar with the bike flying even further. My heart stopped for a second, but luckily it was on a 'safe' section. Luckily she was alright. A bit of blood on her lips, but nothing broken (bones) or broken off (teeth). I was relieved and quickly started to joke and laugh. Definitely a story to tell, especially for her. At the end point, a very nice pool with a delicious lunch was waiting for us.

How do I rate the experience? Fucking amazing, a must-do in Bolivia. I would do it again in a heartbeat. It is so much fun speeding down, feeling the adrenaline rush, and enjoying the ride and the scenery. Death Road accomplished, even with a few scratches (Maria: "Death Road 1, Maria 0"). In all fairness, afterwards we - and our families - were a little relieved that we survived the death road.Read more