Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

In Bolivia, the World’s Most Dangerous Road is an attraction for adventure seeking Mountain Bikers.

The “worlds most dangerous road” drops over 11,000 vertical feet as it snakes its way through the Andes to the edge of the Amazon basin. It is the only way provisions can get from La Paz to Coroico and the other small towns in the region. For years it was a one-way road. On specified days of the week you could only go downhill. The other days it was one-way uphill. Currently traffic flows both ways. At some of the more treacherous blind corners, human traffic signalers stand to guide the traffic safely past each other. We are told that the people who do this work are volunteers from one family, a family that lost several members over the side.

Now the road is actually a tourist attraction. Gravity Tours (www.gravitybolivia.com) provides mountain bikes and guides to shepherd riders down the 64-kilometer course. A bus follows behind picking up stragglers and to transport riders and equipment back up to La Paz.

http://www.gravitybolivia.com/view?page=27

One rider’s account