There is a famous tourist attraction in Bolivia known as “The World’s Most Dangerous Road”. The attraction is a crazy one lane wide road that lines the jungle cliffs of Bolivia with sheer drops as much as 2,000 feet. Although no longer the main route, when it was the main road, would claim on average 200-300 lives per year. This was verified by the Inter-America Development Bank in 1995. If this number can believed to be accurate it would officially make this the world’s most deadly road.

For a quick preview of the ride watch this video taken of us halfway through the ride

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGSMdWRpVu0[/youtube]

I started the bike ride near La Paz at the top where it was cold and crisp with snow capped peaks by the starting point. The road is over the 50 kilometers to the end, an extreme drop in altitude revealing a lush jungle setting.

Our diverse group of 20-60 year old travelers unloaded the bikes and each of us grabbed one.

We posed for the cameras right before we began our descent.

The first half hour was full of Andean valleys such as these.

After an hour of downhill biking on paved roads we reached a drug checkpoint where we paid a fee to use the road.

The scenery started to change into more lush, green colored mountains.

And then the real action began as we reached the part that makes this road famous. While it is frightening to bike its no longer as dangerous. A new road has been built, so truck drivers do no need to drive this road. This is best for everyone because the drivers would fight and whoever lost would have to back up. Since driving the trucks on a skinny, slippery road on a 2,000 foot cliff is this was a big deal.

Even though it’s now far safer not everyone is meant to survive. This is a stone for one traveler who died biking down the road.

With our bikes

In action

Just another memorial

Lunch

A Celebratory Drink at the end

And just like that it was over.