The Worlds Most Dangerous Road

Rock on!,
originally uploaded by Hol Riz.

On arriving into Bolivia the altitude must have gone to our heads because we immediately signed up to mountain bike down the worlds most dangerous road. The first part of the road was tarmac which enabled us to reach top speeds and still enjoy the view. However we slowed up fairly quickly when we saw the tangled wreckage of a bus which had gone over the edge only a week before killing nine people. Then the real ´death road´ began, the tarmac stopped to be replaced by dust and stones, offering no rest for our now blistered and aching hands. Added to this, the dust and grit on the road made it impossible to breath or even see without a dust mask and goggles. As downward traffic we had to take the outside edge of the road overtaking tankers and double decker buses on the thin track with sheer drops to our right. One girl in our group lost control of her bike and plumetted over the edge, luckly at a point where some trees were growing. Becky (who had been riding behind her) stopped her bike to find the girl hanging on to a tree with her hands and hooking the bike up with her foot. Thankfully the day passed without any further mishaps and everyone enjoyed a dusty beer by the pool at the bottom of the road. We descended 3400m in four hours. Phew!

Love Holland and Becky xx