27 April 2007 - Death Road

Hi everyone LV again here.

I´ve had to step in and take care of the journal entry again as I believe Kate left the last entry hanging in suspense by informing you that we had just booked a mountain bike trip down "The Most Dangerous Road In The World" also known as "Death Road" due to the 7000 lives it has claimed since opening in 1931.

And we did both indeed book the trip, US$65 each, however on the morning of the trip Kate´s fear of death got the better of her and she was unable to follow through on her US$65 promise! Non-refundable!

So it was left to me to set off at sunrise to meet the group I would be descending with and the crew of Down Hill Madness to try on our kit and view our bikes. Bikes cost $2500 each and the guide seemed a bit of a loon ball at first but turned out to first class a great guide that made the day even better. Group was really good as well, everyone really up for it.

After our briefing we gathered at the Cordillera Real, a jagged wall of soaring ice bound peaks which separates the Yungas from our destination of the tropical lowlands of the Amazon Basin, some 3400 metres below. A fitting setting for the spectacular and dangerous journey that lay ahead.

The first half of the journey was our descent through the snow capped mountain section. Altitude sickness, freezing mountain temperatures and the cloud that engulfs the road making visibility poor at best were the main dangers. This section is a very quick section as it is part of a recently new section of tarmac road so quick we overtook a few trucks that occasionally got in our way.

We briefly stopped twice on this section once to pass through the Police narcotic check point and once to pay our respects to the spot were a Canadian guy died when biking the road with out a tour company. His partially eaten body (wild dogs apparently) was discovered over a month after he went over the edge.

Undisturbed we carried on through a slight hill section before stopping for lunch where the road went from tarmac to gravel and dust to signal the beginning of "Death Road".

This was it, looking down into the jungle via the horizontal cliffs that provided our passage you could see our road, a narrow track clinging to the cliff faces. Lunch was devoured and we fearlessly descended down the demanding route. Overtaking other groups, hare pin bends, waterfalls spilling onto the road and vertigo from the horizontal cliff faces were just a few of the life threatening dangers we faced. Again we stopped briefly at the numerous memorial sites to reflect and pay homage to our fellow thrill seekers who hadn´t made it home to tell the tale. In some parts you can see the wreckage of buses (all full to capacity apparently) and the numerous trucks and cars that have spilled over the edge. But really a road 3 meters wide next to cliffs 100 meters steep is no place for heavy traffic.

We continued. The course is over 64km long and seems never ending. Truly spectacular day a great buzz when it was finally over, with all are group safely at the bottom, although there was a guy in front of me who nearly lost it in one section. He was less than a yard away from going over when he managed to get it back albeit a very pale white afterwards.

Our just reward afterwards was we got took to a much needed luxury hotel for food, cold beers, shower and the second half of the champions league semi. Bonus.

Then 3 hours in the back of a decrepit minibus back to the top. This journey seemed more dangerous than the descent. Everyone is a maniac out here behind the wheel its no wonder so many people have died on this road.

But a great day easily on par with our diving in Colombia can´t recommend it enough.

If Kate edits/adds to this entry or you see her when you get back and she says that I´ve exaggerated or over hyped the road or this trip down "Death Road" then all I can say is, she wasn´t there she wouldn´t know!

Safely in Argentina now where we are staying in a pleasant little city called Salta before heading to Buenos Aires for a couple of weeks partying. Seems to be the place to do it as the clubs dont get going until 4am. Speak to you then.

Remember always face your fears.

Adios

Lee "Death Road Survivor" Vallance