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Hola all,
Well after surviving a Bolivian jail it was time to head to the small town of Coroico by bike.
Beginning at La Cumbre, a mountain pass just outside of La Paz at 4,700m where there is often snow, the bike ride drops more than 3,600m over 60km to the sub-tropical jungle. For most of this route the road is little more than a bumpy, narrow, rocky ledge carved into the rock face of the mountains, through streams and under waterfalls and often with a sheer drop of over 1,000m on the left hand side. Almost every turn of the road seems to be punctuated with crosses for those who have died there.
The route was classified as the world´s most dangerous road in 1995 by the American Development Bank based on the number of accidents and fatalities. Perhaps also due to the fact that it is the site of the biggest single road accident in history - a lorry packed with almost 100 natives went over the edge in the 1980´s, never to be seen again.
To date 8 tourists have died doing the bike ride so naturally we were a little apprehensive as we sat astride our trusty steeds on the mountain top. Thankfully the sky and the road were relatively clear.
Our group consisted of 5 (us, two other lads from Oz and one from the UK) plus our guide. The four boys headed off in earnest with LB taking the rear guard followed by the support bus. The journey must rate as one of the most impressive in Bolivia if not the world. It was difficult to focus on the road as the views were so spectacular. We actually began above the cloud line and weaved our way down the valley, through the mist towards Coroico. Luckily we stopped a number of times along the way to have a break and enjoy the scenery (and let LB catch up!). We hardly had to pedal for 4 hours! - although a note to my Aussie riding buddies that I did win KOM for the short uphill section, beating the young lads! It wasn´t long but at the rarefied altitudes of 4,000m it felt like Col de Tourmalet. Where´s the EPO when you need it?
Thankfully all made it down to the bottom in one piece to enjoy a well earned Cerveza.
We decided to spend a couple of relaxing days in the town of Coroico. Not much to do but sit on our balcony relaxing and and admiring the views of the valley in the warm topical air. Lovely.
Hope all are well. Don´t forget to leave us a note on our message board (or email for you old school types).
Until next time
MT
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