11/24/2008

Wanna ride the Death Road?




There's a road in Bolivia that goes from La Paz to Coroico that has earned the distinction of the "world's most dangerous road" since it has claimed thousands of lives since it was built. This road is about 40 miles long and descends almost 11,000 vertical feet along a narrow, twisty, dirt road...most all of which has a sheer cliff off of one side that plunges hundreds of feet to the valley floor below. A modern highway has replaced this trecharous road for travelers going from La Paz to Coroica however this "old road" is favored by mountain bikers. Tour operators run shuttles from La Paz up to La Cumbre where approximately 200 mountain bikers from all over the world take their chances on the Death Road every day. The ride iteself takes about 4 hours and riders are treated to incredible views of the Andes mountains, dense rainforests, and waterfalls. Most tours involve stops at small food kiosks along the way where local fare can be purchased.





Vertigo Biking Company is one such tour operator who has chosen to use Haro Extreme X6 bikes for its shuttle program on the Death Road. Vertigo chooses to use Extreme X6 bikes because they perform well, are easy to maintain, and hold up to the abuse. General Manager Pablo Paz is so pleased with the bikes he hopes to purchase several more for his shuttle fleet after the first of the year.





If you happen to find yourself in Bolivia, be sure to look up Vertigo Biking and become a Death Road survivor!







1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Very Nice!!

Where was the location of your ride. If you could, contact me. How would a guy from West Sac, Ca join your next ride?