"Doing a superman or superwoman", our otherwise funny guide says with a suddenly serious voice "is the number one reason for all fatal accidents on the Death Road. So whatever happens: do not panic and never slam your brakes with full force! Not even if a huge truck comes up your way, or the road is partly washed away by a landslide or waterfall."
With eight other daredevils, we stand at the beginning of the North Yungas Road, all geared up (with helmets, gloves, etc.) for our downhill mountain bike adventure on what is better known as the "Death Road" or "the World's Most Dangerous Road" referring respectively to the masses of Paraguayan slaves that died while building the road and the road's heavy toll of 360 annual deaths (on average one per day!) until a new detour was finalised in 2006.
Understood, "doing a superman or superwoman" (or in less heroic words "flying over the handlebar of your mountain bike") on this 69km long stretch of unpaved gravel road, often as narrow as three meters and with a steadily threatening 600m abyss on the left, does not sound like today's smartest move. After some additional safety precautions (be aware of particularly loose gravel, chickens, or local kids grabbing your arm to make you fall - nice fellows!), we are on our way for a dazzling 3770 meter descent (from 4670m to 900m).
A truly thrilling downhill ride (check our video "Death Road Ride" on the video page!) through grandiose natural scenery ranging from snow capped mountains to lush tropical rain forest while rapidly racing through different climate zones. Though these amazing landscapes one sees pretty much for the first time on the video afterwards, as most attention is focused on staying upright on the nasty gravel road... while wondering whether the heavy sweating is due to the burning sun, the physical suffering, the threatening cliff or the crosses along the edge, striking reminders that the road still causes several fatal accidents every year...
No fatal accidents today, luckily, though even experienced bike rider Eveline ("In Ghent, I rode my bike every day to university!") comes close to becoming a "superwomen", when a nasty "baby head" (a big rock that is hard to spot when racing down) catapults her spectacularly over the loose gravel piste, thankfully to the right side of the road...
But even with scratches on hands and knees and painful wrists and legs, Eveline (being her persistent self and a stranger to the concept of "giving up"), would make it all the way down the Death Road, suffering or not! As to the scratches and bruises: no permanent damage done, but a souvenir that everyone can be a hero for one day - even without cape.
“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. ”
“Tough times don’t last; tough people do. ”
