Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
297-1543;
www.climbingsouthamerica.aco
m; Linares 940, 2nd fl, Rosario)
Climbing
South America is a reputable operator.
Hiking
Except for the altitude, La Paz and its environs are made for hiking. Many La Paz tour
agencies offer daily 'hiking' tours to
Chacaltaya
, a rough 35km drive north of La Paz,
and an easy way to bag a high peak without having to do any really hard-core hiking.
Head to
Valle de la Luna
,
Valle de las Animas
or
Muela del Diablo
for do-it-yourself
day hikes from La Paz. Other longer day trips or guided tours take you to the
Hampaturi
Valley
and
Parque Nacional Cotopata
.
DEADLY TREADLIES & THE WORLD'S MOST
DANGEROUS ROAD
Many agencies offering La Cumbre to Coroico mountain-bike plunge give travelers the T-shirts boasting about
surviving the road. Keep in mind that the gravel road is narrow (just over 3.2m wide), with precipitous cliffs with
up to 600m drops and few safety barriers.
In March 2007 a new replacement road opened. Prior to this, the road between La Paz and Coroico was identi-
fied as 'The World's Most Dangerous Road' (WMDR) by an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report.
Given the number of fatal accidents that have occurred on it over the years, the moniker was well deserved. An
average of 26 vehicles per year disappeared over the edge into the great abyss.
Crosses (aka 'Bolivian caution signs') lining the way testify to the frequency of vehicular tragedies from the
past. The most renowned occurred in 1983 when a camión (flatbed truck) plunged over the precipice, killing the
driver and 100 passengers in the worst accident in the sordid history of Bolivian transportation.
With the new road up and running, the old road - the WMDR - is now used almost exclusively by cyclists, sup-
port vehicles and the odd tourist bus.
Around 15 cyclists have died doing the 64km trip (with a 3600m vertical descent) and readers have reported
close encounters and nasty accidents. Ironically, the road - now traffic-free - can be more dangerous to cyclists,
especially for kamikaze freewheeling guides and overconfident cyclists who think they don't have to worry about
oncoming vehicles. Other accidents are due to little or no instruction and preparation, and poor-quality mountain
bikes; beware bogus rebranded bikes and recovered brake pads.
Unfortunately, even though it is such an adventurous activity, there are no minimum safety standards in place
for operators of this trip, and no controls over false advertising, or consequences for unsafe operating practices. In
short, many agencies are less than ideal. As such the buyer has to be aware, even a bit paranoid; this is one activ-
ity where you don't want to be attracted by cheaper deals. Experienced and trained guides, high-quality bikes,
well-developed risk-management systems, and adequate rescue equipment all cost money, and cheaper companies
may stretch the truth about what they provide if it means making another sale. Cost cutting can mean dodgy
brakes, poor-quality parts and, literally, a deadly treadly. This, plus inexperienced and untrained guides and little
or no rescue and first-aid equipment, is a truly scary combination on the WMDR.
