The World´s Most Dangerous Road La Paz, Bolivia From Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking

Choose A Month: January February March April May June July August September October November December 2008 2009 2010

Click to Enlarge

Tour Itinerary La Cumbre To Coroico Down the World's Most Dangerous Road. Quite deservedly, this mountain bike ride is our most popular, and has been featured in the 2000 AA Travel Guide to South America, the Lonely Planet: Bolivia VIDEO, two Bolivian Times articles, an episode of "Don't Forget Your Passport", and many many more magazines!! Please Note The dates 10th of December until 1st of March are rainy season in Bolivia, and we do NOT encourage people to do the ride during this time. To put it simply, we believe the risks are slightly higher, and that the experience is not as enjoyable due to the very high probability of thick cloud, torrential rain most of the day, freezing snow at the top, tons of mud, etc. However, if you absolutely MUST do it, then exactly for those reasons, Gravity has set up a super-duper reinforced, masochists-only package for the rainy season. This rainy season package has a whole lot of very important extras to deal with the frequently brutal conditions, to make it safer, and to make it as comfortable and fun as possible. These extras include more warm clothing and wet weather gear, kits for the support vehicles to deal with landslides, more guides, smaller groups, etc., etc. There’s even a SPECIAL-EDITION FREE T-SHIRT to show how crazy they are. This, plus the destruction to the bikes in those conditions and the extra maintenance needed, is why the cost is nominally higher than the normal season. During the normal season we are happy to have all levels of riders on the ride, however over the rainy season we discourage anyone who is nervous, scared, unfit or a beginner. It is going to be tougher than ever, rougher and scarier, and the group cannot spend too much time hanging around for really slow people (they’ll freeze and get hypothermia while they’re waiting!), so slow riders will be put in the bus for some sections to save the rest of the group. Notable Highlights: Incredible scenic variety and a spectacular descent of more than 3,600m/11,800 ft from snow-covered plains and mountain ranges down to the steaming Amazonian Jungle. Part of the ride is on the dramatic and scenic "World's Most Dangerous Road," dubbed as such by the Inter-American Development Bank in 1995. After the ride relax pool-side in the quiet sub-tropical jungle town of Coroico. Continue from here to Rurrenabaque and the Amazon Jungle, or return at your leisure to La Paz. Suitable for: Confident beginners to experts, average fitness and above, and in particular, those looking for a long, world-class, downhill mountain-bike ride. Description: We begin the ride at wind-swept La Cumbre (4,700m/15,400 ft) where you'll see fantastic views of a number of snow-covered peaks, including Huayna Potosí (6,088m/19,973 ft). From there we descend rapidly down a twisting road amongst mountain peaks, grazing llamas and alpacas, tiny villages and a drug check-post (?!). We stop for refreshments and a rest along the way, all the better to give us time to take in the scenery: towering cliff faces, dramatic drops and ever greener vegetation. After a snack we descend further, and after a brief undulating section of road we enter the jungle itself and the most challenging section of the ride. This infamous narrow dirt road is cut precariously into the side of the mountain and descends 2,000m (6,500ft). With 1,000m+ (3,300 ft) sheer drops off to our left and hulking rock overhangs and cascading waterfalls to our right, we ride through mist, low cloud and dust. With your positive attitude and our expert supervision you can safely enjoy some of South America's most dramatic and beautiful scenery as you hurtle down the road. (Besides, in our opinion, it's safer on this road riding a narrow bicycle that you are driving rather than being trapped inside a big bus.) As we near the end of the ride it gets progressively hotter and dustier. By the time you arrive at the bottom in Yolosa (1,100m/3,600 ft) you will be tired, hot, dirty and exhilarated. From Yolosa we catch a ride 7km (4 miles) up to Coroico (1,600m/5,250ft) ... although masochists may choose to cycle up ... where we can enjoy a late lunch, take in the magnificent scenery, spend time relaxing by the pool, and enjoy a cold drink. Note: We can offer you the option of overnighting in Coroico rather than returning to La Paz the day of the ride, in which case we'll arrange for the delivery of your backpack to a hotel in Coroico. Many people take this option and then bus the next day from Coroico to Rurrenabaque and the Bolivian Amazon Jungle. Total time required: 13 hours (return to La Paz), or 7 hours (stay overnight in Coroico). Approximate riding time: 4-5 hours. Approximate downhill %: 90% One section contains a few small uphills.

The World´s Most Dangerous Road La Paz, Bolivia

Travel Details Pickup Points Need to Know Visits: Coroico Bolivia Runs: Weekly Duration: 1 Days Leaves: La Paz Returns to: La Paz Full Itinerary What To Bring Camera Insect Repellant Sunblock Swimwear Change of Clothes Warm Clothing Waterproof Clothing Bring everything on this list to be comfortable... 1.Clothes - Remember, you will get filthy dirty!!! Thermal shirt (wool or synthetic, not cotton) T-shirt (not your best white one) Warm jacket (fleece or wool sweater) Rainproof/windproof jacket Long pants (light fabric convertible zip-offs work well) Warm hat (a beanie for under the helmet) and gloves (for layering over or under the cycling gloves) Shorts Note: For people returning from Coroico the same day bring some dry shoes and a fresh set of clothes to change into for the trip back. 2. Provisions - We provide light food, water, and snacks. You should bring: Chocolate or your favorite riding treat Note: It's important to have breakfast in the morning so that you have energy for the day. 3. Odds and ends - Padded bike shorts (check out our selection in the Gravity office - purchase only, of course!) Protective sunglasses (get a deal on the latest Dragon sunglasses in the office) Suntan lotion Insect repellent (especially if you are staying in Coroico - there is no malaria, but you may notice the sand flies) Bandana (it can get pretty dusty as you enter the jungle) Camera We provide special vests with pockets for your gear Included In Price Tour Guide Entry Fees Meals Fantastic US made KONA hard-tail mountain bikes, equipped with Iltalian Marzocchi Bomber front suspension, and Hayes Hydraulic Disc Brakes ... 1-finger stopping the whole way down the hill!!! Cycling Helmets and cycling gloves. Gringo (English as a first language) guides each with 10+ years of mountain biking experience. Vehicle support throughout the ride (for carrying your luggage, spare bikes, and first aid supplies) 2-way radios for guides and driver, full first-aid and rescue supplies (and our guides are trained to use them) Instruction and coaching through-out the ride All transportation. Snacks, water, lunch, a free beer, hot showers and use of the swimming pool at the end of the ride and the all important FREE GRAVITY T-shirt PLUS a FREE POSTCARD OF THE RIDE. New for 2004, FREE high-resolution online photos of you on your ride, high-quality prints available to buy, or buy a CD with all the photos on it. Category: Bike Tours Fitness Required Moderate

The World´s Most Dangerous Road La Paz, Bolivia

Tour Operated By FAQs About the Tour GRAVITY ASSISTED MOUNTAIN BIKING About Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking: GRAVITY was established in July 1998 in Bolivia, after I had spent two months doing exploratory rides here while working with a mountaineering company as a guide and consultant. After two months of further research, we started with one of my Specialized Stumpjumpers and two Chilean hard-tail bicycles, doing rides four times a week. It was quickly apparent that there was healthy demand for 1-day downhill mountain-bike tours here, so we set about accumulating bicycles as quickly as we could -- mail order, cycle tourists passing through, friends bringing them in from New Zealand, borrowing and purchasing from local bike shops, etc. After a September 2000 trip to Interbike in Las Vegas, we negotiated a sponsorship partnership with Kona Bicycles and since then have been bringing in a wide range of mid- to high-end Kona bikes. This has enabled us to steadily upgrade our fleet, which now totals almost 100 near-new bicycles. Our fleet includes both front-suspension, hydraulic-disc-brake equipped mountain bikes in a range of sizes and full-suspension, hydraulic-disc-brake equipped bikes. We pride ourselves on using Western guides, Western-quality equipment, and operating by Western safety standards. We've done these rides more often than anybody else and our clients love our trips. (There's a pile many many feet thick of customer feedback forms to prove it!) Ask us a question