• Roamancing
  • Naturally Ours, Documentary Series
  • Roamancing Podcasts
  • Pitch Us
  • Sponsors & Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Editorial Submission Guidelines

Roamancing Travel Magazine

... travelling in search of those most elusive of creatures ~ love and romance

  • All Aboard!
  • World Travel
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Mozambique
      • Morocco
      • South Africa
    • Asia
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Japan
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Canada
      • Atlantic Canada
      • Ontario
      • Manitoba
      • Saskatchewan
      • Alberta
      • BC
      • Yukon
    • Carribean
      • St. Barts
      • St. Maarten
      • Trinidad and Tobago
    • Central America
      • Guatemala
      • Nicaragua
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Czech Republic
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Liechtenstein
      • Poland
      • Russia
      • Scotland
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Ukraine
      • Wales
    • Fictious Lands
    • Middle East
      • Egypt
    • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Chile
      • Colombia
    • Space
    • United States
  • Our Travelers
    • Alex Charters
    • Alyzee Lakhani
    • Bjorn Yearwood
    • Brie Mason
    • Emme Rogers
    • Erica Hargreave
    • Jacqueline Swartz
    • Laryssa Menkova
    • Lori Yearwood
    • Megan Ho
    • Rob Jones
  • Travel Tube
    • Naturally Ours
  • Tips
    • In Translation
    • Safe Travels
  • Specialty Travel
    • Adrenalin Adventures
    • Chique
    • Hikes
    • Kid Travel
    • Sleeps
    • Tasty Morsels
    • Nerding Out
      • Science
      • History
      • Art
    • World's Best Soaks
      • Spas
      • Tubs We've Enjoyed
      • Hot Springs
      • Beaches
      • Poolside
    • Planes, Trains ...
      • Train Travel
      • Road Trips
      • Air Travel
      • Boats
  • Events
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Taste Bud Teasers
    • Television / Film Festivals
  • Red Boot Diaries
    • Culture Travels Podcast
    • Roamancing
      • Perfect Dates
      • Meeting Mr. / Ms. Right (or Right Now)
      • Roamancing the Soul
    • Travel TV
    • Tunes from the Road
    • My Ukrainian Heritage
You are here: Home / All Aboard! / Mountain Biking Death Road, Bolivia – from Alex’s Adventure Diaries

Mountain Biking Death Road, Bolivia – from Alex’s Adventure Diaries

March 26, 2019 By Alex Charters Leave a Comment

What Did I Get Myself Into!?!

I see a few rocks falling down the mountainside towards me and my heart rate picks up speed. I could actually die here. Working my bike through the mudslide, I understand why the van that was supposed to follow us for emergencies, had to go back and meet us at the end. I flex my ice-cold wet fingers as best as I can and alternate taking them off the handlebars to shake out. Squelching through the last of the thick mud I make it back onto the rocky cliffs edge road. 

I could actually die here.

Death Road, Bolivia
Yungas Road aka Death Road, Bolivia

Welcome to Death Road!

… or Yungas Road, as it is more formally called. My mountain bike easily rides down and over the rocks in the path now and I relax, deciding to trust that the bike can handle whatever the road throws at it. As it is bumpiest on the inside of the road, we’re advised to stay to the left (the bloody death dropping edge) for a smoother ride. We pass tight corners with little monuments and shrines to those who died there. The salty chicken broth we had for breakfast churns in my stomach a little. 

We pass tight corners with little monuments and shrines to those who died there.

Death Road river crossing in Bolivia
Roaring River or Yungas Road? It’s all relative.

“This is where the path gets playful!”

Stopping at a roaring river going over the path by a few feet as least, we’re forced to carry our bikes through. My arms shake with the weight of my bike above my head. The cold water goes to the top of my thighs. I wonder, if I slip, how fast I would go over the edge? Sopping wet and covered in mud, I’m grateful for dry ground again. I bark out a laugh as I see Mads’ pristine white hiking boots are now a dirty clay brown. My amusement dies and turns to alarm when our guide says, “this is where the path gets playful”. The road is steeper and full of bigger rocks, but also much wider. As my bike begins to pick up speed, I call out to Mads and Tristan that I’m coming through the middle. The rocks quickly grow larger and I’m going much too fast. I’m just telling myself, “the bike will make it through”, when I hit a large rock straight on. Shit. Vaulting over my handlebars I cartwheel through the air. Instinctively, I cover my head and try to tuck and roll out my landing. With a loud thud, I land on my back and reach out to grab my bike before it falls on me. It still does. After what I’m sure is just a second or two, I sit up, wide-eyed, and let out a manic laugh. Well, that hurt. 


Tune in for more of Alex’s Adventure Diaries!

Adventures Await

… and give this post a pin to remind yourself how exhilarating life can be!

Extreme Adventure : Mountain Biking in Bolivia

Filed Under: Adrenalin Adventures, Alex Charters, All Aboard!, Around the World, Bolivia, Our Travelers, South America, Specialty, The Red Boot Diaries Tagged With: adventure travel, Bolivia, mountain biking, South America

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Roamancing Travel

Travelling the globe uncovering the love & beauty all around us!

We're not your average jet-set crew; we're just as happy to hunker around a campfire as we are to be finely wined & dined, as we roamance travel.

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Snapchat
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Travel Tales

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza at Gino’s East

December 2, 2022 By Brie Mason

Becoming a Proud Ukrainian as a Child of Immigrants to Canada – Part 9 of My Ukrainian Heritage

November 27, 2022 By Laryssa Menkova

Road Tripper Beware! Do Not Follow Google Maps Through New Brunswick

November 15, 2022 By Emme Rogers

Find Us in the Fediverse

On Mastodon:

  • @EricaHargreave

On Castopod:

  • @RoamancingReads
  • @MyUkrainianHeritage
  • @CultureTravels

For More Roamancing, Join Our eMagazine

Flight Networks Top 100 Canadian Travel Blogs

Produced By …

This is another tale brought to you by the creatively whacky minds at Ahimsa Media.
For more tales in the ridiculous, read on at Being Emme.

BCIT Media Storytelling Courses

Our Post-Secondary Accredited Courses with BCIT's Media Storytelling Department:

Building Your Digital Media Presence (online)
Social Media Storytelling (online)

Copyright © 2011–2023 · From the Creative Minds at Ahimsa Media · Theme by Studio Press · Login