TourBackpacker: Vertigo Biking - Going Down the Death Road

A friend recommended for me to go see Vertigo Biking when I said I would like to do the death road. I am happy that she did, because my day of riding down that road was very good because of the very cool guides and helpful staff. Vertigo biking will take you from the snowy Andes down 3000 meters into the humid jungle.

The tour bus came and picked me up right at my hostel in La Paz in the morning and they brought us out of town to La Cumbre ‘’which is the highest point where you start cycling’’ at 4700 meters. They set us up with everything we needed (complete coverall, knees and elbows protection, helmets and some good bikes). We started going down the road first on the new road with asphalt to let us get accustomed with the bikes (so starters, don’t be too scared). Stopped for lunch after the paved road and then we were in for the real ride we were all there for. The famous ‘’Death road’’. The gravel road is a bit loose in spots and only 3.5 meters wide in the narrowest spots, so do be careful over curves. But what a thrill, at first you are not too quick and use the brakes a lot, but after a while you get more at ease and the fun starts (Still being careful :)

The guides would get us to stop every 20 minutes or so, for a bit of rest and to take some pictures in some key points where the scenery is best. After a few hours of going down we all made it to the end in Yolosa at 1200 meters. Stopped for a beer at a bar at the end while the guides were packing everything back up and putting the bikes back on the van. Once everything was packed we got in and were brought to a small hotel-restaurant with a nice pool to enjoy and there were also hot showers available. After supper we took the road to get back to La Paz.

Example of bicycles

Overall experience was very good and I have no complains at all, because I had a very good day and a hell of an experience to brag about to my friends when I go back home :) And in the end of all they made a dvd with all the pictures and videos taken in the day for each of us, and we also all got a cool T-Shirt making it official that we made it down the Death Road.

So remember you might find cheaper prices with some other tour company, but good bikes with good maintenance are what you want. It is your life and I preferred keeping mine alive to get to do more fun stuff like this. So put your life in the hands of people who have now done this since 2007 and that know what they do.