Every now and then you’ve got to do something a little unhinged. Something that makes your mum nervous and your insurance provider quietly disappear. So when someone says, “Hey, want to ride Death Road?” you don’t overthink it. You just say yes and sign whatever waiver they shove in front of you. A quick conversation with Mandy and we were both signed up.
What an experience.
Sixty odd kilometres of downhill chaos, dropping three and a half thousand metres from cool mountain air into the humid jungle. It’s fast, it’s loose, and it’s just sketchy enough to keep things interesting.
This isn’t a sculptured purpose built trail. It’s an old highway with tight corners, sheer drops, waterfalls spilling straight onto the road like nature’s way of saying “good luck.” The surface changes every five minutes. One second you’re cruising, the next you’re negotiating rocks the size of your confidence.
And then there’s the traffic.
Yes, actual vehicles. On a road barely wide enough for one. Add in the fact that they drive on the “wrong” side so drivers can see exactly how close they are to ending you, and suddenly your braking technique becomes very important.
But that’s the thing …. it’s ridiculous, and it’s brilliant.
Somewhere between dodging puddles, hugging cliff edges, and laughing out loud, you realise you’re having the time of your life. This is what mountain biking is all about; being part of the environment, engulfed by nature, adrenaline, noise of the tyres scrabelling for grip. An absolute blast. The kind of fun that only exists when things feel just a little bit out of control.
Massive shoutout to the crew at Gravity Bolivia; top guides, great vibes, and with an awesome knowledge of the area, history and confidence inspiring calm. I’m so proud of Mandy doing this. It is out of her comfort zone. With determination she stuck it, rode extremely well and was slaying the course. She found her grove with the duel suspension bike.
Would I do it again? …. In a heart beat.
