North Yungas Road

The old road from La Paz to the Yungas drops from La Cumbre pass at 4,650 metres to around 1,200 at Yolosa in some sixty kilometres, on a single-lane gravel track cut into the side of the valley with drops of several hundred metres and no barrier, and while it carried two-way traffic it had a reputation as one of the most dangerous roads anywhere, with a heavy annual toll. A new sealed highway opened in 2006 took the traffic, and the old road became a cycling descent, ridden by tens of thousands each year with operators providing bikes, guides and transport. It is still a narrow gravel track above long drops, and accidents on the descent, while far fewer, have not stopped.

What you actually see

• The cliff-cut track - a single lane above drops of hundreds of metres.
• The altitude drop - from 4,650 metres to the subtropics in sixty kilometres.
• Vegetation change - bare high ground giving way to cloud forest.
• Waterfalls over the road - streams crossing the track in the wet sections.

When to go

May to September, the dry season, when the surface is firmer and visibility better. The wet months bring fog, mud and rockfall. Descents start early in the morning from La Cumbre.

Honest expectations

This is a genuinely dangerous descent and riders have died on it; operator quality, bike maintenance and guide ratios vary enormously and choosing on price is a poor idea. It is cold at the top and hot at the bottom. Some vehicles still use the road. Brakes and helmets matter.

Nearby

Coroico lies below at the bottom; La Paz is above the pass.