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.

History

The road, some 64 kilometres long and in places less than 3 metres wide, was built in the 1930s and was one of the few routes linking La Paz with the Amazon lowlands to the north; unlike the rest of the country it kept left-hand traffic, so that drivers could better judge the edge. Until 2006 it was the only road from Coroico to La Paz, when a new two-lane asphalt route, built over 20 years with bridges, drainage, guardrails and a new section between Chusquipata and Yolosa, bypassed its worst stretches, and the old road is now used mainly by cyclists, motorcyclists and walkers (Wikipedia, Yungas Road).

What you'll find

• 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.

Practical notes

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.

Key facts