Death Road On Two Wheels

Zita Philpott, AA Roadwatch Broadcaster met Wenna Hicks whilst travelling and the two have remained firm friends ever since. Here she writes about Wenna and her dare-devil trip to Bolivia to take on the ‘Death Road’.

By Zita Philpott, AA Roadwatch

Here at AA Roadwatch, we’re used to covering both good and bad content relating to our countries roads, but what about those more extreme routes. No, I’m not talking about Swords Rd, I’m talking about taking to the roads and putting your life in your hands, all in the name of a life-changing experience.

Yungas Road is one of the few routes which connect the Amazon rainforest region of northern Bolivia, or Yungas, to its capital city La Paz. The road is largely single-laned and was built during the Chaco War by prisoners. It has no guard rails and anyone unlucky enough to fall off the edge of the cliff, faces a sheer drop of up to 600 metres.

Wenna Hicks, an adrenaline junkie from Truro in Cornwall has taken on Bolivia’s infamous Yungas Rd, or as it’s known to many ‘Death Road’, as her next challenge. With the likes of bungee jumping, white water rafting and deep sea diving under her belt, she is no stranger to taking risks. However, when asked which of these she found most challenging, Yungas Road was her choice. ‘’Knowing how many deaths occur each year and that being what this route is famous for, made this a pretty big challenge’’.

With little or no experience in mountain biking, Wenna took to the route with a group of 6 others who were a lot more experienced. ‘’Although I used to cycle growing up, that was just around country lanes and I hadn’t sat on a bike for a few years” claimed Hicks.

Keeping in mind that the majority of Yungas Road is the width of a single vehicle, Wenna was asked if she enjoyed the experience. ‘’Looking back, yes I did, but at the time it was absolutely terrifying and I remember thinking to myself both ‘Why the hell am I doing this’ and ‘I think I’m actually going to die’.”

She has a point, there are between 100 and 300 deaths there a year. So, why oh why I hear you ask, would anyone choose to conquer this road? It turns out that it’s a bit of a mountain-bikers thing to take to this route with a Go Pro attached to their helmet and a blatant disregard for common sense and or their own safety.

“With it being infamous as being the world’s most dangerous road, I found it very intriguing…plus I was a little bit bullied into it by my boyfriend at the time” said Wenna.

Road conditions on Yungas Road can be a nightmare. During the rainy season, between November and March, rain and fog can be a problem for visibility, wet conditions can also turn the road into a muddy track which in turn can affect traction. In the summer, rockfalls are common causing dust from vehicles to limit visibility.

Wenna travelled there in July 2014; “To be honest, I did think the road would be narrower along the whole route, so it was slightly wider than I expected, however I didn’t expect it to be so rocky and full of pot holes, that you have no control of your bike at times. At the time it was pretty cold also, only two days before it was foggy and a young girl went over the side’’ she said.

In the 90s, the danger-factor made it a popular tourist attraction, attracting over 25,000 thrillseekers. Now, tour operators provide information, guides, transport and equipment for the trip. Wenna’s group went with a company called Gravity Bolivia, who never at any stage shied away from the dangers of Yungas Road. ‘’On going to the tour company’s office, the walls were littered with articles of young people who died doing the trek. That really struck me; how dangerous it was, had I seen that beforehand, I would have changed my mind. At the same time, travelling really makes you appreciate all the different cultures and what each country has to offer, so I’d highly recommend it to everyone.”

The Top Gear guys had a go at the Yungas Road too – have a look at their video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXLxszv9eCM

Image Credit: Jimmy Harris on Flickr. Used under CC licence.