very very silly

starting to cry
see more photos »

I have Decided I am very silly and not very responsible, but it is more fun that way.  So myself and some of our friends decided to cycle the ´the worlds most dangerous rd´.  I know in life there are a lot of labels flung around, the highest, smallest, tallest etc which are usually so untrue but on this occasion I think it might be true.

The road starts at around 4300m and descends to the town at 1500m, the first 30km are tarmac but the last 30km are just dirt.  On average 200 people die on the rd each year, cars, coaches, trucks and bikes fall down the vertical 500m edge, which does not surprise me as it is not very wide.  Luckerly they have built a new road two months ago, so normally people can evade the old road.  But the only problem is that the new rd keeps getting covered in land slides, hence the photo which shows a slide two days before we went back up the rd - what fun!

very very silly

do not fall off
see more photos »

Well enough about the details, it sounded like a good idea.  Cycle the road, try not to die, then drive back up and hope we are not caught in a land slide.  The first 30km are real fun just tarmac rd, although raining we bombed it down and I felt quite confident.  When we hit the real dangerous section, all 30km of down hill we split into 3 groups depending on speed.  It must have been the altitude, honestly not my ego but I ended up in the fast group, how hard can it be? - bikes are for kids!

2 mth old new rd, slipped 2 days ago!
see more photos »

Well I s..t myself.  The road itself was not technically difficult but at speed with 500m drop on one side, cliff face on the other and for 30km, it was no place for mistakes.  I soon realised that my 5 friends in the group were all mountain biking veterans, so I hung on at the back and by some act of god kept up - too be honest it was very fun!  Although the fun kind of evaporated as our guide showed us numerous crosses by the side of the rd, wrecks of buses at the valley base and where tourists had biked off the edge - very thoughtful!  I only nearly came off once as I hid a huge rock but due to skill kept on going, and also almost fell into a ditch going round a corner.  The corners were the worst, skidding out in the rain was not really a option as falling off the edge would end in tears.  We decided not to stop for lunch as our group was on a bit of a mission, we managed to do the last bit in 42 minutes which our guide said was very fast, and it felt it, as my friends where doing little jumps and stuff as I was just hanging on for dear life.  Would I do it again - no because I can not believe I got down in one piece, but it was still one hell of a rush - going to the nearest bike shop on my return!