Travel Story: Spencer james conway - south america
DEATH ROAD AND THE DEVIL'S TRAMPOLINE
Being the idiot that I am I made the conscious decision to hunt out the most difficult roads I could find in each of the South American countries. I am not a fan of asphalt roads and I am proud that I have only covered 45 kilometres on the paved Trans American Highway out of more than 11 000 kilometres. In Colombia this turned out to be the most difficult but exhilarating ride I have ever done and is an absolute must for any Adventure Rider heading through these parts. Located in the south of Colombia going through the Valley of Sibunday, the road between Mocoa and San Francisco in Putumayo was built in 1930 and zig zags the Andean Mountain Range. The road is 69.7 kilometres long. It is known as the Trampolin del Diablo (the devil's trampoline- for the obvious reason that it throws people over the edge), the Adiós mi Vida( goodbye my life) or the Trampolin de la Muerte, Death's Trampoline. None of these names instil confidence but when I saw a sign ' This road is difficult but not impossible', my spirits rose. This road is definitely not suitable for public transport and was originally built to transport soldiers during the war between Colombia and Peru. More than 500 people died on this road in 2011 and in 1989 more than 300 died in a single incident when a huge part of the road collapsed.
The track, because that's what it is, at times, gets extremely muddy and slippery and after a storm it is impassable even for four wheel drives. It is 70 kilometres of pure wilderness and light local traffic, a no man's land, a place to connect with nature where you can find solitude but also pure adrenaline. It abounds in radical twists and turns including cliffs and precipices and more than 100 hairpin bends. Heavy mist and low visibility increase the rush. On top of that landslides and avalanches are a common occurrence. I was lucky in that the weather was dry, perfect really. I was pleased about that as I had camerawoman Cathy Nel on the back plus my equipment with a total weight of over 500 kilogrammes. On one particularly vicious bend there is a local man with a flag who voluntarily warns people of the impending danger, unpaid, but doing his humane duty. Superb. It was a beautiful road with bubbling waterfalls, verdant green fauna and colourful butterflies everywhere. I felt like I was on a
Spielberg film set and didn't want the experience to end. We loved every second of it and it is a day I will never forget especially as it was completely un-touristic unlike the next road I sought out, the relaxingly named Death Road.... to be continued.
Leading from La Paz to the small picturesque mountain village of Coroico, 56 kilometres northeast of La Paz is the North Yungas Road, otherwise known as Death Road. In 1995 the Inter-American Bank christened it as the world's most dangerous road. In 2006 it was estimated that more than 300 travellers died on the route each year. The road is littered with crosses and shrines in memory of the people in cars, trucks and motorbikes that have fallen over its steep edges often never to be found. The road ascends to around 4650 metres (15 260 feet) before descending to 1200 metres (3900 feet). The danger of the road has made it a popular destination for thrill seekers starting in the 1990s. Some 25 000 mountain bikers have braved the road attracted by a continuous 64 kilometre downhill stretch. The road remained dangerous and at least 18 cyclists have died in recent times. A new safer alternative road has been built and the old road is now used mainly by cyclists and me. The road was originally built during the Chaco War by Paraguayan prisoners who also died in their hundreds.
The grim death toll has now subsided but I suspect not ended. The day I rode it I was sorely disappointed but I suspect that this was mainly due to the beautiful solitude of the Devil's Trampoline. The experience is somewhat ruined by the hundreds of cyclists taking selfies on every corner and also the fact that you have to pay tolls of 100 Bolivianos on two occasions. Still it is a stunning ride and half way round you pass under a beautiful waterfall cascading down the side of the mountain. Stunning, and it cools you down. Worth a visit but for an Adventure Motorcyclists it pales into insignificance compared to the Devil's Trampoline. I declined the offer of a T-Shirt at the tacky road side shops, with the logo ' I survived Death Road'. Not really the best of taste considering the people who have died there, but such is life in the tourist world.