Downhill Riding in Bolivia!

Our Brave Group

On October 16th I signed up for a day of downhill mountain biking around the mountains of La Paz. Myself and 8 other brave riders geared up with Kona "Stinky" downhill bikes and body armor and hopped into the two vans that shuttled us up the steep hills just outside of the city. The 3 guides that accompanied us were very funny and good spirited, but perhaps a bit optimistic as to the obstacles the the average adventurer could handle. The first run they took us to was a "race course," which was a steep hillside flanked by cactus and spikey bushes. The steep loose terrain immediately claimed several other riders who slided out on the steep slopes. One girl crashed 20 yards into our very first run and dislocated her shoulder. Another guy (second time on a downhill bike) decided he could gap a river bed 3 meters wide; he did land it, but crashed into a waist high boulder and was flung 12 meters down the hill. After being rushed to the hospital we shuttled up the mountain for another run. The second run was actually very fun. It turns out the moutain was decorated with the namesake "muelas del diablo," or the devils teeth.

My Lucky Bike (only one who didn't fall!)

High above La Paz

As to why I am the only one without a full-face helmet isn't an act of heroism, but rather my unusual size. I blame my parents who genetically endowed me with a large head that not only doenst fit the average helmet size, but also has been greeted by door-jams and street signs :).


The second ride we went on was amazing!! We hopped back in the vans and drove 45 minutes up another steep mountainside. After 2 delicious sandwiches at the top we geared back up and started riding down the dirt road. Fortunately the guides decided to split us up into 2 groups and so the faster group was able to do several laps on the very fast single track. The terrain consisted of fast s-turns and rock gardens.

We started from the tippy top

After a full day of riding, the guides treated us to beer and pork sandwiches (not on the itinerary, but they were very friendly!). All in all, riding an unfamiliar and small 16 1/2 inch frame and new terrain, it was a very fun day and I satiated by bike-fix.