Sports and the Outdoors
Barracuda Biking Company. An excellent option for cycling the "Road of Death," Barracuda has a solid reputation, good guides, and safe bikes—and they charge a bit less than the more established Gravity. Calle Linares 971, Of. 5, Coroico, La Paz. 02/231--0176; www.barracudabiking.com. From (Bs)500.
Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking. There are lots of companies doing this, but the oldest, safest, and best (and most expensive; $110 USD) is Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking. Their top quality bikes are kept in good shape and their guides, a local and foreign tag team, all speak English, are well prepared, organized and enthusiastic – and carry all the rescue and first aid equipment you hope not to use when biking down "The World's Most Dangerous Road." At the end of the trip, you can either return to La Paz by van with the guides or overnight in Coroico and return with public transportation. Bike excursions can also be combined with Zipline Bolivia near Coroico. Be extremely wary of cut-price operators since this tour is not the place to be taking shortcuts on safety. Gravity also lead the way in offering alternative bike adventures – everything from big adrenaline single track rides near La Paz to six-day bike and boat trips all the way to Rurrenabaque. Linares 940, Coroico, La Paz. 02/231--0218; www.gravitybolivia.com. (Bs)980.
Santa Rosa El Vagante Canyoning. This small but well-run local outfit offers hikes, rappeling, and canyoning along the El Vagante river, near the community of Santa Rosa de Vagante. The usual excursions last about 4 hours, and there are eight waterfalls and plenty of steep canyon walls to explore. Good for a young, high energy crowd. 7954--6720; 7527--4751; www.elvagante.com. From (Bs)280.
Vertigo Biking. Plenty of companies have popped up recently offering bike tours down the Death Road, and Vertigo is among the most highly rated, with bilingual guides, good gear, and excellent safety standards. Calle Melchor Jimenez 836, Coroico, La Paz. 02/245--6514; www.vertigobiking.com. (Bs)50.
Zipline Bolivia. If you get down to the bottom of the Death Road and are still hungry for more adrenaline, the folks at Zipline Bolivia will be happy to oblige. They have over 1,500m (1,640 yards) of zipline broken up into three sections; set high above the jungle floor, you can reach up to 85 km per hour (52 miles per hour). Coroico, La Paz. 02/231--3849; www.ziplinebolivia.com. From (Bs)250.
