| Duration: | 1 Day(s) - 0 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Mountain Biking |
1. La Paz – “The World’s Most Dangerous Road” – La Paz
The ride begins at La Cumbre (4,700m/15,400 feet) where you’ll see fantastic views of several snow-covered peaks, including Huayna Potosí (6,088m/19,973 feet). From here you descend rapidly down a twisting asphalted road among mountain peaks, grazing llamas and alpacas, tiny villages, and a drug check-post (?!). You stop for refreshments, photos, and rests along the way -- all the better to give you time to take in the scenery: towering cliff faces, dramatic drops, and ever-greener vegetation.
After a snack, you descend further, and after a brief undulating section of the road, you enter the jungle itself and the most challenging part of the ride. This infamous narrow dirt road is cut precariously into the side of the mountain and descends 2,000m (6,500 feet).
With 1,000m+ (3,300 feet) sheer drops off to your left and hulking rock overhangs and cascading waterfalls to your right, you ride through the mist, low clouds, and dust. As you near the end of the ride it gets progressively hotter and dustier. By the time you arrive at the bottom of Yolosa (1,100m/3,600 feet), you will be tired, hot, dirty, and exhilarated. Just below the village of Yolosa, you ride down to La Senda Verde Animal Refuge where you enjoy a late pasta and salad buffet lunch, take in the magnificent scenery, spend time relaxing by the pool, enjoying a cold drink, and getting to know the rescued animals.
The drive back up to La Paz (by car of course) takes approx. 3 – 4 hours and you should expect to arrive between 19h00 – 21h00.
End of our services
Important: The itinerary can change as a result of weather conditions and some sights are not accessible at all times – Lipiko Tours cannot be held responsible for any changes in itinerary and sights not visited as a result.
MOUNTAIN BIKING TIPS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE TOUR:
Every mountain biker remembers their first time: You’re on a bicycle, which makes sense. But you’re riding over rocks, across streams, and overall types of different terrain, which (at least at first) feels like it makes no sense at all.
It’s fun and exciting, yet nerve-wracking and terrifying all at the same time. It gets easier—and more fun!—with time. But there are a few tips and tricks every one of us wishes someone had shared when we were just starting. Here are nine beginner mountain biking tips you should know when you’re first getting ready to shred.
Stay Loose
Your bike’s job is to roll over technical terrain. Your job is to let your bike do its job. That means keeping your body loose, so it can move beneath you. Hover your butt off the saddle when riding over obstacles like roots and rocks. The more technical the terrain, the more room your bike needs to move. When ripping down a descent, think: “pushup arms” and “cowboy legs,” and flare out your elbows and knees so your body lets the bike flow rather than fighting it.
Maintain Momentum
It’s going to feel counterintuitive, but holding speed—and even speeding up—when the terrain gets challenging makes clearing tough sections of trail easier because your bike has the one thing it needs most to keep moving forward: momentum. Momentum is your best friend out there, maintain it whenever you can.
Shift Your Weight
You’re going to hit some extreme terrain, including steep inclines and declines. When climbing a tough pitch, shift your weight forward and lean forward to keep your center of gravity over the rear wheel to maintain traction. When the trail tilts downward, go in the opposite direction, shifting your weight behind the saddle and over the rear wheel (dropper posts are a godsend for this) to avoid going over the bars.
Go Easy on the Brakes
You will be tempted at some point to grab both brakes and pull ‘em to the bars with all you’ve got. Resist this temptation! Mountain bike brakes are powerful enough that you need just one (maybe two) finger(s) to modulate your speed. Adjust your speed before the tricky stuff, like rock gardens and corners, and then maintain your speed through them.
If you do find yourself going into a turn too hot, stay off the front (left) brake. Stopping your front tire will send your front tire into a slide, which is likely to send you over the bars and onto the ground. Hit the rear (right) instead; you might skid, but you’re more likely to stay upright.
Set Your Suspension
Most mountain bikes today have at least a front suspension fork, and most have a shock absorber in the rear as well. These are magical inventions that make big bumps nearly disappear as you roll over them. But they only work if you have them set to their active positions.
Look Where You Want to Go
Staring directly at that rock you don’t want to hit will nearly ensure that you’re going to smack right into it. It’s called “target fixation;” your bike goes where your eyes are directing it to go. Instead, look past obstacles to where you want to go.
Keep your chin level to the ground, your eyes forward, and try to look as far down the trail as possible, using your peripheral vision to avoid and negotiate obstacles immediately in front of you. Upgrading to a trail-specific helmet will protect your head if an obstacle does trip you up.
