If tourist hype is the indicator, then Bolivia wins the “Most Dangerous Road” award, but if steep, slippery, narrow, and curvy are your indicators, then I think we found a new winner.As noted in “The Book”, this would be an “often impassable route”. We even tried to check it out on GoogleEarth, but it only showed the first portion, the rest of the road seemed to simply fade into the jungle. We were told numerous times that this was going to be an eight hour trip by the bus company, but The Book told us to take food, water, and plan on 12 -15 hours.
Starting from Celendin at about 2500 metres, we climbed steadily up into the mountains to 3500 metres then dropped down into the first river valley…and our lunch spot (this would be the “squalid town of Balsas with the unhygienic restaurant” accurately noted in The Book). The switchbacks were steady coming down … almost scenic in themselves…..first heading down
into a hanging valley and then over the edge into the river valley at 2000 metres.
Starting from Celendin at about 2500 metres, we climbed steadily up into the mountains to 3500 metres then dropped down into the first river valley…and our lunch spot (this would be the “squalid town of Balsas with the unhygienic restaurant” accurately noted in The Book). The switchbacks were steady coming down … almost scenic in themselves…..first heading down
into a hanging valley and then over the edge into the river valley at 2000 metres.After lunch, the real fun started. It had rained steady for the past few days and as a result, the single lane gravel road soon turned to mud.
Two hours into the climb, we hit our first slide area and our first “work for your fare” experience. All of the men and some of the woman started a “work bee” to move rocks and mud that had blocked the road. This was all done just below a precariously situated large boulder - the size of a small car - under the watchful eye of
our driver. (I think I saw a similar scene on some old prison movie once…)
Two hours into the climb, we hit our first slide area and our first “work for your fare” experience. All of the men and some of the woman started a “work bee” to move rocks and mud that had blocked the road. This was all done just below a precariously situated large boulder - the size of a small car - under the watchful eye of
our driver. (I think I saw a similar scene on some old prison movie once…) Anyway, once “cleared”, the driver gave us the thumbs-up and then bounced his bus over the rest of the rocks as quickly as possible before the boulder decided to let loose. Note the boulder in the picture above the bus.
This same process continued four or five other times…each time saw us digging our way out of a mud slide, with no possible way to turn around…and the river 
two kilometers directly below us. Eleven hours later, we finally made it to our next stop…safe and sound…via the “new” Most Dangerous Road.
two kilometers directly below us. Eleven hours later, we finally made it to our next stop…safe and sound…via the “new” Most Dangerous Road. Late note: Today we travelled with a couple that made the same trip the day after we did and the trip took them 30 hours! Apparently the boulder (and other rocks/mud) fell – thankfully doing no damage – but blocked the road so completely that the bus was stranded in that spot over night until the “road maintenance crew were able to bring in machinery and move it.
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