To complicate our trip slightly, the bolivians decided to stage strikes blocking every road in and out of town (La Paz) with buses, cars, taxis etc which went on for several days.....thankfully the locals told us that the strikers wouldnt be out until 8am and would finish at 6ish....dinner time !!
So the morning of our death road trip, we were up at 6.30am to get out of the city before the roads were blocked. Our group of 12 were taken up the side of a mountain where we were kitted out in rain jackets & pants (the flattering kind !), helmets, gloves and of course the obligatory mountain bike. The first hour of the trip was the fastest descent I have ever done on a bike, we basically free wheeled all the way down just holding on to the back brake for dear life !! We stopped for a snack-break of water, chocolate and bananas and the guides were taking photos all the time. More downhill freewheeling brought us through two "police checks" before we hit the start of the death road.
The death road was a dirt track that winds along the side of a mountain where two cars cannot pass but big artic trucks make that trip everyday as that is the only road available to Coroico ( granted it takes them 20 hrs to do it apparently) ! The "road" is slippy, lots of stones everywhere, you have to cross a few streams and even cycle through a waterfall or two. You are still going downhill at speed but are very aware of the death drop to your left so we tried to stay in the centre of the track so that if you were to skid on the mud/stones you still had part of the road to fall on. Thankfully that didnt happen to any of us. We did have another snack stop at the spot where an Israeli girl went over the side on her bike a few years ago.... there´s monument there now for her. 
(Michelle on far left in the blue helmet & dust mask, sanch next in the blue top)
We finally arrive at Coroico at 3pm after 5 hours on the bike and have a well deserved beer and rest. 
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