- 5/28/2025
The Carretera de la muerte - the road to death- is one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Year after year many people die here. We accompany trucker Omar and his co-driver Jaime on their trip across the Andes, encountering cyclists, mountain bikers and coca-farmers on the way.
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00:00It's regarded as one of the most dangerous roads of the world, La Carretera de la Muerte,
00:20the road of death.
00:24Year after year, many people die here.
00:33Some go looking for adventure, others depend on this road.
00:49For all of them, it's a risky ride.
01:16South America, Bolivia.
01:22Starting in Ixiamas, situated in the tropical lowlands, the road leads 500 kilometers up
01:28to the Plateau of the Andes, at almost 5,000 meters altitude.
01:32The destination is the mega-city of La Paz.
01:40At the peak of the route, La Cumbre Paz, spiritual healers evoke La Pachamama, Mother Earth.
01:46Their shamanic powers are supposed to cast out negative, harmful energy.
01:55The shamans sacrifice their offerings to Pachamama.
01:58People are supposed to remember what they are doing to Mother Earth.
02:02Roads carve themselves into the soil like scars.
02:10The priests beg for forgiveness also for those driving on these roads.
02:14They want to protect them from accidents and harm.
02:26Omar Parria has been working as a truck driver for more than 20 years now.
02:30There is hardly a single road in Bolivia that he hasn't traveled.
02:36The road to La Paz is his home route.
02:38He transports timber from the jungle.
02:40His load weighs 25 tons.
02:43Without any incidents, the journey takes him three days.
02:52It's still his dry season at the end of October, so the road is quite dusty.
03:05In a few weeks, it'll start raining.
03:08The road will be drowned in mud and morass, and there is hardly any kind of movement possible.
03:13But for now, the drivers are fighting the stifling heat and the dusty air.
03:22Omar is driving quite fast.
03:24He's using the opportunity to make kilometers.
03:27His co-driver hardly knows the road.
03:29He wants to learn about its pitfalls from Omar.
03:38There are dangers everywhere.
03:39You must not make mistakes.
03:42The truck could break down.
03:43There is a lot to be sorry about.
03:46When you're on the road, anything can happen.
03:58The truck is stuck.
03:59The wheels are spinning.
04:02It's deep, really deep.
04:10Put it in there.
04:11In there.
04:12I have to see for myself.
04:16Jaime is looking for holes in the ground and fills them up with stones.
04:23On the other side, it's deep, too.
04:26Put these leaves underneath.
04:29The palm leaves supply the necessary grip.
04:37Only Omar's skill and the full force of the engine can help to get the vehicle out.
04:46It rained in the morning.
04:54The road is muddy.
04:56The rain has made it worse.
04:58The wheels and the shaft have sunk in.
05:01That's why the truck wouldn't move.
05:03It was as if someone pulled the brakes.
05:07Omar has to be especially careful with river courses.
05:10If water penetrated the engine, it would destroy it.
05:14The trip would be over before it even started.
05:42The few roads that are passable for trucks lead through this sheer, endless jungle.
05:46The humidity of the tropical rainforest evaporates in misty clouds from the thicket.
06:10The truck feels its way through the wall of fog, only a few meters of visibility.
06:20A collision with an approaching vehicle would be fatal.
06:25Jaime, there's always fog here, always.
06:34You have to pay attention, you could get lost.
06:41We're losing a lot of time, we have to drive slow, we can't see a thing.
06:57Rurna Baki lies on the banks of the Rio Beni, on the inflows of the Amazon River.
07:06Trucks are waiting to cross the river here.
07:15The ferry consists of a simple wooden pontoon.
07:18The pontonero instructs the truck drivers.
07:22The crossing takes half an hour, and only two trucks can go on at a time.
07:38Ferryman Guanera Riaz is responsible for bringing trucks and people to the other side safely.
07:44He's been shipping the Rio Beni for many years now.
07:47He also knows when operations should come to a halt.
07:52This river needs a certain level, you can't always cross.
07:58At high tide, the current will carry flotsam, wood and junk and everything that destroys
08:03the engines of the boats.
08:11As soon as the ferry lands on the bank, Guanera Riaz must anchor it tightly.
08:17Wooden chains will make sure the pontoon doesn't break loose when the trucks embark.
08:24The ramp consists of only two logs, they have to carry the weight of many tons.
08:29It takes expertise and good judgment to position them properly.
08:38By now, Omar has arrived at the ferry.
08:41Now it's all about steering the truck across the ramp.
08:46We'll have to be very careful soon when the truck drives onto the pontoon.
08:52It has to be driven slowly, very slowly.
09:03If he doesn't do it right, there'll be an accident, and that's bad for all of us.
09:09Then we have a problem.
09:14One has to learn to drive onto the pontoon.
09:17You always have to shift to the so-called crammer gear.
09:20That's the right combination of braking and driving so as not to push the pontoon away.
09:29Omar and the pontonero have known each other for many years.
09:33During the ferry ride, they start chatting.
09:35A truck has slipped from the pontoon just this morning.
09:38It was tedious work to pull it back out.
09:41The drivers always make the same mistake.
09:46It's slippery.
09:47That's exactly what happened.
09:50The log you drive on moves just a tiny bit.
09:52There's a small margin with the gears.
09:54It's horrible.
09:55It's worse when the rear wheel spins in the other direction.
10:00That's how it slips.
10:02That's the problem.
10:14Just around the corner from where the trucks are crossing the Rio Beni, fishermen are
10:18hunting for the biggest freshwater fish of the world.
10:28Antonio Limachi and Alfonso Carvajal are focusing on the tasty giant catfish.
10:34Where do we throw our net?
10:41Where, here?
10:45Because the dry period lasts longer, the Rio Beni carries less water, one of the reasons
10:50why the fishermen catch less.
10:58But soon, the fishermen's luck is on their side.
11:13A nice urubi.
11:21Today it's difficult.
11:22The water level should be higher.
11:25But it's low because this year it's been so dry, unlike last year.
11:31Once you'd thrown in the net, you'd have caught four, five, up to ten fish.
11:35Now it's still too dry.
11:54Carvajal has long left the river behind.
11:56His path leads him across gravel roads from the lowlands to higher regions.
12:06The road is winding from the humid tropical lowlands to the dry high plateau of the Andes.
12:12The road is mostly unpaved and it leads through the breathtaking landscapes of the Yungas.
12:27The drivers have to overcome deep valleys and vast canyons on their way.
12:31It's left-hand driving on the Yungas road.
12:34The ascending vehicles should not stop, otherwise they'd get stuck.
12:45Omar has to fully concentrate.
12:47His truck just about fits between the cliff and the canyon.
13:02One driving mistake would be enough to make him fall into the canyon.
13:12The brim of the road is unpaved, no guardrails at all.
13:16And what happens if Omar faces an approaching vehicle?
13:19Backward driving is too dangerous.
13:22There are only few passing places.
13:24Between hope and fear, look out and off you go.
13:30It's a very dangerous spot.
13:32Many people have died here.
13:35It goes down 150 meters.
13:40We wouldn't live to tell the tale.
13:42We have to be very careful.
13:57The truck meanders through the canyon.
14:00The road was wrested from the rock using dynamite.
14:13Along the road, there are countless roadworks.
14:15It's being broadened wherever you look.
14:18The construction vehicles scratch meter after meter from the soil.
14:21It's all about the trucks reaching their destinations faster and safer.
14:26Even though rich in natural resources, Bolivia still is one of the poorest countries in Latin
14:31America.
14:32The expansion of the road networks and an improved infrastructure is supposed to help
14:37change that.
14:42Because of the roadworks, whole sections of the road are being blocked for many hours
14:46during the day.
14:47As soon as the road is clear, a true car rally begins.
15:08Everyone tries to make up for the time lost.
15:10That's when many lethal accidents occur.
15:23Whoever doesn't own a car and has to cover long distances must rely on buses.
15:29They are comfortable but not less dangerous.
15:32Many a bus driver risks the passenger's lives with overtaking maneuvers.
15:38There are people who are afraid.
15:40They come from Cochamba, from Santa Cruz.
15:44People who don't know how to drive or come here for the first time, they are afraid.
15:49But not me.
15:50I enjoy this.
15:57We pray to God to reach our destination.
16:00My family is worried.
16:02As someone from my family travels, I also worry until they've returned home safely.
16:18Fascination and fear are closely related for most passengers.
16:23They enjoy the unique view of the spectacular canyons.
16:27But often they are only centimeters away from the abyss.
16:36It goes down a hundred meters or more.
16:39For whoever suffers from fear of heights, this tour will become a nightmare even without
16:44an accident.
17:02It's so hot.
17:03Let's go, Jaime.
17:04Let's have lunch.
17:05What's for lunch, Dona?
17:11It's so hot, Jaime.
17:13What are we having?
17:14A full course menu.
17:15I'm starving and I need a drink.
17:18Something refreshing.
17:19We have juice and sparkling water.
17:28They are having the usual regional dish, with a soup as a starter.
17:37Oma and Jaime have an appointment with Jaime's brother.
17:40He's got a special mission for them.
17:42The two are meant to bring Monchito, a little monkey, to a friend in La Paz.
17:49The monkey's coming along?
17:51It's not the first time he's going there.
17:54I don't think he's going to like it.
17:55I hope he doesn't freeze to death.
17:57But he has to help us if the truck breaks down, or else we'll run him over.
18:02OK, we'll take him along.
18:24But Monchito likes the trip, and Oma and Jaime can finally relax for a bit.
18:29But the ease of life as a truck driver doesn't last for long.
18:35Jaime, I think we have a flat tire.
18:52One of the overused tires has peeled itself when it was stuck in the mud.
18:56Obviously, the rubber mantle was destroyed by the spinning.
19:05It's the tire.
19:06Damn, a piece got torn off.
19:09No rubber left.
19:10You can even see the thread.
19:12A piece is missing.
19:13We need to change the tire.
19:23Luckily, the nearest garage isn't far off.
19:26Oma has the tire changed in the village of Cinquentaidos.
19:36The repair works are time-consuming, but Oma has allowed for minor incidents.
19:41He uses the opportunity to relax.
19:44A few coca leaves have their part in it.
19:46They keep him awake and happy.
19:56I'm taking precautions.
19:58Otherwise, this might later cost us two to three hours.
20:00Now I only lose half an hour.
20:02That's much better.
20:04But I don't stress myself out.
20:05I even have some coca leaves to calm me down and to rest, since the trip will be tiring.
20:16The farmers in the Yungas harvest the coca leaves just like tea or tomatoes are harvested
20:24elsewhere.
20:25Albertina Mamani and her husband Valerio are two of the thousands of legal cocaleros.
20:31The coca farmers don't regard coca as the basis for cocaine, but as a holy plant, which
20:36already the Incas knew, and which has a therapeutic effect.
20:46Sometimes we are hungry, and the leaves of the coca help us get over it.
20:52We'll hold out till lunchtime.
20:56Almost everyone here in the Yungas chews coca.
21:04We didn't have the money to send our kids to school.
21:07We didn't go either.
21:08There was no money.
21:09Coca used to be so cheap, a pound for one Boliviano.
21:14Nowadays we get 30, 35 or even 40 Bolivianos per pound.
21:23The value of the coca leaves that Albertina dries and prepares for transport has increased
21:28considerably in Bolivia over the past few years.
21:31The growing of coca is supported from highest-ranking political officials.
21:36President Evo Morales, an ex-coca farmer himself, propagates coca as an economic commodity of
21:43the same value as coffee and other fruit.
21:45He wants coca to be internationally recognized and not demonized as a drug.
21:53Albertina and Valerio make relatively good money with the coca plant.
21:58About 2,500 euros a year, they bring the sacks to La Paz, where the coca leaves from the
22:03region are especially appreciated.
22:23Omar and Jaime have found a place to sleep by the roadside.
22:30Jaime, we need to get some sleep.
22:36We have to get up early tomorrow to continue on.
22:39When we arrive, we still have to unload the logs.
22:42See you tomorrow.
22:43I'll dream of angels.
22:58The Altiplano, a high plateau in western Bolivia, is bordering on the Yongas.
23:04Llamas are grazing on the meager fields.
23:12There are only few paths leading through this area.
23:14A thousand years ago, the Incas used to live here on the Altiplano.
23:19Today, it's easiest to visit their paths and cult sites on a motocross bike.
23:28Fernando Jordán is following the old paths, accompanied by his friend Mauricio del Solar.
23:33They both share the passion for nature, culture and motorbikes.
23:39You know this is part of the old Inca route, this whole area.
23:43They set off from here.
23:45Yes, they walked across these mountains and found gold over there.
24:03It's not the first time that Mauricio and Fernando explore the area.
24:07They are familiar here.
24:08None of the two would set off on a trip like this on his own.
24:11That would be too risky.
24:15Heavy rainfall over there.
24:17But we still have to go across here.
24:19Let's search for a different route.
24:21We go there and then we'll turn off there.
24:23I hope it doesn't rain as much over there.
24:26Yes, look, there are clouds over there and the wind is blowing them in this direction.
24:30We have to hurry.
24:32The roads are very dangerous and there's no help in sight.
24:37If something happened, it would take us hours to find help.
24:41That's very dangerous because something could happen any time.
24:46To have a motorcycle accident would be a bad idea.
24:50That's why a helmet, protective clothing and a well-oiled bike are essential.
25:07The higher up the bikers get, the thinner the air gets.
25:11They ride their bikes even above 5,000 meters of altitude.
25:14There is an icy wind coming from the mountains.
25:24And on top of the wind and the cold, there are wild llamas.
25:29As if they were waiting for the right moment to attack.
25:33As additional obstacles.
25:54We come across new things every day, and that's what I love about the training.
26:00We come across new things every day, and that's what I love about this country, to still find
26:05new things, things we can share.
26:11For me, being here is something very special.
26:15Five hundred years ago, our ancestors walked these same paths to find gold for their jewelry.
26:22Having my motorbike here amidst the llama trails, I feel the energy of this place.
26:37Omar valiantly continues his rollercoaster ride.
26:49At a clear road section, he sees sacks and bags at the roadside.
26:53His assumption quickly becomes horrible certainty.
27:02What happened, Jaime?
27:09I'm so sorry.
27:11Whatever happened here?
27:13Has someone seen anything?
27:15Did this happen last night?
27:16Has someone died?
27:17Were there two people?
27:18Is the driver dead?
27:20The driver is alive.
27:25They're saying the co-driver is dead.
27:27I'm sorry.
27:28It happened because he had to let an approaching car pass and he came too close to the edge.
27:32The road broke off.
27:34You have to be so careful with that.
27:38One has to drive carefully and stay awake.
27:41If you're tired, it's better to stop and rest.
27:43Some drivers are very tired, but they drive on and fall asleep.
27:47That's when this sort of thing happens.
27:49It was the driver's mistake.
27:51You can make mistakes on this road, but this wasn't one.
27:55If the road breaks off and you just try to let someone pass, who's to blame?
27:59No one.
28:12Lethal accidents are a common occurrence on the mountain roads in Yungas.
28:16Omar has lost friends and colleagues too.
28:18The fact that nothing has happened to him yet is surely due to his caution, but also
28:23to do with luck.
28:32His truck is Omar's home for many weeks and months of the year.
28:36All the more welcome are the short breaks in which he can refresh himself.
28:42Tie up the monkey over there so he gets some fresh air.
28:51Even if Mochito complains about being left on his own for a little while, a short break
28:56outside the driver's cabin will do him good too.
29:07For Omar and Jaime, the crystal clear mountain water is better than any shower or bath in
29:12a hotel room.
29:14They get to wash themselves for the first time in one and a half days, and they wash
29:18thoroughly.
29:36After a very exhausting day, you are knackered.
29:40You had to keep focused the whole time.
29:44After having seen this accident, the best, most relaxing and most beautiful thing to
29:48do is to have a good wash.
29:52Now I'm ready to go back on the road.
29:55It feels as if I washed off kilos of dust.
29:59That's great.
30:00Isn't it, Jaime?
30:16Omar leads the life of a trucker, and as you would expect from a captain of the roads,
30:21he has a different girl in every town.
30:30You get to know new people, new attractive women if you're on the road, not only in this
30:36country but also in others.
30:39Truth is, I have two wives, with the first one I have two children, and one with the
30:48second one.
30:52There are some difficult moments, I've only got one pair of hands, you know.
30:58Omar stops in Coroico to meet his second wife, Veronica.
31:08He only sees her a couple of weeks.
31:10She knows about the situation she's in.
31:12Yes, I am jealous.
31:25I've traveled with him and seen many things, beautiful women talking to him, they come,
31:33smile at him and talk to him, yes, I'm very jealous.
31:49At all hallows, people commemorate the dead at the cemetery of Coroico.
31:54The family has come to put down flowers at the graves and to commemorate the dead.
32:04Omar also uses the short stopover to decorate Veronica's father's grave and pray together
32:10with Veronica and their son.
32:28We are in touch with the souls, and I always pray, not only here but also if I'm on the
32:34road, so they'll accompany us and keep an eye on us.
32:44All hallows is a very jolly celebration in Bolivia.
32:48Even marching bands play at the gravesides.
32:50The tomb slab serves as a table, so if in fact the deceased actually want to join the
32:55celebration, food and a table are provided for.
32:59Figurines made of bread, sweets, fruit and alcohol are available too.
33:13Children and adults go from grave to grave and pray for those whose names are being called
33:17out by the relatives.
33:19They in return are rewarded with the gifts on the graves.
33:38For Omar, it goes without saying that he too visits the graves of strangers and prays for
33:44them.
33:45It's a custom.
33:52The celebration goes on until nightfall, but Omar has to get a move on.
33:58The passage that brought about the road's by-name, Road to Death, is still to come.
34:05The Carretera de la Muerte leads from Coroico, 65 km across almost all Bolivian climate zones.
34:12It surmounts 3,000 m of altitude.
34:40Within a short time, the weather changes.
34:42Rain clouds appear from the depth and turn the often only 3 m wide road into a dangerous
35:19Little rivulets turn into torrents.
35:22Water is coming from everywhere.
35:24The ride turns into a skidding slide.
35:30I'm not afraid, but I don't trust the road.
35:47In this rain, the road is wet and sudden and can break off at any moment.
35:52It could be rockfall.
35:54If another car approaches, it may well get too narrow and we won't be able to pass each
35:59other.
36:09Up until a few years ago, the road was seen as the most dangerous in the world.
36:14Each month, cars would fall down.
36:16There would be many deaths and injuries.
36:18For a few years now, there is a bypass.
36:21But still, OMA takes the Carretera de la Muerte.
36:24Because it is shorter and saves gasoline and time.
36:29Welcome to the Road of Death, my friends.
36:33I like this section best.
36:34It takes about two hours to drive it.
36:36You should be extra careful.
36:37There are huge rocks and potholes.
36:41Ninety percent of the accidents occur in the curves, so slow down when you get there.
36:54What truck drivers consider to be work is pure love of adventure for the mountain bikers.
37:00Many agencies have discovered the Carretera de la Muerte as a tourist attraction.
37:13With guides to accompany the tourists, they sell the ride into the depths of the mountains
37:18as a special experience.
37:26The Road to Death is considered to be one of the main tourist attractions in Bolivia.
37:31It leads downhill all the way.
37:34Even so, the cyclists must concentrate hard as to not let the tour end in a free fall.
37:44A few photos are being taken for the family album, or rather, the online friends across
37:49the globe.
37:50It's been one of my dreams ever since I came to Bolivia to ride the Yungas Road.
37:58In the beginning, I didn't dare, but was full of adrenaline, and so I just do it now.
38:04It's great fun.
38:05The kick you get out of riding down, once you realize you could fall down 1,500 meters,
38:12is incredible.
38:15This feeling when you're riding close to the edge, it's like flying.
38:19It's impossible to explain.
38:47Omar has almost made it.
38:48He must never lose his concentration or get careless.
38:52The road is unpredictable to the very end.
38:54The weather has improved, but the road surface still is sodden and spongy.
39:14Finally Omar leaves the dirt road and reaches the final section of his route.
39:19From here onwards, the last kilometers to La Paz are paved.
39:26The first thing I do is to thank God for sparing my life.
39:30I beg him to grant us a safe passage, to help us stay concentrated, have no accidents and
39:36make no mistakes.
39:39The Royal Cordilleras accompany Omar to the peak of his journey.
39:50Omar makes a short stop at La Cumbra Pass in 4,650 meters of altitude.
40:04In the freezing cold, he commemorates the dead whose lives this road has claimed.
40:09He thanks Pachamama, Mother Earth, for sparing him so far and prays for mercy and his family's
40:15well-being.
40:16La Paz, the journey's destination.
40:31It's the highest megacity of the world.
40:34Its houses are built at an altitude between 3,200 and 4,100 meters.
40:46Omar has to go to the opposite part of the city.
40:49His client is already waiting for the logs there.
40:55In the meantime, Jaime is taking Monchito to his brother's girlfriend, where he is eagerly
41:00expected.
41:06After having mastered all the adversities that the road to death holds, one last challenge
41:11is awaiting him.
41:19Driving through the city is the most exhausting part of the trip.
41:22There are many small cars, the streets are narrow, the cabs just stop wherever they want,
41:29and minivans too.
41:31That makes me angry.
41:40The ride ends in Al Alto, outside the city gates.
41:43This is where the lumberyard is.
41:46Omar has fulfilled his duty.
41:48He delivered the logs safely and on time.
42:05The goods have been delivered to their owner.
42:08He's happy and so am I.
42:10I already need to start thinking about the next tour.
42:14I have to see where I can find a new load, and then drive back, but it feels like a victory
42:19to me.
42:20I did it.
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