Huanacuno-Yunchara Road
The Carretera Huanacuno-Yunchara is a high mountain road located in southern Bolivia. This road tests the skill, and courage, of any driver. It’s definitely not for anyone suffering from vertigo or a fear of landslides.
The road links Huanacuno (at 2.741m above the sea level) and Yunchara (at 3.579m above the sea level). It’s gravel and pretty narrow and steep. It’s 39.2 km long. The road is pretty much carved out of the side of a steep mountain and heavily trafficked. Your wheels will be astounded at the wonderful views of the mountains spread out before you! They are terrible for drivers who are prone to vertigo. In many places the road is bordered by a drop of hundreds of meters (many hundreds of feet) unprotected by guardrails.
The road has 20 hairpin turns. It’s 39.2km long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 838m. The average gradient is 2.1% but with sections up to 15%. The road and scenery however, is very impressive. Do not travel this road in severe weather conditions. The climb is simply terrible, with a notorius lack of oxygen that tests the organisms and a high degree of steepness. Most people feel altitude sickness at around 2,500-2,800 meters.
Road suggested by: Hugh Wilson
Pic: http://www.prensarural.com.bo/comunidad/municipio-de-yunchara-exige-la-conclusion-del-asfaltado-chorcoya-mendez-chorcoya-aviles/