Road 101
Located in the province of Pallasca in Peru, Carretera 101 is one of the most dangerous roads in the world. There are vertigo-inducing depths of up to 1.200m. Only the suicidal, the insane, or the paid-to-do-this should ever drive down.
Carretera 101 is a high mountain road. Most of the road runs at an elevation of 3.500m above the sea level. The surface of the road is gravel (50%) and asphalt (50%). 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 is extremely narrow. It’s 86.7 km long and climbs up to a highest elevation of 3.705m above the sea level. The road goes narrower every time, with a succession of turns and hairpins. These were handcut out of the mountain and some of them were very narrow, needing a steady hand on the wheel to negotiate.
There are some narrow sections -scarcely wide enough for two cars- where if two vehicles have to pass each other, one might have to reverse for some kilometers of winding narrow road to get to a place wide enough to pass. It shouldn’t be attempted by those who don't know how to reverse. The asphalted road is very dangerous after the rains and can get very slippery after rain making it challenging to get through. This route is not recommended. Extreme care with kidnapping and banditry occur often in the region and ongoing armed assaults with some attacks targeting tourists and convoys. The road was mostly asphalted in 2011 but there are several holes along the way.