World's Most Dangerous Ride (SLYT)

November 21, 2012 8:10 AM

World's Most Dangerous Ride (SLYT) One mistake and it's a free fall to your death. Motology's Adam Riemann rides one of the scariest Himalayan trails you'll ever see.
posted by JujuB (65 comments total)

Now do it blindfolded.
posted by item at 8:13 AM on November 21, 2012

I like cycing, and pretty scenery, and do not like panic attacks, and am going to curl up in the closet for the rest of the day
posted by entropone at 8:15 AM on November 21, 2012 [10 favorites]

I wonder if the video is actually more terrifying because we can't see the bike itself - every time he looks towards the edge of the cliff I unconsciously assume he's going to start going that way and OH NO STOP.
posted by muddgirl at 8:19 AM on November 21, 2012

I think the only way I'd ride that road is if I knew nobody was coming the other way AND I had a parachute or wingsuit on. Could you even pedal a bicycle with a wingsuit on?
posted by postel's law at 8:19 AM on November 21, 2012

By gum that is dangerous!
posted by Mister_A at 8:21 AM on November 21, 2012

I don't even know what this dude is going on about, this is literally what every single road looks like there, except most of the time you are in a taxi trying to overtake a rickety old bus on a blind curve.
posted by elizardbits at 8:22 AM on November 21, 2012 [2 favorites]

Presumably at some point he went back and grabbed the DSLR he left on that rock. I wonder how far he had to go before he found a place wide enough to turn around.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 8:22 AM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

oh god jesus I can't feel my legs any more
posted by ominous_paws at 8:22 AM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

It wasn't that bad; of course, I refused to look at the right half of the screen the whole way through. Was there something on that side I missed?
posted by TedW at 8:22 AM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

Note to self: don't watch videos when the mere description makes you feel ill
posted by sonmi at 8:27 AM on November 21, 2012

But at least you'd be falling into water. I mean, eventually.
posted by mazola at 8:29 AM on November 21, 2012 [11 favorites]

Oh hardly. Riding on the 401 during the mad-dash lead into rush-hour is far more dangerous. On this trail the only fuck-ups he has to worry about are his own. He can go as fast or as slow as he wants, and take all the time he needs to make sure the path ahead is safe. And he's doing it during the day with bright sun and a mostly dry surface.

Given the choice I'd choose in a second to commute on my motorbike on this trail rather than a superhighway in variable weather with variable road conditions with several thousand other drivers riding two-ton tanks at 110kph+ who are paying ever so slightly more than zero attention to the road.

Not to be a downer or anything. Looks like a lovely ride!
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:29 AM on November 21, 2012 [12 favorites]

Imagine driving there in a car. In winter time. Now THAT is dangerous.
posted by usertm at 8:30 AM on November 21, 2012

Why was I disappointed to discover this is a motorcycle? Not that it's any less dangerous or anything. In fact, I bet riding up is even more dangerous.
posted by chavenet at 8:30 AM on November 21, 2012

It's not the trail that's dangerous; it's the part just off the trail to the right.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:33 AM on November 21, 2012 [3 favorites]

Double track? Vertigo aside, there's no chance in hell of falling off that.
Almost anybody could ride that, but it's absolutely gorgeous and they'd be lucky for the chance to do so.
posted by Stagger Lee at 8:33 AM on November 21, 2012 [9 favorites]

I pretend it's like this when I ride my bike on the gravel road atop the levee by my house.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:33 AM on November 21, 2012

Why was I disappointed to discover this is a motorcycle? Not that it's any less dangerous or anything. In fact, I bet riding up is even more dangerous.
posted by chavenet at 8:30 AM on November 21 [+] [!]

It doesn't matter much, gravity is doing all the work here. Might as well be riding something without an engine.
posted by Stagger Lee at 8:36 AM on November 21, 2012

Stagger Lee nailed it.
posted by sfts2 at 8:42 AM on November 21, 2012

Imagine driving there in a car. In winter time. Now THAT is dangerous.

Yeah, seeing the parallel tire tracks of previous car journeys was what really scared me. If you're in the passenger seat, you CAN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT AIR on your side of the car.


halp
posted by elizardbits at 8:43 AM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

When you are done riding, you can go for a hike.
posted by eye of newt at 8:49 AM on November 21, 2012

User dodgerdodger at Adventure Rider begs to differ:

movie view 1
movie view 2
still
posted by workerant at 8:49 AM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm not even going to watch that because I'm certain that if I did, I would foul myself.
posted by Fister Roboto at 8:56 AM on November 21, 2012

You don't need to go to Nepal for that sort of thrill ride. Black Bear road and Imogene Pass in Colorado are just as thrilling*.

C.W. McCall (of Convoy! fame) even wrote a song about it.

You don't have to be crazy, but it helps.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 9:01 AM on November 21, 2012

Yes but in Nepal, when you survive, you can have momo afterwards.
posted by elizardbits at 9:02 AM on November 21, 2012 [4 favorites]

This is the craziest bit, workerant.
posted by Mister_A at 9:07 AM on November 21, 2012

I was expecting something much scarier. That's a road. It could get dicey if you met a bus going the other direction, but otherwise you aren't going to fall off unless you screw up big time. People have posted videos here before of mountain bikers on cliff edges that made my toes curl; this is just a mountain road with beautiful views.
posted by Forktine at 9:11 AM on November 21, 2012

That's pretty wide for a bike....
(Or what Fortime says... though I'd have gotten off and pushed for the actual running water parts)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:14 AM on November 21, 2012

If you want to walk, you can always take El Camino Del Rey (previously).
posted by TedW at 9:17 AM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

Beautiful. Wake me up when he's in the back seat of a minivan driven by a superhumanly blase government issued driver with oncoming semis that you hope will honk/hear your honk before blind curves.
posted by cmoj at 9:22 AM on November 21, 2012

Hmm, I have a fear of heights and such and yet I was someone disappointed with the terror content of the video - the path seems pretty broad and flat, I felt I could (though would never) do it on a bicycle and not die 9 times in 10.

Compare and contrast with this path and you'll see what I mean... I can barely even watch that video, it reminds me of my nightmares.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 9:36 AM on November 21, 2012 [4 favorites]

In the mountains of Mexico there's no reason to worry until the driver reaches up and touches the crucifix or Virgin of Guadalupe dangling from the rear view mirror, but by then it's probably too late anyway, so relax and have another cerveza...
posted by jim in austin at 9:38 AM on November 21, 2012

If you want to walk, you can always take El Camino Del Rey

You must mean "Legend of Zelda: Real Fucking Life"
posted by muddgirl at 9:39 AM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

Moab's Portal Trail is probably more dangerous.
posted by RockyChrysler at 9:42 AM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

Compare and contrast with this path and you'll see what I mean... I can barely even watch that video, it reminds me of my nightmares.

1) I can't describe the feeling in my stomach when I realized that the "boardwalk" was horizontal, not vertical

2) This is the face I made at 1:36:

>:() ~ NO NO NO NO NO
posted by muddgirl at 9:46 AM on November 21, 2012

I broke a rear axle on a bike that size once doing about 20mph. The bike immediately went sideways and to my right about 15 feet.
posted by neversummer at 9:53 AM on November 21, 2012

I don't know how people convince themselves to do crazy vehicle paths, either on a bike or a motorcycle or whatever. The linked video isn't too bad (the path is very wide for a bike or motorcycle) but consider this about the Moab portal video; that guy is exactly one flat tire or broken chain away from death several times.
posted by Mitrovarr at 10:06 AM on November 21, 2012

Yeah, as others are saying, it would take two or three mistakes to die on that road. That's hardly dangerous at all!

My thoughts went in kind of a weird direction with this one; while appreciating the scenery, I was also realizing what an amazing job our brains do of tuning out extraneous noise and head wobble. He probably felt like his head was barely moving, and wasn't likely aware of that subdued hum at all, but via camera, the movement and jostling become kind of nauseating.

So, yay brains, yay fantastic scenery, and slight harumph at moderately exaggerated danger.
posted by Malor at 10:08 AM on November 21, 2012

Maybe because I grew up in a flat place, but traveling through mountains always freaks me out, especially winding roads with cliffs, but really, any road that makes you feel Very High the Fuck Up in the Air gives me heebie jeebies. There is actually an overpass in Fort Worth that is so fucking high it does the same thing. I do not take it, because although you know you are not going to really sail right over the side, the sensation that you are about to is overwhelming.

So no, I did not watch. All of you with horrifying stories about driving or biking such roads are braver than I'll ever be.
posted by emjaybee at 10:17 AM on November 21, 2012

Ditto.

I don't even like standing up. It feels dangerous to me. I crawl whenever possible. Plus, 4 limbs more stable than 2.
posted by mazola at 10:20 AM on November 21, 2012 [5 favorites]

Oh my.

I get freaked out having to drive up those mountain roads that aren't really 2 lanes and have to rails. I couldn't even watch all of this.
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:29 AM on November 21, 2012

Compare and contrast with this path and you'll see what I mean

I assume this dude has 3-4 arms because I am sorry but PUT DOWN THAT FUCKING CAMERA AND HOLD ON WITH BOTH HANDS OH MY GOD YOU ARE STUPID I HATE YOU.
posted by elizardbits at 10:32 AM on November 21, 2012 [2 favorites]

hisssss
posted by elizardbits at 10:32 AM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

This freaked me out solely because he's on a bike. I've done many "scary" hikes and ridge walks in the Rockies but I wouldn't be confident in my ability to not just roll off the edge if I were on wheels.

For the record the antenna repair guy video didn't freak me out. But that guy was on a ladder, not on wheels.
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 10:32 AM on November 21, 2012

Moab's Portal Trail yt is probably more dangerous.
posted by RockyChrysler

Nothing is comforting on a ride like signs tallying the trail's death toll, hey?
posted by Stagger Lee at 10:41 AM on November 21, 2012

> Nothing is comforting on a ride like signs tallying the trail's death toll, hey?

Hell, there's a sign on the freeway in my city that has an active death toll for drunk driving. Texas also puts the running toll on the scrolling light signs!
posted by Burhanistan at 10:54 AM on November 21, 2012

The lizard at 00:11 has the right idea.
posted by jamaro at 10:58 AM on November 21, 2012

Hyperbole aside i wouldn't hesitate to ride that double track road on my mt bike. I'm guessing the altitude alone would make climbing it nearly impossible without months to acclimatize.
posted by OHenryPacey at 11:18 AM on November 21, 2012

Yeah, seeing the parallel tire tracks of previous car journeys was what really scared me.

Local folks with animal-drawn carts, more like. I wonder if the cool dude on the shiny motorbike encountered any of them in his other takes.

Also, the freaked-out-ness people are expressing is similar to how I felt when my dad would take us over Rt 218 on Storm King Mountain when I was a kid (in NY's Hudson Valley; see 2:00 + in the linked video). Sure, it's paved, but I mean, I was like 6.
posted by aught at 11:35 AM on November 21, 2012

If you want to walk, you can always take El Camino Del Rey

This is the video I thought of (or a similar one) when I read this post - one of the few YouTube videos that's actually ever given me vertigo. It makes my brain go HOLY CRAP NO and make sure my fat butt is SOLIDLY planted in my office chair.
posted by mrbill at 1:03 PM on November 21, 2012

Weird, I've seen a bunch of videos like this but I believe the ones from South America seemed way sketchier and scary. This looks kind of fun, and if I was on a mountain bike instead of a motorcycle I'd have a blast and like someone said before that trail is actually about 3ft wider than anything remotely dangerous for a bike, you'll never fall off it unless you're really flying at balls-out speed.

From the description I thought this would be terrifying but it looks like a totally serviceable trail I wouldn't even describe as singletrack, which sometimes can freak me out because those do feel like you're riding on 6 inches of dirt and moving 1 inch to the left or right could be your doom.
posted by mathowie at 1:04 PM on November 21, 2012 [2 favorites]

Location finder, right? For the next Bond movie?

I'm thinking a high-speed chase with three or four baddies in black leather biking suits and super shiny black helmets and not right away but pretty soon this big black helicopter and they're like all of them hot on Bond's tail and he keeps dodging their bullets, the bikers and pretty soon the helicopter and he's bobbing and weaving and there are a bunch of nearly successful attempts to push him off the trail, only Bond can sometimes turn and shoot back at them and that knocks out one or two of them that way and then the helicopter shoots this like rocket that hits part of the overhang and that makes a bunch of stones fall and Bond sees this and rev's up his bike so he gets past the falling stones just in time but the lead baddy doesn't have time and besides he's blinded by the dust so he does this somersault and goes over the side and then the other baddies come out of the dust like nothing happened and next guy behind Bond has his own kind of rocket fitted to his bike and he fires it only Bond is able to duck in time and the rocket goes right past him and straight out into the gorge and hits the black helicopter and blows that up real good and now the last baddy's got nothing left so he opens up the throttle and is pulling up fast on Bond and Bond does like this quick brake thing and the guy right behind him can't stop fast enough and just moves past Bond so Bond can push him over the side and so now we've got just Bond and he's like breathing hard but it's okay, because he's like totally home free only he's still motoring at top speed on this slightly upward going rise when he turns an unexpected sharp corner and suddenly we see that the water's caused the road to slide off down the gorge and there's no way he can stop in time and the bike goes over the edge but at an upward angle because of the road's being just shaped that way and he's pulling back on the handlebars like it's a horse or something and there's no way he can land anywhere except at the bottom of the gorge and he's gonna die for sure and we get dead silence, maybe just the sound of the wind, as the camera pulls way back and we see Bond in slo-mo as he hits the apogee and he separates from the bike like some kind of booster rocket and at the height of tension - Bond's paraglider opens up.

Cue horn section and opening credits.

Or something like that.
posted by BWA at 1:20 PM on November 21, 2012 [2 favorites]

elizardbits: PUT DOWN THAT FUCKING CAMERA AND HOLD ON WITH BOTH HANDS OH MY GOD YOU ARE STUPID I HATE YOU

It's mounted on top of his helmet, carefully labeled with "GoPro", which now is making me wonder if this isn't just an advertisement.
posted by Malor at 1:56 PM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

The guy on the bike has a camera helmet, yes; the dude in china on the scary cliff walk video (in lupus_yonderboy's comment above) about which I am screaming helplessly is, in fact, holding the camera in his big stupid hand.
posted by elizardbits at 1:58 PM on November 21, 2012

The pure height and one wrong move and you're a goner sure it scary..
But then the whole peacefulness of the scenery make it seem so pleasant, especially on that long shot showing him riding along.
It's like bubble wrapping a knife..
Such a peaceful location does need a mountain bike not a motor bike in my view however..
posted by Merlin The Happy Pig at 4:00 PM on November 21, 2012

Nice! Agreed that the South American rides are right dodgy. Wouldn't try it on a mountain bike though...being more familiar w/dirt bike riding.

What neversummer mentioned, the gear failure. Chute! For the bike too.

Nooooooooooo! Land it, Land!
posted by alicesshoe at 4:07 PM on November 21, 2012

So I have a very specific reaction to height videos on YouTube: my palms start sweating. It is the only thing I've ever found that does this. Being at height myself - no problem. 480p slightly fisheye POV movies of being at height - clammy. Motorbike OP? arid.

China boardwalk video? Totally bloody sopping. Can barely hold the phone. Hasn't been that bad since the Russian teenagers climbing the radio mast. Christ.
posted by cromagnon at 5:22 PM on November 21, 2012

It's fun until you meet the unyielding oxen heading towards you.
posted by seawallrunner at 6:03 PM on November 21, 2012

it's fun until you meet the hungry eagle who thinks you're some kind of weird goat with wheels
posted by pyramid termite at 6:11 PM on November 21, 2012

Holiday In Cambodia.
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 8:15 PM on November 21, 2012

There's a few spots in the shadows where it looks like he just has to have faith that the path is still there and intact. I'm not sure I have that kind of faith.
posted by IndigoRain at 3:52 AM on November 22, 2012

The scenery is cool, and falling off this trail would be quite deadly, but for the most part it seems wide, smooth and low traffic, so you'd have to be doing something dumb to fall off it.

Now, I say that as a person who once drove a skidoo straight into a tree while riding on an established trail that I had already ridden about 10 times that day, so I have no doubt I could fall off this damned cliff. But it seems like someone who can actually ride well should have no real problems with it.

I've been a passenger on some scary-ass roads in South America and the Caribbean, but without larger vehicles or two-way traffic, this wouldn't really be one of them.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:51 AM on November 22, 2012

When I want to share a video with number ten pucker factor, I always think of these crazy French guys climbing a crane in Paris, and then doing fun stuff.
posted by dancestoblue at 4:26 PM on November 22, 2012

When I want to share a video with number ten pucker factor, I always think of these crazy French guys climbing a crane in Paris, and then doing fun stuff.

Seriously, no other video I've watched has gotten my hands so sweaty and my adrenaline pumping, even the Chinese mountain path one. I've seen that video a bunch of times and it affects me the same every time. Just hearing the music is enough to start the reaction.
posted by Vulpyne at 6:26 PM on November 24, 2012

I'm fine with the entire crane video (I've climbed them before; they are solid and not very scary at all, and the views are amazing) except for the part where he hangs underneath doing pullups. That makes my feet itch.
posted by Forktine at 7:37 PM on November 24, 2012