Adventure Tourism

Over the past two months, the College and its NGO partner Proyecto Actividad Rural Competitiva Bolivia put together a training for High Adventure Guides for the Municipality of Coroico. The trainer, a Spaniard named Dídac Cabanillas, taught about 20 tourism students and members of nearby communities about rock climbing and zip-lining, as well as knot tying, map reading, rescue and administration.

Thursday was the end of the course, with speeches by our Director Father Freddy, a local prefect, the Vice Minister of Coca, a representative of USAID, and the founder of Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking, Alistair Matthew. This the man who started the "bike down the world's most dangerous road" about 10 years ago. He said that now over 20,000 people bike the road per year. And we need to have more for them to do once they get to Coroico, at the end of the road.


Photo: Ecotourism Director José Luis Pinto makes opening remarks at the event, with Gravity's Alstair Matthew and ARCo's Preston Pattie.

After the speeches and the presentation of certificates, the group moved to a ravine next to the basketball court where a rope, tied to trees on either side, bridged the gap. The students zipped back and forth on the line, then down to the river and back. Then it was the audience's turn: everyone had the opportunity to jump off the 200 foot cliff and zip across the ravine!

It was a riot of fun. Here is a before the jump picture:



...and here is the after picture. Way cool.