The challenges and perils are never ending this season of IRT DEADLIEST ROADS.
Seasoned drivers Rick Yemm, Lisa Kelly and Hugh Rowland are back as well as drivers new to HISTORY and new to these treacherous routes. IRT DEADLIEST ROADS will test everything they have learned - from the Arctic Circle to the Himalayas and beyond - and in more than 40 combined years of driving, forcing them to adapt to white-knuckle driving conditions unlike anything they have ever faced.
|
The roadways of Bolivia and Peru are among the most historic on the planet - the region has been inhabited for approximately 21,000 years and its roads are as vast and beautiful as they are ancient. The majestic Andean setting, however, cannot hide the incredible danger of these hard-traveled roads.
Given the dangers, this season the North American drivers must team up - two in a cab - a situation that makes for both tight friendships and explosive interactions.
BOLIVIA: In Bolivia, drivers are faced with the "Death Road," which begins at an altitude of 15,000 feet, and, through dense fog, snakes along cliffs and sheer drops thousands of feet - with no guardrails. On the ride from Caranavi to Rurrenabaque, through the Amazon Rainforest, rains turn trails into thick truck-killing mud pits. Farther south, in the Uyuni Salt Flats-at over 4,000 square miles, by far the largest salt flat on Earth-the truckers must traverse an endless, inhospitable landscape, almost completely void of landmarks. Finally, near Bolivia's western border, the mountain observatory at Chacaltaya towers over the outskirts of La Paz at 18,000 feet. At these altitudes, emergency oxygen tanks are standard.
PERU: On the landslide-ravaged highlands of Peru, every mountain pass is a death road, and the path to each remote destination is a test of will. First, the drivers must survive a two-day haul through a rocky and mountainous desert to the ancient town of Caral, the oldest civilization in the Western Hemisphere. Next, the dizzying altitudes and razor-sharp switchbacks of the Punto Olimpico could break even the hardest mountain driver, but it's the runs through Canon Del Pato-on a treacherously thin ribbon of road, with tunnels, landslides, and a legendary turn called Dead Nun's Corner-that will be the true test of every trucker's guts, tenacity, and skill.
THE DRIVERS:
HUGH ROWLAND- Season after season Hugh "The Polar Bear" Rowland has dominated the Ice Roads of Canada and Alaska. Out of his element now, half a world away, Hugh's going to have to rely on every second of veteran experience, and probably learn some new tricks, to get through his time in South America.
RICK YEMM - Rick's back for another season of Deadliest Roads after challenging the Himalayas last year. A former employee of Hugh's, Rick's going to have to put his pranks aside and concentrate on the road ahead if he's going to make it through this season.
LISA KELLY- Lisa, the "Queen of the Ice Roads," pulled out all the stops when it mattered most last season on India's deadliest roads, but all that doesn't matter on this continent, where the deadly roads of South America have their own say. Will she be able to stay strong while the Andes push her fear to new heights? Or will she be forced to give up the drivers' seat?
DAVE REDMON- Dave conquered the Himalayan roads last season. Now, the long-haul veteran's back to prove he's got what it takes to drive the most dangerous roads on the planet.
TIM ZICKUR- Hailing from the Port of Los Angeles, Tim's ready to show the South American continent what he's made of - a tall order considering that he's never even driven trucks on a freeway before, let alone anything close to the Bolivian Death Roads.
AGUSTIN "TINO" RODRIGUEZ - When it comes to street smarts, Tino knows his way around as good as anyone. Hailing from Compton, CA, Tino may be one of the more under-experienced drivers here, but he's got one big thing going in his favor: he's fluent in Spanish. And out here in the South American jungles, a little communication goes a long way.
G.W. Boles - G.W. Boles is bringing his tough Texan attitude south to the Andes and Amazon, but don't let his rough exterior fool you. G.W.'s soft-spoken confidence is exactly what he needs to prove he's got what it takes on these deadly roads. And don't think his late-start is going to get in the way of getting his job done - G.W.'s going to hit the ground driving at full speed.
IRT DEADLIEST ROADS is produced for HISTORY by Original Productions, a FremantleMedia Company. Executive Producers for Original Productions are Thom Beers and Philip D. Segal. Jeff Conroy and James Patrick Costello II are Co-Executive Producers. Executive Producer for HISTORY is Julian P. Hobbs.
Photo Credit: HISTORY
