Dicing with Death: Peru, vertigo in the Andes

In this acclaimed series, we journey on some of the world’s most dangerous routes and explore the lengths people go to in order to change their destinies.

From the north to the south of Peru, deep canyons cut into the Andes cordillera. People who need to supply their gold mines, cultivate their vines or simply regain access to their villages, have no choice but to embark on the most unlikely of roads, carved out of the rock. Major companies have a base at the end of the road, attracted by the fabulous natural resources of the country, whether it is underground with its wealth of precious metals, or in its waters teeming with fish. However, all this wealth rarely benefits the unskilled workers, the men and women who have to bend double to work deep in the tunnels, scratching at the earth amidst clouds of ammonia, or risk their lives at the end of a 200’ rope, for a handful of euros. From the Maranon River valley to the Cotahuasi canyon, by way of the Paracas desert, this Impossible Road takes us through the magnificent landscapes of Peru, where life comes at a high price…

Full Series