La Paz is where Bolivia is booked. The Death Road runs from the top of the pass at La Cumbre down to Yolosa, 3,500 metres of descent in a morning, and it is the single most-sold activity in the country. The Cordillera Real begins an hour away, which is why the city has more mountaineering outfits than anywhere else in South America outside Cusco.
The difference between a cycling company here is brakes, bikes and the guide-to-rider ratio, and it is worth paying for. The difference between a mountaineering company is whether the guide is certified, which matters more.