Mountain Bikers Capture Daring Trek Through a Labyrinth of Streets, Stairs & Cobblestone Alleyways of ValparaÃso, Chile [VIDEO]
Some people are just born with the need for an adrenaline rush, and the skills to be able to fulfill it -- and while you can't deny your DNA, it's still pretty damn cool to be able to take on challenges that your average person would be scared to death to do.
Recently, I saw a video that showed professional mountain bikers Aaron Chase, Brian Lopes and Chris Van Dine taking on the labyrinth of streets, steep stairs and cobblestone alleyways of the beautiful port city of Valparaíso, Chile.
As a survivor of a bike injury that almost took my life, I still love to ride my bike, but I have to admit I still get nervous at times, especially riding my bike in New York. So I guess I will have to live vicariously through the lens of the brave and talented trio.
In what was the second of the Hero3+ Adventure Series, Chase, Lopes and Van Dine "get lost in a maze of colorful urban streets in what they call "an ode to Valparaíso, Chile." The challenging trek is featured on GoPro: Combing Valparaíso's Hills and was featured on Videolous.
The video, which was captured an a HD HERO3+ camera, showed an incredible vantage point of Valparaíso, Chile and the view from the riders' bikes. The background music featured in the video includes Shigeto's "Detroit Part 1" and "So, So Lovely" and Pablo Malaurie's "Carmencita."
Valparaíso is located 69.5 miles northwest of Santiago and is one of the country's most important seaports. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region. Although Santiago is Chile's official capital, the National Congress of Chile has been meeting in Valparaíso since 1990.
"Nicknamed 'The Jewel of the Pacific,' Valparaíso was declared a world heritage site based upon its improvised urban design and unique architecture. In 1996, the World Monuments Fund declared Valparaíso's unusual system of funicular elevators (highly-inclined cable cars) one of the world's 100 most endangered historical treasures.
"In 1998, grassroots activists convinced the Chilean government and local authorities to apply for UNESCO world heritage status for Valparaíso. Valparaíso was declared a World Heritage Site in 2003. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Valparaíso boasts a labyrinth of streets and cobblestone alleyways, embodying a rich architectural and cultural legacy. Valparaíso is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site."
Check out the video -- these guys will be sure to give you a unique view of Valparaíso, Chile.