One closer to home, hardknott and Wrynose pass in the lakes. They're not access roads to resorts but way sketchier than anything I've driven in the Alps.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
kristof, depends what you are in - did em both and thoroughly enjoyed em
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I love the twisty Alpine resort approach roads. It's a real white knuckle ride full of great views and snowy anticipation. I was quite disappointed with Kitzbuhel last season (mostly flat) and Courmayeur this season (motorway all the way to the resort) so I hope it's a bit more exciting on the way from Turin to La Thuile next season.
Yes La Woss is a bit spooky, but the drive to The Dolomites from Venice is most unpleasant
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Try the route over the col d'iseran, that is one to pucker the bravest, especially from bonneval (maurienne) over to le fornet.
After all it is free
After all it is free
queen bodecia, I love Alpine roads I do!!!
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Scarpa, that photo just gets me itching to be back out there...... only a month to wait!
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
pam w, I'm back out in early July... gonna take the bikes through to Slovinia, Croatia and back up via Poland. Only have 12 days so looking at 5000 miles of twisties interspersed with motorway blasts. Can't wait... speedy is chomping at the bit...
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Scarpa,
Cool, where is your mountain pic?
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
johnboy, Hmmm... that's a hard one. It was when we were heading back up towards Briancon from the Spanish side. Can't quite remember which pass it was but there was a lovely hotel with pool opposite a couple of hills later. PM me if you want full info and I'll get together with my mate and go over the maps.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I have never been particularly worried about the La ros road until the March 08 snowfalls and the drive up in a minibus. Very dark, zero visibility, a 1ft blanket falling over everything in about 15 mins and a 1st season english lad driver who knew he only had 5 or so more hairpins to do to get to the destination and knew the chains should have been on, and a terrified wife and child kind of made me appreciate it for the first time.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:
a 1st season english lad driver who knew he only had 5 or so more hairpins to do to get to the destination and knew the chains should have been on
not surprised you were worried. (put on Captain Mainwaring voice) "Stupid Boy!"
Scarpa, I'm not a biker (having ridden a Honda 90 around Swansea when I was a student notwithstanding) but a bike is definitely the weapon of choice for those mountain passes. Have fun!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I took these two shots driving up to Portillo Chile in 2001, this was good day for traffic & weather not to bad!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Scarpa, that's fabulous! I went on a bike trip to south of France (route Napoleon, yay!) back in 2002 but since then I've not been able to afford a summer holiday, too busy saving up to go skiing in winter. I'm hoping to manage a weekend away on my bike somewhere nice this summer. Doubt I'll make it as far as Scotland but Wales or Lakes might be more feasible.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
The drive up to Serfaus is lovely, especially if you go the quieter route through Ladis, which we did arriving on the Saturday. One of the few Austrian resorts I've been to that's up in the hills not down in the valley. But then the resort is at about 1500 metres rather than the normal 800 or so.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Quote:
The person who has no clue is YOU, you silly cow. Now shut up.
Lizzard, unpleasant and and offensive ...
.... you probably missed the local coach on its side just off the access road to the Tarenrtaise between Aime and the Landry turn in January, looked very nasty. I hope the drive and his passengers were OK.
Haven't skied Europe but the Treble Cone road beats anything I have been on in New Zealand, Australia or the USA. Narrow, unpaved, big drops, very corrugated (by spring), no guard rails and to top it all off very bad drivers. And contrary to local opinion a lot of those bad drivers are locals. Throw in camper vans and ill fitting chains and rapidly changhing weather its just party time.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
A car went over the edge of the Val Thorens road last Saturday evening, only a mile or so above Moutiers. Went off on a fairly straight section, car dropped about 150 meters. Helicopter recovered the driver's body on Sunday morning - all visible from our kitchen window
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sat 16-05-09 15:20; edited 1 time in total
Had some interesting drives up Mt Hotham in Australia. Sometimes hard-pressed to see 10 metres in front of the car.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The A93 north of Blairgowrie up to Glenshee can be interesting in midwinter. A narrow twisty road getting continually higher. Especially after a big fall of snow when it's full of cars from the cities going up to the ski area, very few will have winter tyres, and most of the drivers don't have much expierience of driving in winter conditions. Thankfully there's not too many overtaking opertunites so it normally turns into a big snake of cars doing 30mph!
After all it is free
After all it is free
With regards to coach drivers, they come all the way down the mountain without touching the brakes, instead they use a magnatron which is a device that puts a magnetic force on the driveshaft which in turn slows the vehicle down in a much more controlled way than conventional braking.
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Burnsy,
On my one and only trip to a scottish resort I drove this on the Saturday, then on the Sunday it was closed, too much snow !! Had a fabulous day at the Bridge Of Callay hotel though, where I was stopping. Far more pleasant than enduring the Arctic conditions we had experienced the day before, I have never ever been as cold than the day at Glenshee.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Surprised there aren't any Italian horror stories here. I love the place and the people but the driving is suicidal! I know it's not a ski resort approach but we drove the 30km stretch from Como to Belaggio last year and came across 2 motor bikes on the ground with their drivers in various states of disrepair. Then a bus reversed into us!
Agree with comments on Val d'Anniviers - that's a long, narrow ,windy approach and when there's snow on the road it's treacherous. Nice when you get there though!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Comments on the Val d'Anniviers road reminds me of the day we took possession of our apartment.
We were driving on the autoroute, and my wife, who hadn't seen the resort where we were buying, turned to me & said "is the road up to the apartment like this?"
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
bobinch, Italians generally drive small cars which can't go very fast in the mountains. Since they will overtake whenever they see a no overtaking sign or a pedestrian crossing you can guarantee that there will be a little Fiat in front of anything that might want to go fast enough to be dangerous.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Sarge McSarge,
beat you to this one
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Has anyone hit the back road up to Les Deux Alpes? The road has been replaced by a more appropriate throughfare about 30 years ago... In the words of 'big ern mckracken' "your sphincter feels like a hot bratwurst just about ready to burst"...
The road up to tignes/vdi is only scarey because of the drivers on it. I hit a coach windscreen from the inside when I was working as a rep up there when a nutter in an audi overtook us with a lorry coming the other way. The road is tame, the traffic is nuts...!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
The scariest road that I've travelled was definately La Rosiere but then I wouldn't pretend to be the best travelled skier. It's certainly worse than the trip from BSM to Tignes though.
The scariest trip that I've had was across the Porte d'Envalira at night in a snow storm. No complaints about the driver but it still was hairy!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
a few years ago we had a bus driver that refused to put his chains on even though it had been dumping it down all day (we were a night arrival luckily as the road had been closed for much of the day). One one section (La PLagne) of the road he went up about four times and then just skidded back down! Luckily for me I don't like flying so was quite drunk and doped on Diazepan or else I would have got off and walked.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Bigpantsjayke wrote:
Has anyone hit the back road up to Les Deux Alpes?
Yep, got driven up that way in a minibus once at high speed. By far the scariest experience of my life. I was pretty sure that I was going to die and had something appeared in the opposite direction at the wrong time then I'm sure I would have done. As it was, just a couple of close calls. Totally terrifying.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
The back road up to Les Deux Alpes is great. I drove it many times last season and its much quicker than the normal route. Its a motorway in comparison to NZ. New Zealand wins hands down for dodgy access roads. Almost all of them are dirt roads. Treble Cone is probably one of better ones and when I was there 4 people died driving off the side! Ohau has an off road river crossing and some nasty rocks and exposure to contend with. Some of the access roads to the club fields are passable only by 4wd.
Even my car can make it up (and down) the L2A back road.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Swirly, yeah but isn't the road one car-width wide and with a sheer drop of way too may metres on one side? Without a barrier in sight. Or have my nightmares being playing tricks on me?!
alan empty, it's okay as long as you don't hit the 'rush hour' coming in the opposite direction!!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
R32, well yeah it was the occasional car and van coming the other way that had me worried! My maths is rusty, but I'm pretty sure that 2 cars into one lane don't go
After all it is free
After all it is free
alan empty, It looks quite scary if you look back up at it from the main road too
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Quote:
when I was there 4 people died driving off the side!
New Zealand has a poor record for road deaths - in terms of fatalities in relation to size of population, it's fairly high up the lists. I've only been to Ruapehu, for a day trip, and don't remember the road up there being anything special, but friends and relatives who've been to the main south island resorts found them fairly scary. I agree that the road from Bourg St Maurice to Tignes/Val D'Isere, whilst not a remotely scary road, has very scary drivers. The most scared I've actually been was in Serbia - coach driver going far too fast for the icy conditions and eventually did a long skid and a 180 degree turn, ending up with the back wheels just short of going over an enormous drop. We all thought our last moment had come.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Passo di San Boldo (a bit north of Venice on the way to the Dolomites) is an tortuous road - all the hairpins are in the tunnels!
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