The Most Dangerous Roads In The World
Bill Schenley
By Avi & Rachel Abrams
1. Bolivia's "Road of Death"
North Yungas Road is hands-down the most dangerous
in the world for motorists. If other roads could be
considered impassable, this one clearly endangers your
life. It runs in the Bolivian Andes, 70 km from La Paz to
Coroico, and plunges down almost 3,600 meters in an
orgy of extremely narrow hairpin curves and 800-meter
abyss near-misses. A fatal accident happens there every
couple of weeks, 100-200 people perish there every year.
In 1995 the Inter-American Development Bank named the
La Paz-to-Coroico route "the world's most dangerous
road."
Among the route there are many visible reminders of
accidents, wreckages of lorries and trucks lie scattered
around at the bottom...
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The buses and heavy trucks navigate this road, as this is
the only route available in the area. Buses crowded with
locals go in any weather, and try to beat the incoming
traffic to the curves. It does not help that the fog and
vapors rise up from the heavily vegetated valley below,
resulting in almost constant fogs and limited visibility. Plus
the tropical downpours cause parts of the road to slide
down the mountain.
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Apparently some companies make business on the road's
dubious fame by selling the extreme bike tours down that
road. "Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking" is one of them.
(you can read one such biker's account here.) If you are
nuts enough to consider it, please be advised that you will
be only adding to the road hazards, as it's hard to spot a
cyclist on the road's hairpin curves, and your shrieks (as you
fall down the abyss) will disturb the peace and quiet of the
villagers nearby.
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2. Russian Siberian Road to Yakutsk
This is the official federal-government highway to Yakutsk,
and it is also the only one to get there. As there are no other
roads, the intrepid motorists are doomed to wallow in this
dirt, or wait in week-long 100 km car line-ups (they say
women even gave birth there while waiting). This can turn
into a major humanitarian disaster during rainy spells, when
the usual clay covering of the road turns into impassable
mud blanket, swallowing trucks and tractors alike. In the
meantime the city has to partly airlift food products.
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Here is an aerial shot of this road in winter:
http://static.flickr.com/139/326285645_4566d85034_o.jpg
There are also rumors of a quite normal 30 km stretch of
Russian country road, which gets an unexplained amount
of car accidents; the locals suspect underground gas
seepage which causes motorists to fall asleep... This creepy
tale is supported by the evidence of car crash statistics and
the tales of survivors, who do not remember anything prior
to the crash and act strangely "drugged" afterwards.
Hopefully this will be properly investigated before the road
claims more victims.
3. Russian-Georgian "Military" Mountain Roads
http://static.flickr.com/115/295083362_66576b0250_o.jpg
Sukhumi "Military" road in the former Soviet Georgia, in
Caucasus mountains, which truckers and wine-drunk crazy
"Lada" drivers navigate with the utter abandon, typical of
the local mountain people... but we could not locate any
photos of it. Only this old postcard... If you have any
more pics, send them in.
4. Nepal, Tibet & Bangladesh Roads
http://static.flickr.com/99/295074739_d2588f030a_o.jpg
A road in Nepal, leading from Katmandu to Everest Base
Camp.
http://static.flickr.com/103/295082212_66dacf8d34_o.jpg
A typical India-Nepal Road. There is also a "death road" in
Bangladesh, but we don't have enough information.
5. Most Dangerous Tourist Hiking Trail (China)
Not a car road, but the most hair-raising experience you
can have on your own two legs. This is a heavy-tourist
traffic area in Xian (Mt.Huashan); this link explains more
about the area.
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And when you're finally through with all this excitement,
here is an outhouse for you (but do not make any false
moves): http://static.flickr.com/111/293648975_64200319fd_o.jpg
1. Magnificient Guoliang Tunnel Road in China
- Road that does not tolerate any mistakes
In our popular post about "Top 5 Most Dangerous Roads
in the World" we mentioned a few roads that imperil the
lives of motorists, or just make it really miserable.
The following roads did not quite make the list, but
continued to pop up in conversations around the world.
They may not be "deadly" as such, but certainly require a
keen concentration on driving, as the rock walls in many of
them are not known to be a forgiving substance.
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The road shown here is the Guoliang Tunnel in Taihang
mountains (China). It has been built by villagers themselves,
which is an inspiring story in itself:
"Before 1972, the path chiseled into the rock used to be
the only access linking the village with the outside world.
Then the villagers decided to dig a tunnel through the rocky
cliff. Led by Shen Mingxin, head of the village, they sold
goats and herbs to buy hammers and steel tools. Thirteen
strong villagers began the project. It took them five years
to finish the 1,200-metre-long tunnel which is about
5 meters high and 4 meters wide. Some of the villagers
even gave their lives to it. On May 1, 1977, the tunnel was
opened to traffic."
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The wall of the tunnel is uneven and there are more than
30 "windows" of different sizes and shapes. Some windows
are round and some are square, and they range from dozens
of metres long to standard-window-size. It is frightening to
look down from the windows, where strange rocks hanging
form the sheer cliff above and a seemingly bottomless pit
lying below. A village, opposite the tunnel, appears to hang
on the precipice.
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Taroko Gorge Road in Taiwan (Chungheng)
Another one of quite unforgiving roads, consisting of
tunnels carved in the mountain rock. More pictures here
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Pasubio (Vicenza), Northern Italy
This is an ancient road, converted to a hiking trail.
Mountain bikers love it for the spectacular views, cool
tunnels and hair-raising precipices... Some cars (presumably
small italian kind) climb the hairpins to service the
guesthouse built there.
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Since our last installment in this highly popular series
(Magnificient Tunnel Road, November 2006) we have
received many tips and pictures of the roads that are no
less intimidating, and in some cases just as dangerous.
The world is obviously full of little known roads,
encompassing a fascinating geography, waiting to be found
by adventurous types. In this post, we will cover a few
more, but it seems to be developing into its own series, and
hopefully will become a monthly feature.
1. Road from Tibet to Nepal: sheer drops
We finally have some photos documenting hair-raising
twists and drops of the road from Tibet, China (Lhasa)
to Nepal (Kathmandu) - courtesy of Tatiana, whose father
took these pictures in October 2006 (He was also a witness
to the crash right in front of him) - The 1000 km long
Friendship Highway includes seven 3500 meters passes,
with one pass as high as 5000 meters. Most of the road is
pretty manageable driving, although is has some rather
fascinating parts:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/358852055/sizes/o/
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/358852001/sizes/o/
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"There are some crazy "roads" in Nepal as well. The road to
Besisahar is a road in name only, and it's the only route to
the most popular trekking path (the Annapurna Loop) in
Nepal".
2."The Halsema Highway" in the Philippines.
Greg Brennan sent us some interesting pictures of this route,
and it seems to fit the bill as one of the most precarious and
shudder-inducing roads out there.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/459563253/sizes/o/
Greg writes: "The Halsema Highway, also known as the
Baguio-Bontoc Road, runs through the Central Cordillera
Valley on the island of Luzon in The Philippines.
The beginning of the highway starts off slightly paved and
quickly turns to dirt. It is approximately 150 miles long and
takes about 10 hours to get from Baguio city to Sagada on
a nice day. It is known for rock slides, mud slides and
buses driving dangerously fast on its narrow passage.
It also goes through some of the more remote provinces in
The Philippines. There are many accidents and overturned
buses on a yearly basis. Often there are sheer drop offs of
over 1000 feet without a guard rail. During the rainy season
it is nearly impassable."
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/459555228/sizes/o/
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Update: Bolivian Road of Death:
Bolivian Buses
These buses travel the Road of Death, and in themselves
evoke solemn speculations about reasonable risks,
life/death and possible breakdowns in impossible locations:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/155/395610082_531667bb8e_o.jpg
They are definitely not an air-conditioned coaches, and their
technical condition often is a matter of prayer, not
engineering.
Here is a rare look inside such bus...
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/136/328903724_397a318978_o.jpg
...as it negotiates a road ahead:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/328903722/sizes/o/
Rob has a wonderful account of traveling on buses in
Bolivia, and helping to clear a few rock slides along the way...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/434807754/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/434808185/sizes/o/
Send us more pictures of buses in Bolivia;
their drivers especially deserve utmost respect.
Until next installment in a series, I leave you with this
mystery photo: Is it Photoshoped? If not, this Jeep is
certainly not going anywhere...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/321750352/sizes/o/
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Continuing with our highly popular series, this issue will cover
some hair-raising and simply not safe roads and tracks, most
accompanied by breathtaking scenery (that is, if you'll be
able to take your eyes off the road).
Stelvio Pass Road - redefining switchbacks
Height - 2757 meters
Location - in the Italian Alps, near Bormio and Sulden,
75 km from Bolzano, close to Swiss border. (The road
connects the Valtellina with the upper Adige valley and
Merano)
Claim to fame - "the highest paved mountain pass in the
Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, after
the Col de l'Iseran (2770 m)"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/1015242026/sizes/o/
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This road might not be as risky as the deadly routes in
Bolivia, but it is certainly breathtaking. The tour books
advise that the toughest and most spectacular climbing is
from the Prato side, Bormio side approach is more tame.
With 48 hairpins, this road is regarded as one of the finest
continuous hairpin routes in the Alps.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/338218
The road itself is a marvel of engineering skill; the
exhilarating serpentine sections ask to be driven by
experienced motorists for their own sakes. All in all, this
could be the most magnificent road pass in Europe.
"On the southern side the road worms its way up the
immensely deep Braulio ravine, clinging from side to side
and tunneling frequently, between towering rock walls, to
the more open basin at the 4th Cantoniera, where the
Umbrail Pass comes in from the left. From the junction to
the summit is little more than a mile, the road winding
more gently up 900 ft. of shaly slope, but still relatively
viewless.
From the summit, where the famous Ortler view is
suddenly revealed, the Trafoi windings lead down in face
of superb views of peaks and glaciers to Trafoi, just
below the tree line. The rest of the road, falling along the
Trafoibach to the Adige levels in the main valley, is a
pleasant descent with fine views ahead of the Zillertal
(Austrian) peaks in the main Alpine chain."
-- Hugh Merrick, "The Great Motor Highways of the Alps",
1958 http://www.flickr.com/photos/govert1970/539560772/
"Top Gear" recently featured this road, and got quite a kick
out of it, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMEON6bivZs
There are other spectacular hairpin-climb passes in the Alps.
Brian Wilson has some good bike touring shots:
This one is Grimsel Pass near Gletsch, Switzerland. Furka
pass is also visible in the upper left of the picture.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/352887540/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/1014960488/sizes/o/
Coming down from Furka Pass:
http://www.ski-epic.com/2007_europe_motorcycle_trip/index.html
Old road over Saint Gothard Pass, Switzerland - still open to the
public.
http://www.ski-epic.com/2007_europe_motorcycle_trip/index.html
Some will say that the hairpin road passes of Europe are quite
safe to drive on. That may be so, but we think that the altitude,
rockfall, snow and other unexpected road hazards (like
inexperienced tourist drivers) make these routes "a little bit"
more dangerous than your typical trip for groceries.
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Italian Alps are rife with exhilarating switchback roads. Here is
one at Fraele, near Isolaccia in Lombardy.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/338136
Slovenian Mountain Roads are even narrower, and less
maintained, but no less spectacular. Witness Mangrt
Mountain Road, with Brian Wilson's friend trying to
navigate through snow. The road is a dead end, but
traveled for the sheer scenery:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1092/1015543554_50ae135eb1_b.jpg
http://www.ski-epic.com/2007_europe_motorcycle_trip/index.html
Fascinating Fjord Roads in Norway.
We all know that the steep walls of fjords command an
awesome view, like the one below. But when living in small
towns and villages in the fjord country, you will need to use
a car to get some groceries. This would mean driving on
vertigo-inducing roads, honing your driving skills to
perfection.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/463785981/sizes/o/
Trollstigen - the Troll Ladder
Trolls did not have cars, so they built a ladder to climb
this mountain... Hordes of tourists, however, brave the 9
percent incline in their family sedans - to see a beautiful
waterfall and an awesome view from the top. This being
Norway, the safety record is pretty good, so book your
flight and visit this incredible place.
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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Trollstieg1.JPG
The intense set of hairpin turns featured here belongs to the
ancient Trollstigen road in the heart of Romsdal County of
Norway, in the Rauma region. The road is very narrow with
very few possibilities for cars to pass each other. There are
frequent rockfalls in the area, so there have been some
upgrades made to the road in 2005.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreasmisera/49622667/
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Another Fjord Jewel - Lysebotn Road
This is probably the most fun you can have on four
wheels, and then on your two legs checking out various
hiking trails leading from the area. In fact, this just might
be the most breathtaking place in Europe (on par with Swiss
Interlaken area). It all starts with the narrow road up the
fjord's steep walls:
This is the Lysebotn Road in Lysefjord, Norway -
complete with 27 switchbacks and a 1.1 kilometer long
tunnel at the bottom, also with three switchbacks inside.
Let one driver tell the story (courtesy Stefan Jonsson):
"The first half of this road was nothing too special, but
then... then came the fun part! The last 30 km (18 miles)
to Lysebotn were the most fun I have ever driven! This
part of the road was a true roller-coaster! It was narrow
but with a perfect surface, and you just sat there on the
bike with a big smile on your face as you pushed on for
some really active driving. Not a straight part of the road
as far as you could see. It was up and down and left and
right all the time! The road ends with a 27 hairpin
serpentine road taking you from 1000 meters (3280 ft)
above sea level down to Lysebotn and the Lysefjord. At
the end of the serpentine road you go through a tunnel
that screws itself 340 degrees through the mountain and
as you come out of it (slightly dizzy) you have Lysebotn
in front of you. If you ride a motorcycle in Norway, then
this road is something you simply can not afford to miss!"
Amen to that, brother. This is the view 900 meters down,
once you get on top:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mava76/163555601/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bike-around-the-world/415884249/
So it only make sense to continue further - and hike to the
most spectacular piece of rock in the Universe - Prekestolen,
or the Pulpit Rock.
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The Pulpit Rock Hike - if you fall, it's 1000 meters down
This place is indeed so spectacular, that we are going to write
a special post about it. For now, just to give you a taste of
some scenery - a few shots of people definitely having fun
(not forgetting thousand-meter drops at every turn).
<photos unavailable>
After a steep hike up (300 meters elevation gain), which
should take about 2 hours for an inexperienced hiker, you
get to stand on the "world class" photography attraction, the
pedestal of truly spiritual proportions.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Preikestolen.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/1026270944/sizes/o/
This stupendous trail will exceed your expectations for truly
great hiking, if you don't slip on any boulders in some foolish
jump for a picture. The fall is exactly one kilometer, almost
enough time to grow wings.
http://lh3.google.ca/abramsv/R6Ol7O9Hn6I/AAAAAAAAFzo/hlGVkw5KEtQ/s1600-h/54_pics.jpg
We finish with the two scenarios which might not have a
happy ending. At least I'd be surprised if they do.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/383441281/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi_abrams/385197780/sizes/o/
UPDATE:
The last picture is NOT Photoshop! This is a real drop,
performed by the Russian dirt biker Ben de Roni (read
more here) as part of the "Achtung 3" extreme biking
video. Respect.
Here is another drop:
http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/?op=list&ROWINDEX=16&function=myphotos&photouserid=148682
Crazy Routes in Andes, Albania & New Zealand
Necessity may dictate that you choose the "road less
traveled", but for goodness sake, leave weaker-nerved
passengers behind. They might experience life-changing
(and underwear-changing) circumstances that they will
never forget, or forgive.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iceovarock/663401812/
At least this road has railings:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2059/2055787200_bcfd889cfc.jpg
One of the Chinese military roads to "boost the morale of
their troops" -
http://lh3.google.ca/abramsv/R2hqkkKUaEI/AAAAAAAABJI/pk0XQdh9XL8/s1600-h/1265136615_17c3d83aac_o.jpg
And here is how they navigate it:
http://lh6.google.ca/abramsv/R2hrMUKUaFI/AAAAAAAABJQ/tAtYyNrDjoQ/s1600-h/Mountain_Goat_PLA_Truck.jpg
Outside of military scares, our first pick among the seriously
crooked roads today is
"Los Caracoles" Pass in Andes
Rodrigo L. van Lamoen tipped us about its existence and
describes it in this way: "It's a place in the mountain pass
"Los Libertadores" that goes trough the Andes between
Chile and Argentina. It's called "Los Caracoles" and is a
series of very hard switchbacks on a very steep road, with no
barriers and ice and snow present most of the year. Add the
cargo trucks and double-decker tourist buses... and you get
the idea. I've done that a couple times, once in a
double-decker even, and it's quite an experience."
http://lh4.google.ca/abramsv/R2hV00KUZ0I/AAAAAAAABHA/vEfAFvitJpg/s1600-h/434260806_714c3d0472_o.jpg
http://lh6.google.ca/abramsv/R2hRTUKUZzI/AAAAAAAABG4/JH2Fp7xMZGI/s1600-h/434260966_3883699994_o.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21652800@N06/2093769513/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21652800@N06/2093769485/
Some trucks cut corners, that does not add to safety:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonycanossa/897231000/
However, this road is maintained pretty regularly and does
not have as morbid an accident-record as the following:
Tirana to Elbasan Road in Albania
This is a hairy route, very high, badly maintained with high
volume of heavy truck traffic - count on these Albanian
drivers to be dare-devils, too. Whatever pictures we could
get, look pretty serious:
http://lh6.google.ca/abramsv/R2hf6UKUZ7I/AAAAAAAABIA/tnMGgj1Svqs/s1600-h/1457912021_2867454dbb_b.jpg
http://lh5.google.ca/abramsv/R2hjZEKUZ_I/AAAAAAAABIg/4_NdoEWCy9E/s1600-h/845933497_7136adf7c3_o.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alban14/651682083/
The cool thing about this road is that it leads to various
interesting "rabbit trails" with ancient ruins at the end:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alban14/755310696/
some of the bridges there look pretty ancient too, and
require some extra faith that they'll hold:
http://lh5.google.ca/abramsv/R2hiSEKUZ9I/AAAAAAAABIQ/T6ztIpNTKIo/s1600-h/1668906654_5f131e85a8.jpg
New Zealand Crazy Routes
The "Lord of the Rings" country contains the prettiest
landscapes in the world and the hairiest roads to reach them.
At least we got this impression after receiving a dozen tips
from our readers to investigate and to cover some of this
island's fearsome backroads. Here are a few examples:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/172/474856501_519be87fd7.jpg
Looks like a good Optimus Prime hangout:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/202/481001970_cd70c46093.jpg
It gets pretty interesting in foggy conditions (sheer drop
less than a meter away) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tva/1285197110/
The Skippers Canyon Road near Queenstown:
Katie Laurence writes to us:
"This road is made from a very narrow cut in the middle
of a sheer cliff face. The large tourist buses go along it,
and it's so narrow that if two vehicles have to pass each
other, one vehicle might have to reverse for anything up to
3 kilometres of winding narrow road to get to a place wide
enough to pass. It is the SCARIEST road you could
imagine..."
And this is how it looks close up, with sheer drops just
outside the single lane (with almost not enough space for tires)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8182112@N03/2043784395/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8182112@N03/2044805336/
Another interesting road near Queenstown: leading up
to the Remarkables -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gijoel/218298844/
Among other cliff-side roads of New Zealand we have to
mention the Paikakariki road on the North Island -
rewarding with awesome coastal views, but demanding
driver's full attention at the same time. Otherwise the
careless stray glance toward a pretty landscape may
become the last thing you'll gaze upon, period.
Some other bad road predicaments:
This road in Sahara is totally beset by drifting dunes: they
change location and are hard to get rid of, considering the
desert is all around it:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/203/466732884_6bbf4bfbf2_o.jpg
Potholes from hell:
http://lh4.google.ca/abramsv/R2hoX0KUaBI/AAAAAAAABIw/wmhgnaB65x4/s1600-h/830853557_d9a2d259b4.jpg
http://lh4.google.ca/abramsv/R2hof0KUaCI/AAAAAAAABI4/9l-bxo-EPNQ/s1600-h/713004009_cabd82874a.jpg
http://lh6.google.ca/abramsv/R2horUKUaDI/AAAAAAAABJA/2esm5hWUecU/s1600-h/855467247_41d266a4a8_o.jpg
This is pretty extreme, I'd say:
(and almost certainly 'shopped)
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1361/1384774799_83e2309d3f.jpg
R H Draney
>
>This is pretty extreme, I'd say:
>(and almost certainly 'shopped)
>http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1361/1384774799_83e2309d3f.jpg
But if all you want is steep, check out
http://www.espacioblog.com/eka/categoria/curiosidades
and scroll down to the entry for 21 Sept 2007 (page is in Spanish but you won't
need a translation)....
I've driven up Fargo Street in Los Angeles...you do get the distinct impression
that your car is going to nose over and flip onto its roof like a tortoise....r
--
What good is being an executive if you never get to execute anyone?
Rob Cibik
> FROM: The Dark Roasted Blend.com (2006-07) ~
c'mon bill, there isn't one road from the keystone state. this list is
incomplete!
GRAVEDIGGER69
> By Avi & Rachel Abrams
>
> 1. Bolivia's "Road of Death"
>
> North Yungas Road is hands-down the most dangerous
> in the world for motorists. If other roads could be
> considered impassable, this one clearly endangers your
> life. It runs in the Bolivian Andes, 70 km from La Paz to
> Coroico, and plunges down almost 3,600 meters in an
> orgy of extremely narrow hairpin curves and 800-meter
> abyss near-misses. A fatal accident happens there every
> couple of weeks, 100-200 people perish there every year.
> In 1995 the Inter-American Development Bank named the
> La Paz-to-Coroico route "the world's most dangerous
> road."
>
> Among the route there are many visible reminders of
> accidents, wreckages of lorries and trucks lie scattered
>
> http://static.flickr.com/121/295040725_d1874fc8ef_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/133/319320802_b219fa3f8c_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/106/295041126_c0a53729d1_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/100/295040719_a9aa1627a7_o.jpg
>
> The buses and heavy trucks navigate this road, as this is
> the only route available in the area. Buses crowded with
> locals go in any weather, and try to beat the incoming
> traffic to the curves. It does not help that the fog and
> vapors rise up from the heavily vegetated valley below,
> resulting in almost constant fogs and limited visibility. Plus
> the tropical downpours cause parts of the road to slide
>
> http://static.flickr.com/121/295040722_9ecb79e476_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/102/295040726_4e608d8b43_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/113/295041120_da53d88142_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/117/295041122_bbbd4e7c23_o.jpg
>
> Apparently some companies make business on the road's
> dubious fame by selling the extreme bike tours down that
> road. "Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking" is one of them.
> (you can read one such biker's account here.) If you are
> nuts enough to consider it, please be advised that you will
> be only adding to the road hazards, as it's hard to spot a
> cyclist on the road's hairpin curves, and your shrieks (as you
> fall down the abyss) will disturb the peace and quiet of the
>
> http://static.flickr.com/113/295052098_bcb5fa26b2_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/99/295048470_b75a3d9ebe_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/134/325907844_d5704fe51f_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/135/325907799_dabe2ee323_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/137/325907743_7a54afedda_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/139/325907704_3cf4dfc7da_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/141/325907669_264587d3bf_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/140/325907832_f5362ad53e_o.jpg
>
> 2. Russian Siberian Road to Yakutsk
>
> This is the official federal-government highway to Yakutsk,
> and it is also the only one to get there. As there are no other
> roads, the intrepid motorists are doomed to wallow in this
> dirt, or wait in week-long 100 km car line-ups (they say
> women even gave birth there while waiting). This can turn
> into a major humanitarian disaster during rainy spells, when
> the usual clay covering of the road turns into impassable
> mud blanket, swallowing trucks and tractors alike. In the
>
> http://static.flickr.com/101/295090230_dc78c5a7d1_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/112/295090231_2cdd6b25f8_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/121/295090232_f4c20d6292_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/108/295090233_bd32c534c1_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/105/295090235_85eccf4808_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/119/295090598_8b0f59272f_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/112/295090599_896f7dcf53_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/121/295090600_7d78481e51_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/99/295090601_0fb3d8a739_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/137/326285469_e49ef77c01_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/142/326285421_c0b31123f5_o.jpg
>
> Here is an aerial shot of this road in winter:http://static.flickr.com/139/326285645_4566d85034_o.jpg
>
> There are also rumors of a quite normal 30 km stretch of
> Russian country road, which gets an unexplained amount
> of car accidents; the locals suspect underground gas
> seepage which causes motorists to fall asleep... This creepy
> tale is supported by the evidence of car crash statistics and
> the tales of survivors, who do not remember anything prior
> to the crash and act strangely "drugged" afterwards.
> Hopefully this will be properly investigated before the road
> claims more victims.
>
>
> Sukhumi "Military" road in the former Soviet Georgia, in
> Caucasus mountains, which truckers and wine-drunk crazy
> "Lada" drivers navigate with the utter abandon, typical of
> the local mountain people... but we could not locate any
> photos of it. Only this old postcard... If you have any
> more pics, send them in.
>
>
> A road in Nepal, leading from Katmandu to Everest Base
>
> A typical India-Nepal Road. There is also a "death road" in
> Bangladesh, but we don't have enough information.
>
> 5. Most Dangerous Tourist Hiking Trail (China)
>
> Not a car road, but the most hair-raising experience you
> can have on your own two legs. This is a heavy-tourist
> traffic area in Xian (Mt.Huashan); this link explains more
>
> http://static.flickr.com/80/277086664_b3c7c6e71e_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/101/277086662_69077c0ea1_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/80/277086661_bc7abfcdc4_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/103/304776977_75e3bc774a_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/118/277085767_c8f70565ee_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/106/277085766_fb79df04a1_o.jpg
>
> http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2124/1957921861_b4428cee4f.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/116/277085765_371c698d63_o.jpg
>
> And when you're finally through with all this excitement,
> here is an outhouse for you (but do not make any false
> moves): http://static.flickr.com/111/293648975_64200319fd_o.jpg
>
> 1. Magnificient Guoliang Tunnel Road in China
> - Road that does not tolerate any mistakes
>
> In our popular post about "Top 5 Most Dangerous Roads
> in the World" we mentioned a few roads that imperil the
> lives of motorists, or just make it really miserable.
> The following roads did not quite make the list, but
> continued to pop up in conversations around the world.
> They may not be "deadly" as such, but certainly require a
> keen concentration on driving, as the rock walls in many of
>
> http://static.flickr.com/110/313421695_57d69b121d_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/108/313421910_f343a66c77_o.jpg
>
> Taroko Gorge Road in Taiwan (Chungheng)
>
> Another one of quite unforgiving roads, consisting of
>
> http://static.flickr.com/108/313421830_08a286e226_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/109/313421724_cf1d15d1ca_o.jpg
>
> Pasubio (Vicenza), Northern Italy
>
> This is an ancient road, converted to a hiking trail.
> Mountain bikers love it for the spectacular views, cool
> tunnels and hair-raising precipices... Some cars (presumably
> small italian kind) climb the hairpins to service the
>
> http://static.flickr.com/112/313421784_9504644741_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/103/313421762_797aad44bf_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/122/313421801_66ed7ba0fb_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/104/313421609_151314a028_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/113/313421594_c151285d7c_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/106/313449813_3ccf5da311_o.jpg
>
> http://static.flickr.com/115/313449945_6b90d4a33d_o.jpg
> ---
> Since our last installment in this highly popular series
> (Magnificient Tunnel Road, November 2006) we have
> received many tips and pictures of the roads that are no
> less intimidating, and in some cases just as dangerous.
> The world is obviously full of little known roads,
> encompassing a fascinating geography, waiting to be found
> by adventurous types. In this post, we will cover a few
>
> read more »
I-81 from Hazelton to the New York border when the fog rolls in.
Brad Ferguson
<stra...@neo.rr.com> wrote:
> FROM: The Dark Roasted Blend.com (2006-07) ~
> By Avi & Rachel Abrams
How the hell didn't the Garden State Parkway make the list?!?
R H Draney
It was nominated, and they sent someone to check it out...poor guy never
returned....r
GRAVEDIGGER69
> ><stray...@neo.rr.com> wrote:
>
> >> FROM: The Dark Roasted Blend.com (2006-07) ~
> >> By Avi & Rachel Abrams
>
> >How the hell didn't the Garden State Parkway make the list?!?
>
> It was nominated, and they sent someone to check it out...poor guy never
> returned....r
>
> --
> What good is being an executive if you never get to execute anyone?
He's with Hoffa, in the endzone at Gaints Stadium.
Bob Feigel
<stra...@neo.rr.com> magnanimously proffered:
>New Zealand Crazy Routes
The NZ routes mention are as challenging as they are spectacular, but
what the article fails to take into consideration are the dangerous
driving conditions caused by the bad design and poor maintenance of
what NZ has the audacity to call "highways."
Due to sloppy, shoddy road building standards and an endemic failure
to take responsibility for anything, many NZ roads are cambered the
wrong way and have uneven surfaces.
For example, last year we had portions of our coastal road into town
completely re-surfaced for the second time in six years.
The first time, the seal (surface) started to fail within three weeks
of completion. This time, it took around the same time and storms a
few weeks after that destroyed the new surface on various segments
which weren't repaired for months and months. Since the re-surfacing
took around six months, during which time local residents were treated
to long traffic delays and having to drive through lime splashes that
required washing your car every day, we were not amused by the
prospect of further inconvenience and expense.
Actually, a lot of people are beginning to think that our local
council has some sort of vested interest in providing road building
firms with a constant income stream paid for by the taxpayer. But
whether or not they do, the result is still the same. No road repairs
or upgrades last for more than a few weeks before needing further
remedial work.
In any event, roads throughout NZ should not approached lightly by
visitors. What we call "highways" would be considered secondary and
tertiary roads in countries NZ likes to compare itself to. Except near
major cities our so-called "highways" are simply narrow two lane roads
with the occasional passing lane. Going the maximum speed limit
(100kph) is not recommended.
OTOH, back in the early 70's when I was driving from California to
Costa Rica with a friend, we were following the Pan American Highway
on our map only to find the road getting narrower and narrower until
it ended at a pig farm. Apparently, quite a large portion of the
monies set aside for the building of the highway actually went to
individuals and families with ties to Latin American governments and
dictatorships.
At least we can blame our sub-standard and decaying roading system on
incompetence ... not to mention the government's diverting of the tax
money meant for roads into tax-funded bribes to encourage social
welfare beneficiaries to continue voting for them.
--
"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kent
newsgroup I have no doubt that New Zealand roads are probably among the most
dangerous of those countries considered "First World" countries.
What a shame. Or, perhaps, what a lack of shame. So, I guess no one is
ever accountable for the terrible road system? You would think that would
be one of the most basic responsibilities of a modern society. It's not
like there aren't plenty of examples out there that they could study and
emulate. For a government supposedly obsessed with social welfare this is a
really puzzling blind spot and a poor reflection on their stewardship of the
country.
Kent
Bob Feigel
<ke...@ixnayontheamspay-deadoraliveinfo.com> magnanimously proffered:
Unfortunately, our current we-know-what's-best-for-you socialist
government is too busy throwing money at the social welfare recipients
who keep them in power to take responsibility for petty bourgeois
details such as infrastructure or amenities on behalf of the taxpayers
who fund their profligate spending. After all, it's an election year
and price is no limit when it comes to smoke, mirrors and spin.
Bob Feigel
<b...@surfwriter.net.not> magnanimously proffered:
>Unfortunately, our current we-know-what's-best-for-you socialist
>government is too busy throwing money at the social welfare recipients
>who keep them in power to take responsibility for petty bourgeois
>details such as infrastructure or amenities on behalf of the taxpayers
>who fund their profligate spending. After all, it's an election year
>and price is no limit when it comes to smoke, mirrors and spin.
Should have mentioned that they've also increased (and promise to
increase even more) the incredibly high number of bureaucrats - who
also help keep the socialists in power. After all, who of them would
vote for a government that promised to trim the bureaucracy? We must
have one of the highest ratios of bureaucrats to population in the
industrialised world.