Llangollen – Major Scary Road

[Mark and Mindy]

What's the worst road you have taken your van on?

A few weeks ago we had a short trip to the Llangollen area to see the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and other sites in the area.

One site that interested us was Castell Dinas Brân which is above Llangollen to the north.

We drove our van though the town and over the river and took a road called Wern Road.

Leaving town it was a quite steep and narrow and as we continued it started to become obvious that this was a very narrow road with no passing places, no turning places and was now very very very steep.

Fence posts and substantial tree trunks were right at the edge of the road and it was very narrow. One section was in a dip with adverse camber and just a few cm to the right would have sent us falling down a steep grassy bank.

At one point I paused to catch my breath and starting off again in first gear with the up button engaged we even managed to wheelspin on the gradient. The road seemed to go straight up. I wasn’t sure that the Comfort-Matic could take much more.

After 1.2 miles we were just hoping to survive and it was so lucky that we didn’t meet any oncoming traffic until right at the other end so they were able to reverse a short distance.

Seriously scary.

Mark

 

[Figaro]

Was that road to a campsite ?
Were there any warnings at the start.
There are some scary roads on Wales for sure

 

[Hollyberry]

Berry Head, Brixham when trying to find a THS.

 

[jongood]

Roads like that are when Scooters are handy, turns worrying into exciting. We ve been known to get the scooter out on a car park to go places, just give it 10 minutes to cool down before you put it back in.

 

[mike mcglynn]

Kirkstone pass in a 30 years old VW camper which we had only just bought and the steering was rather vague.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Shrimp]

Years ago we found a ’short cut’-in Wales-and ended up going down a narrow lane with the high banks either side, if I had waved my arm out of the van window I would have touched the bank!

 

[joka250]

My limited Welsh tells me Wern means mountain, I think. Perhaps a clue, not brilliant but a guide. Well done for completing it and telling the story. As my age increases I find these situations more and more daunting.

 

[maison]

In the Pyrenees last summer.

SatNav and atlas failed to warn us of the road and there were no warning signs. Single track, hairpin bends that simply doubled back on themselves with no land between. Stone supporting wall on one side and sheer drop to the road below on the other.

We were towing our scooter on a trailer and found we could not get round some of bends in one move. This required a reverse while already on full lock, unable to see the back of the trailer and with the drop to the lower level only about two feet behind.

Seriously scary and never to be repeated.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Kirkstone pass in a 30 years old VW camper which we had only just bought and the steering was rather vague.

I can see that.

Great on a bike though ?

 

[Ed 57]

My limited Welsh tells me Wern means mountain, I think. Perhaps a clue, not brilliant but a guide. Well done for completing it and telling the story. As my age increases I find these situations more and more daunting.

Wern means Swamp in English !

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[tacr2man]

As Croc Dundee would say this a major scary road


I had to do something similar (not over river) with my RV near Mertert in Luxembourg

 

[Lenny HB]

This is probably one of our worst or best depending which way you look at it. On our way to park for our walk up Mount Olympus.

 

[David and Sally]

This is probably one of our worst or best depending which way you look at it. On our way to park for our walk up Mount Olympus.

No way I would do that!

 

[dna]

does this count - wrong turn on way to a certified site near oakworth on saturday

and why does the camera "see" much better than my eyes when I'm driving?

 

[BILL 875]

Many moons ago driving a coach around Amsterdam i went down a narrow street ended up at a small crossroad, straight on 6 foot wide humpback bridge, couldnt go back, left and right tram track went down the tram track a bit bumpy but didnt meet a tram

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

No way I would do that!

Chicken.

How about this one then, not a holiday unless you find a good road. ?

 

[David and Sally]

Chicken.
Cluck Cluck!
How about this one then, not a holiday unless you find a good road. ?

No way Jose. I would be OK on my motorbike - just about.

 

[Pikeman]

We followed instructions from SatNav whilst in Julian alps, Slovenia. Next left took us up a road that climbed for over 20 minutes in first gear, with numerous hairpin bends that we just made in one. If anything had come towards us, we could not have passed. Gods were with us that day. I was knackered with mental exhaustion when we reached the top.
SatNav's.......... love them and hate them!

 

[Lenny HB]

No way Jose. I would be OK on my motorbike - just about.

Some real wimps on here.

Another one not as scary but it honed my reversing skills.

 

[Langtoftlad]

A couple, also in Wales... in my brand new PVC ...

Caerphilly to Maerdy via the St Gwnyo Forest track to Blaenllechau at dusk, in driving rain, in fog!
Before I knew better, blindly following the sat nav.... no pix but looking at the route again on google maps brings me out in a cold sweat!

Then I did similar going to Sugar Loaf, Abergavenny ....

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Next Stop]

Gees, I'm having an anxiety attack just reading this thread

 

[Jaws]

Ireland gave us our most scary ride
We left Cobh to go westerly... Got a bit lost and somehow ended up on what can only be described as a goat trail over the Boggoragh mountains
There were times when we had rock face on one side and shear drop on tother
Wheels kept spinning up on the very steep twisty incline no matter hoe gentle I was on the go peddle
Exhaust kept grounding out too
It was not until we got over and back on a metalled road we saw a sign saying 'only suitable for experienced 4 x 4 drivers'
We had just done it in a 5 1/4 ton tag axle motorhome

Have got any pictures.. Woman was too terrified to let go of the arm rests and I was a bit busy

 

[ambulancekidd]

A number of years ago my Land Rover was giving trouble, I was in the north of the Lake District. The part I needed was in Kendal, so rather than tow my brand spanking new caravan down the M6 I decided to drive through Kirkstone Pass, my thinking was that I'd rather break down there than on the M6.
Now just at the tightest spot on the road I had literally just said "hope I don't meet a bus" when round the corner came a huge holiday coach, gulp.
There were rocks at either the side of the road. It was a case of fold the towing mirrors in, breath in then creep forward.
The caravan was less than an inch from the rocks as was the coach, I was sweating buckets.

God only knows what these coaches do when they meet each other on that road?

 

[Hollyberry]

Chicken.

How about this one then, not a holiday unless you find a good road. ?

"
I’ve come out in a sweat watching that. I’d have been whimpering as I drove along.

 

[Baldybazza]

Think our worst one was in France - sat nav said turn left so we did - road sign said 19 ton limit so we'ed be fine. Wrong! The (freshly gritted) road became narrower and steeper with sharp bends and bridge abutments each side. Our 8m Burstner + toad barely fitted between the large trees on the left and the sheer drop to the right. Fortunately we didn't meet any vehicles apart from a cyclist when we reached the top - he got off his bike, scratched his head as if to say "how the f**k did he just come up there?". Clean underwear certainly required
Bazza

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[franknjan]

A few weeks ago we had a short trip to the Llangollen area to see the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and other sites in the area.

One site that interested us was Castell Dinas Brân which is above Llangollen to the north.

A regular ride on my motorcycle, although I'd think twice before going there in the car. Never in the motorhome.
Photo attached of the Dee valley and bike.

 

[WESTY66]

We followed instructions from SatNav whilst in Julian alps, Slovenia. Next left took us up a road that climbed for over 20 minutes in first gear, with numerous hairpin bends that we just made in one. If anything had come towards us, we could not have passed. Gods were with us that day. I was knackered with mental exhaustion when we reached the top.
SatNav's.......... love them and hate them!

Wurzenpass and vrsic pass?? Done them numerous times on the Harley, in fact couple of months ago, not sure how I’d fare in the motorhome??

this is the bottom of the other side??

 

[joka250]

Wern means Swamp in English !

Oh. I used to visit a young lady who lived at the top of a steep long hill. The house was called Pen y Wern. I always assumed that meant top of the mountain. A quick call to a Welsh speaking nephew confirmms marsh but also Alder as in tree. Now completely confused.

 

[ceejayt]

So good to see that it’s not just me that ends up taking a wrong turn/ ridiculous route. Makes me feel better.

 

[KiwiKampers]

This is probably one of our worst or best depending which way you look at it. On our way to park for our walk up Mount Olympus.

So you thought - "If that bus can get through, then so can I".
I think I might have turned my windscreen wipers on. That way I could at least see how far I was going to roll down the mountain.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}