– Dangerous Roads –

Our objective as Adventure Caravanners is ‘To Boldly Go Where No Van Has Gone Before’.

We have driven over a few interesting mountain passes, some of which feature on the website ‘Dangerous Roads‘. Here are a few of our high altitude tales, some of which are also chapter excerpts from my books.

Gorges du Verdon, France

Towing the Gorges du Verdon – Our Most Challenging Drive… Ever! – it was not the altitude, but the sheer drops, measured in miles, which added a frisson of excitement to this drive. We suspect that whoever described it as ‘not for the faint hearted’ did not mean with a 7m caravan in tow!

2,042m (6,699ft) – Transfăgărășan, Romania

Towing the Transfăgărășan – Crossing The Carpathians with a Caravan, Romania – Caravan Kismet joins the Mile-High Club as she crosses the second highest mountain pass in Romania. Dubbed ‘The best road in the world’ by Jeremy Clarkson, the Transfăgărășan also features on the website Dangerous Roads. An excerpt from my book, Dogs ‘n’ Dracula – A Road Trip Through Romania follows our progress.

Transfagarasan_sher — Sheer bliss on the Transfăgărășan

1,611m (5,285ft) – Vršič Pass, Slovenia

A Picturesque Pet Shop Run; Kranjska Gora, Triglav & The Vršič Pass – Vršič Pass features on the website Dangerous Roads. We drove it in fine weather with no caravan. Bits of it were cobbled and bits were under construction. It was steep and twisty, with a maximum 14% gradient. I would not attempt Vršič with the caravan in tow. Mark, on the other hand…!

P1070851 Vrsic Pass — Vršič has 50 ‘official’ hairpin bends

1,156m (3,793ft) – Predel Pass, Italy to Slovenia

Escape from Austria – to ‘The Most Beautiful River in the World’ – Caravan Kismet is overtaken by a bicycle as she negotiates the scary hairy-pins of the Predel Pass, which connects Italy and Slovenia. Also a ‘Dangerous Road‘, this excerpt is taken from Dog on the Rhine – From Rat Race to Road Trip.

P1070794 — The Predel Pass, Slovenia. Mark’s face says it all!

1,820m (5,971ft) Campsite Gran Paradiso, Italy

“To Boldly Go Where No Van Has Gone Before!” Gran Paradiso – OK, this is not a mountain pass as such, but it was a hairy ascent on which the road maintenance crews were roped on with climbing harnesses. I am not sure that we truly did ‘Boldly Go Where No Van Has Gone Before’, but I would definitely think twice about towing the SR23 again!