Extreme Roads

Niall1234

Any suggestions.

I'd have to say the Connor Pass on the Dingle peninsula. One of the highest mountain passes in Ireland, the road narrows to a single lane for ages with cliffs up and down on both sides. God help you if you drove off the road.

mike65

N24 - its shiote.

This one looks tricky! (slideshow presentation) the Famously bad Yungas_Road

Mike.

peasant

Nothing *really* extreme in Ireland that I know of ..not in comparison to some Norwegian or Alpine roads anyway.

For a bit of a thrill take the "Sky Road" outside Clifden, Glengesh Pass near Ardara, the "Coast Road" to Kilcar or the road to the parking lot half way up the Slieve League (last three all in Co. Donegal)

The "little ring of Kerry" outside Waterville also has one bend which is quite steep and scary.

Other than that just the countless so called "N" roads with bends, humps, potholes and cambers that make any speed above 50-70 km/h lethal but are nonetheless limited at 100 km/h

Wishbone Ash

mike65 wrote:

the Famously bad Yungas_Road

It looks much scarier in the photographs. :eek: This Google Earth view doesn't really do it justice!

afatbollix

having rallied for the last couple of roads ive driven the most demanding roads in ireland... the best ive driven:
the Atlantic Drive on achill island is the best.. cliffs, to flat out strights to hair pins.. and of corse fantastic views.
molls gap in kerry, flat out you can drive it in 8 minutes there is nothing like it in the country.. but it has become very wide at the top so has lost some of its appeal
then theres a road going behind crough patrick in mayo its a fantastic road... its a back road to lenanee and if there is traffic i take it bloody slow drivers ruining a great road...
theres loads more like glean village in donegal...

Victor

The hi-vis gear is so they can find the bodies. :eek:

wet-paint

I remember going out the Sky road about ten years back one winter, it was icy as fcuk, and a few cars ahead of us were turning around and going back in to Clifden. Dad kept going though, god bless him and the four wheel drive. Went on to Omey and out on to the beach for a spin.

Andrewf20

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/iftk/295154263_2f8c8efdf2.jpg

Bolivia

Alun

The scariest road I've ever been on in Ireland is the little road that leads up to the car park / viewing point for Slieve League in Donegal. It's a dead end, and only just wide enough for 1 car with the occasional place where you can squeeze two cars past each other. so once you've committed to going up it you've no other choice but to complete it .. no chances.of turning back.

What makes it so scary though is that at one point you're driving uphill to a crest with a steep drop to your left, and you then have to go round a sharp right hand bend where you can see nothing ahead of you except for sky. After this bend the drop to the left then gets even steeper and all you can see is the sea below you.

I should add that when I did it last it was in a left-hand drive car, meaning I was even closer to the edge on the way up, and in a storm. A couple of times I lost my nerve and stopped the car trying to think of an escape route, and the car was rocking from side to side because of the wind

If anyone's interested it goes from a little place called Teelin out to a head called Carrigan Head, just south of Slieve League.

sicruise

Where was the guy taking the picture

Andrewf20

Alun wrote:

....What makes it so scary though is that at one point you're driving uphill to a crest with a steep drop to your left, and you then have to go round a sharp right hand bend where you can see nothing ahead of you except for sky. After this bend the drop to the left then gets even steeper and all you can see is the sea below you....

I guess this is it?

http://www.cs.usm.maine.edu/~brassard/travel2/pics/trip022.jpg

Alun

Andrewf20 wrote:

I guess this is it?

http://www.cs.usm.maine.edu/~brassard/travel2/pics/trip022.jpg

Yep, that's the one alright :eek:

Andrewf20

Rudy hell. Looks impressive. Wouldnt mind paying a visit.