So how did you get on!!??
Pics?

I struggle with long sentences, but here’s something that happened near to me in normal weather.

A road was closed with barriers both at ends. It formed a useful short cut but the way round was only a few miles longer. Late at night a driver decided he’d take his chances: he moved the barrier, drove past, and replaced the barrier behind him. He drove on happily, went round a bend and into the fallen tree.

Next morning the council crew found him when they arrived to deal with the tree. He was trapped in the wreckage with both legs broken. Luckily it wasn’t cold and snowing.

Even though the OP’s not doing the race anymore I think he needs to drive that road anyway to settle the thread. It’s the only way.

IMO what he was proposing really wasn’t that big a deal.

You need an aerosani:

(Guns optional)

andyl

@maxtorque: that is awesome! If you made the screw thingys boyant enough so they sit just below the water then I wonder if it would work on water too?

Hell yeah!

http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/ice_challenger

(ignore the terrible US narration!)

The road wad open and clear, I did the race, I think I’ll post a report later 🙂

I drove past the storey arms yesterday,I’ve never seen so many people with sledges and snowboards. Was like a scene from the alps.

Yeah it’s always like that. Sometimes fair enough, cos that’s the only place with snow, but it’s snowed up all over the country more or less – why drive all the way up there?

molgrips,

how enforceable a road closure is will depend on different factors (e.g. failing to follow the instructions of a constable if he is actually present is likely to get you in bother). Proper snow gates usually have a “no motorised vehicles” sign on them which would be enforceable; red rectangular signs may not be if there is no accompanying road closure order. But see this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/jan/11/police-road-block-rights

If you skid off the road or hit someone else coming the otherway I’d expect your insurers to raise a few eyebrows.

If there are jacknifed lorries then (1) you won’t get through even with a 4×4 if they are completely blocking the road (2) there may be people working to try and clear the obstruction who assume they are relatively safe (blind bends / summits, poor vis etc?) because the road is closed.

One of the problems when people get stuck is they abandon their cars on the road, then when someone comes to clear it (1) there is an obstruction (2) there is a vehicle in a stupid place delaying the road opening or presenting a hazard to drivers. You might be able to get your car somewhere more sensible – but my experience is when the roads are impassable the laybys are even worse (as a plough has dumped a load of snow in it). If the snow is drifting your stop may be more abrupt than you think. I’ve not idea how bad it is where you are – but if its a main route and they have closed it for more than a few hours whilst waiting for a plough then its probably a bigger obstruction than you think.