Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 41 total)
  • Two inches of snow and utter gridlock!
  • footflaps
    Full Member

    You get two inches of snow on a mountain road, in winter, and what happens? Utter gridlock as every local driver gets stuck for lack of driving skills.

    Is this Britain?, nope, The Three Valleys Ski resort in France and the 200 stuck drivers, completely blocking the only road in and out of the resort are all French. Our 90 minute coach transfer turned into a 12 hour ordeal to cover the 15 miles up the hills to Val Thorens, all caused by wheel spinning incompetent French locals totally unstuck by white fluffy stuff falling on a road in a ski resort.

    Anyway, at least it’s not just the British who can’t drive in winter……

    bruneep
    Full Member

    Oh how awful for you.

    teethgrinder
    Full Member

    First World Problems?

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    boxfish
    Free Member

    That’s why I always insist on helicopter transfers. Bloody riff-raff!

    😉

    wobbliscott
    Free Member

    It’s a myth that it’s only the uk that struggles with snow and Europe somehow gets on regardless. It’s true that they’re better prepared and experienced on the continent, but I know that fir the first couple or so days after fresh snow fall the have very similar problems and experience the same chaos as us. My brother lived in Norway for 5 years and it happened there, I used to travel to Moscow a lot and they similarly struggled. It seems to me that the biggest difference is that in a lot of these countries they suffer the chaos only once per season. For us in the uk with our variable climate we’ll see snow come and go and come again a number of times through the winter so we suffer this multiple times per season.

    Though having said that, when I’ve travelled to the three valleys when it’s snowing they tend to stop vehicles close to the bottom and only let those with either 4-wheel drive or snow chains continue up the mountain.

    darrell
    Free Member

    rarely any issues here in Norway. better prepared and everyone on winter or studded tyres.

    br
    Free Member

    It’s a myth that it’s only the uk that struggles with snow and Europe somehow gets on regardless. It’s true that they’re better prepared and experienced on the continent, but I know that fir the first couple or so days after fresh snow fall the have very similar problems and experience the same chaos as us. My brother lived in Norway for 5 years and it happened there,

    +1

    Seen the same in Oslo too.

    allthepies
    Free Member

    It’s all David Cameron’s fault. I read it on here.

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Though having said that, when I’ve travelled to the three valleys when it’s snowing they tend to stop vehicles close to the bottom and only let those with either 4-wheel drive or snow chains continue up the mountain.

    They were doing this, but somehow 200+ FWD cars with no chains and summer tyres had been allowed past…..

    At various points we had to get off the coach to push stuck vehicles off the road….

    teethgrinder
    Full Member

    Please tell me you all pushed them over the edge of the road into the pass below and got pics…

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I always say this whenever people start moaning threads.

    The real difference between the UK and the rest of the world is that whenever there’s a problem of any kind we just bitterly moan and whine about it and how shite we are and no other country has these problems oh whinge moan we are so shit and pathetic etc etc.

    Other countries have problems too.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    “we” – the UK?…or stw? 😉

    psling
    Free Member

    UK – “we” moan that when it snows we cannot get to work/shops/other end of the country because the council don’t clear the roads, the government don’t plan or provide for road clearance, it’s just not good enough in this day and age, etc., etc..

    STW – “we” moan about all the other idiots who are incompetent and unable to drive in snow and therefore getting in our way as we drive about without effort.

    piemonster
    Full Member

    It’s all David Cameron’s fault. I read it on here.

    Not everything is his fault. He’s still a tosser though.

    nealglover
    Free Member

    the 200 stuck drivers, completely blocking the only road in and out of the resort are all French.

    I’m impressed by your dedication in checking every car. Very thorough.

    Should have booked into Les Allues anyway, far nicer than Val Thorens and wouldn’t have had any problems getting there 😉

    wrightyson
    Free Member

    And all of the above is why I don’t buy into the whole “winter tyre” faff. All it takes over here is one lorry/car/bus who hasn’t bothered and you may as well be in an f1 car.
    However thought it was law on the continent to have chains or snow socks etc?

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    I’m weeping bitter tears here that your skiiing holiday has been cut a few hours short. I hope you get through the tough ordeal. Please let us all know that it’s going ok and that you get food and wine this evening. A post in the morning to let us know you’ve all survived would be helpful too. Have you started a twitter feed so we can follow progress tonight?

    torsoinalake
    Free Member

    To be fair, traffic into the Alps over Christmas and half term is a nightmare anyway. Doesn’t really need snow for it to be gridlock.

    wrightyson
    Free Member

    Ooo darcey you bitch!

    wallop
    Full Member

    The first big dump in a while, combined with transfer day for the New Year week – was never going to be pretty. Not a nice way to start your holiday.

    Have a good trip – looks like yesterday’s snow will make a nice difference!

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    looks like yesterday’s snow will make a nice difference!

    Ok, so I’m a little less sniffly now that I’ve heard that. 🙂

    Jamie
    Free Member

    I’m weeping bitter tears here that your skiiing holiday has been cut a few hours short. I hope you get through the tough ordeal. Please let us all know that it’s going ok and that you get food and wine this evening. A post in the morning to let us know you’ve all survived would be helpful too. Have you started a twitter feed so we can follow progress tonight?

    You jelly, Darcy?

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    You jelly, Darcy?

    Yep.

    But I’m also feeling his pain. Like a stake through my cold heart.

    Jamie
    Free Member

    But I’m also feeling his pain. Like a stake through my cold heart.

    …and by pain, he means [NOPE!-MODS]

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    I mean, pain like you cannot describe. I’ve read stories of people having it tough this Christmas…tough like you’ve never felt. But this harrowing story has put it all into perspective. 😐

    oldboy
    Free Member

    Sorry for not reading all the above, but when I hear folk telling me how great their massive luxury 4WD SUVs are in the snow I ask them how far they are going to get if some menopausal female with the spatial awareness of a small insect has caused a massive pileup and completely blocked the road!

    mightymule
    Free Member

    menopausal female with the spatial awareness of a small insect

    I don’t usually take such obvious bait, but that description could easily be exchanged for “Male mid life crisis knob head who wants to wave his massive cock extension around”

    Jamie
    Free Member

    I mean, pain like you cannot describe. I’ve read stories of people having it tough this Christmas…tough like you’ve never felt. But this harrowing story has put it all into perspective.

    Indeed. Hold me.

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    some menopausal female with the spatial awareness of a small insect has caused a massive pileup and completely blocked the road!

    Oh isn’t he butch.

    cuckoo
    Free Member

    all caused by wheel spinning incompetent French locals totally unstuck by white fluffy stuff falling on a road in a ski resort.

    Don’t forget that at the moment there are many people from the south of England on holiday in the French Alps with hire cars.

    Sounds to me like they were headed for the Three Valleys Ski resort today.

    wallop
    Full Member

    Not Footflaps though – he was on a coach 😉

    molgrips
    Free Member

    And all of the above is why I don’t buy into the whole “winter tyre” faff. All it takes over here is one lorry/car/bus who hasn’t bothered and you may as well be in an f1 car

    Except that most of the time (ok not in the OP’s valley situation) you can turn round and take a different route, which is what I did when faced with a blocked mountain road last year 🙂

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Alternative route? No, you go and pull them out / dig / push etc until sorted. Or drive round smugly giggling at the grip you have and they did not… 😉

    grum
    Free Member

    As nealglover says, you would have been thankful if the bus had never made it to Val Thorens. Ugliest ski resort I’ve ever been to.

    Also, now I know you’re away I’ll burgle you and nick your bikes.

    Have fun! 😛

    CountZero
    Full Member

    deadlydarcy – Member
    I’m weeping bitter tears here that your skiiing holiday has been cut a few hours short. I hope you get through the tough ordeal. Please let us all know that it’s going ok and that you get food and wine this evening. A post in the morning to let us know you’ve all survived would be helpful too. Have you started a twitter feed so we can follow progress tonight?

    So that’s a saucer of milk to go, then?

    CountZero
    Full Member

    For getting into French ski resorts:

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Just to reassure deadly that everything is now OK, I can report perfect conditions and that we are having a great time.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Awesome. 😀

    I didn’t get a wink last night worrying about it. It very nearly ruined 2013 for me. Enjoy the rest of your stay.

    (I realise I’m invoking the Edinburgh Defence but I do hope you know I was only taking the mick.)

    nealglover
    Free Member

    when I hear folk telling me how great their massive luxury 4WD SUVs are in the snow I ask them how far they are going to get if some menopausal female with the spatial awareness of a small insect has caused a massive pileup and completely blocked the road!

    Insects have fantastic spatial awareness. Compound eyes you see…..

    I mean, literally brilliant spatial awareness.

    That was your point right ? 🙂

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    Also, now I know you’re away I’ll burgle you and nick your bikes.

    No it’s time to occupy his nuclear bunker man cave.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 41 total)

The topic ‘Two inches of snow and utter gridlock!’ is closed to new replies.