Big truck on small road

Big log truck on narrow winding roadThe road between St Jean de Sixt and Bonneville is sketchy at times to say the least. If it’s not boulders falling onto the road, it’s local drivers doing crazy speeds to catch up behind you and tailgate you around the twists and bends that ensure the average person stays in second gear most of the time. Add in slippery, snowy roads in winter just to make things more exciting.

It’s hard enough to drive along this road in a car or small van unscathed in let alone a truck. I do not envy the driver of this log truck. Those logs are longer than this photo can justify, and you can see how close some of them are to the rocks which often overhang the road, causing the driver to take up both sides of the road to avoid scraping his or her cargo. Height, as well as width, is therefore important on this road! The cargo made it through the pass unscathed.

During the ten minutes of being stuck behind the truck, we had to stop twice to let oncoming traffic clear so the truck could get around the next corner.

I was relieved to be behind the truck despite my longer presence on the road increasing the chance of falling rock landing on me: the local who zoomed up behind me didn’t bother tailgating me once he saw what lay ahead. Now that’s rare.

About

I'm a technical author, journalist and writer from Australia who has been living in Europe since 2000 and exploring the world from there. My passions are writing, snow sports and travel.

3 Comments on “Big truck on small road

  1. Yes I just don’t like that road at all. Too many incidents of all sorts go on. But the fact the truck got through unscathed must warrant a congratulations. Suspect he knew what he was doing if a local. But yes, imagine the mayhem if he’d knocked one or more off… plus the rather low stone wall and sheer gorge drop on the left-hand side.. And if I get tailgated again by another twingo/clio any small, dodgy french car being driven over its limits by some testosteroned, hairy, small-willied male, I’ll scream…

  2. Justin, I will now forever look at that photo and think of large colouring pencils. 🙂