In this series, we’re going to be taking a look at the world’s most dangerous roads. The spine-tingling, the sweat-inducing, and the damn right butt-clenching. These roads are certainly not for the faint hearted, and those only with the biggest of balls among us would dare to tackle them on their two-wheels. So, are you up for it?
To kick things off with a bang, today we’re going to take a closer look at the nail-biting Pasubio Road in Italy.
Pasubio Road, Italy
The road, otherwise known as ‘Strada delle 52 Gallerie’ in Italian or ‘Road of 52 Tunnels’ in English, can be found on the massif Pasubio in Veneto, Italy. It was originally built for military purposes during World War One in 1971, and it is so perilous that the government have even tried to shut it down.
As you can probably guess by the name, the road boasts 52 incredible carved tunnels, all of which plunge you into deep darkness and then flood you with light and hair-raising views once you ride out the other side. The views are absolutely insane, and if you can suck it up and get over the sheer height of it, you’ll be blown away by how gorgeous the surrounding mountains are.
Not only will the views be thrilling, but the road itself proves quite the challenge and can be a daunting task for the inexperienced rider. With crazy road conditions, incredibly narrow sections, uneven terrain, sheer drops and many tight, hair-pin bends, you’ll certainly be needing a swift change of underwear upon completion of this dangerous road.
The tunnels on this mind-blowing road all vary in size and length, but the longest of the lot measures a whopping 300m, with the rest ranging anywhere from around 30m to 100m long. The tunnels are dark, echoey and the road surface can be pretty uneven at times. Not only this, but water can drip down onto the road making it particularly slippery in places.
The Pasubio Road measures approximately 6,500m long, with the highest point of the road measuring an elevation of 2,000m – so you can be sure that all your efforts will be rewarded with spectacular mountain scenery and panoramic views. These days, some sections of the road are closed to vehicles, however locals tend to skip the rulebook and use the road regardless.
Would you dare to ride this road? Let us know in the comments section below. You can also check out five of the world’s longest roads, six of the most extreme winter roads in the world and 11 epic roads to ride before you die.
