This road running along the Chile-Argentina border may be one of the most scenic drives in the world, but unfortunately for the driver, he can’t take in the view at all. Rather, it’s vital for his safety and other passengers in the car and on the road that his eyes stay glued to the road at all times. The road climbs over 10,000 feet and winds through the Andes. The portion of the road which is particularly hazardous is called Los Caracoles, which means “the snails.” The reason for its name is that it has 20 hairpin turns.
The road here is not only steep but also swerves a lot. Messing around on Paso de Los Libertadores and not adhering to the reduced speed limit can result in fatalities. If the road doesn’t seem scary enough to you, then you should also know that there are no guardrails in parts of the road. Oh, and have we mentioned the potential here for rockslides and heavy snow? Yep, this is definitely one of the scariest drives in the world.
Fairy Mountain
Pakistan is a stunning country with an extraordinary and magnificent variety of landscapes, including five of the highest mountain peaks in the world. Where there are high mountains, often times, there are dangerous roads accompanying them. Fairy Mountain Road is an unmaintained gravel road that leads to Nanga Parbat mountain.
Don’t be deceived by the road’s glittery name. The road becomes so narrow in the end that you must walk or bike the rest of the way. If you have it as your mission to get to the top of Nanga Parbat mountain, this is the only road that leads to the mountain. Measuring around the same width as one jeep, it was built years ago by the local residents. The only reason for taking the road would be to climb the Nanga Parbat, and even then, I’d say maybe choose another mountain to climb… like K2.
Guoliang
Here you have a tunnel road in Henan Province, China. As you can see, the road is carved along the side of a mountain. The tunnel connects the village of Guoliang to the outside through the Taihang Mountains. It was built by 13 people who lived in a nearby village in 1977, mostly using hammers and chisels.
The creation of the road has turned the nearby village into a tourist attraction. It has also been used as a film location. The road has no railing and looks nothing short of terrifying. On top of the dangers of being built on the side of a mountain, the tunnel itself measures only 15 feet wide and 12 feet high which makes for a completely distressing experience and freaks me out just thinking about it. I think i’ll go elsewhere.
Yunga Road
For a long time, this road had the reputation of being the world’s most dangerous road. Somewhere between 200-300 people have lost their lives on this mountainous route between La Paz, Bolivia, and Coroico, 43 miles away. Unsurprisingly, the road is also called the Death Road. The road, which has no guardrails, isn’t paved. Much of the road has one lane and cliff drops of up to 2,000 feet. The road is especially dangerous during the rainy season from November to March when rain and fog can hamper visibility and water runoff turns the road muddy.
Nowadays, the road isn’t used much anymore thanks to a new highway which is paved and flat. That sounds like a much safer option! With fewer people driving on La Carretera de los Yungas, there are surely less fatalities as well. But, the road does attract a significant number of thrillseekers every year who come for downhill mountain biking. At least 18 cyclists have died over the last 20 years so if you do find yourself driving on the road, drive very slow and carefully.
Zoji La Pass
You know a road is dangerous when it’s off limits during the winter time. Zoji la pass takes two months following winter to be cleared. The high mountain pass is in India in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. While the road obviously looks dangerous, what you can’t see is how high the road is which is the real reason for its danger.
It has an elevation of over 11,000 feet. Besides that, the mountain pass is very narrow and has loads of steep drops. The road would be better as a walking trail rather than a road for cars. Simply said, this road isn’t for those with weak stomachs.