The Coquihalla: Canada's Highway Through Hell
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- čas přidán 31. 07. 2024
- It's one of the most incredible feats of civil engineering out there. But that doesn't stop it from being one of the most dangerous roads in North America. In this adventure, drive British Columbia's Coquihalla Highway from Kamloops south to Hope.
After summiting the Coq, you'll descend the infamous Smasher. It's aptly named for the idiots that think they can drive it in the ice and snow and turn the highway into a demolition derby. To successfully conquer the the Smasher, you'll need to take on over 20 kilometers of a nearly 9% grade. it's a wild ride in the summer, and sheer insanity in the winter.
Do you have what it takes to tame Canada's Highway Through Hell? Or are you doomed to be just another statistic in the Smasher's long run of infamy?
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0:00 - Intro
0:53 - The 500 km Run from Jasper to Kamloops
4:44 - The Summit and the Smasher
7:03 - Back on Flat Ground in Hope
I was traveling on this highway on August 5th, 2020. Was hit by a semi. Totalled the car. Injured. Twisted knee, broken pelvis and,5 broken ribs, broken wrist, broken wrist, shattered shoulder. I still have the bolts and screws in my shoulder. The hardware may be coming out. If you go to the Coc highway. Type Coc highway August 5. 4 different radio stations had coverage. My car was the blue one. Was picked up by a helicopter. I will Never travel on it again. Semi driver went to jail.
One of the best and safest highways I’ve ever been on Canada
I'm not sure if the word safe and Coquihalla belong together in a sentance 😂
Safest
Lolll
Should drive BC's highway 1 and highway 3 if you ever get the chance, those are the two highways that the Coquihalla(highway 5) replaced, seeing those highways really helps refine your perspective on the Coquihalla.
I drive the Coquihalla twice a night, once each way, 4 to 5 nights a week for work.
Long, long ago, my parents with me, young.
From Edmonton to Vancouver iceland.
Canada is the most beautiful country in the world.
Thank you for your movie.
Greatings from Berlin
It's our pleasure! We completely agree, Canada is a stunningly beautiful country, and it seems to only get more beautiful every new corner of it we explore.
Why not drive for the road conditions
I drive this several times a year and worked up in that valley both before and right after the highway went in. The main problem with that highway is what we in IT call the ID-10-T problems.
I learned to drive in the Fraser Canyon area (much more dangerous than Coq) and know the limits for speed/conditions etc well. I’ve been driving gingerly down the snowshed hill at 90-100kmh many times in pissing rain & even snow & people are passing me going 120 just as I’m entering the snowshed, where the road surfaces change.
I’ll also say if you had your vehicle almost floored going up any of those hills (especially southbound) and were barely maintaining 100kmh you were either towing maximum payload or it’s time for a major tuneup.
It's only the Highway Thru Hell in the Winter. Other than that..its beautiful ❤❤❤❤❤❤
The high way is in a lot better shape than most of the drivers that drive it
Drove it for years drive normal and its safe as any other hwy.
have you ever driven it in winter?
I grew up in W. Canada. It can be absolutely treacherous in winter. Lots of fires in the Summer time, often RV's or overloaded towing (drivetrain going up, brakes going down). Quick weather changes in the shoulder seasons is also wild. I was on it Sept. 2021 : 19 Celsius in Kamploops, then down to -4 and snowing on the highway and everything in between (rain, fog, clouds, etc.).
We had a similar experience going over several passes in Wyoming in February a couple years ago. Clear and dry at the base with white-out conditions at the summit. Thankfully there was very little traffic on those roads that time of year. We can’t imagine what tackling the Coq in those conditions would be like.
@@AdventurePangea keep in mind this is no small pass. It's ~190 km (120 mile) high alpine highway with a 120 km/h limit (= 75 mph, amongst the fastest you can legally travel in Canada). Some call it an "extreme freeway".
i have to drive it this weekend, I am pretty worried but I need to make the drive. I know winter tires are recommended but I have M+S tires, is it enough to just drive slower in the snowier parts?
@@user-jo5mp5jk6o probably, although I'd strongly recommend keeping those RPMs up driving in lower gear during the steeper parts so that in the event that the grip suddenly falls below expectations you at least have the engine slowing you down to keep you from sliding
I've seen snow in August at the summit. I think Donner pass in California is worse. Daunting long straight hills.
Grew up on the West coast, it’s not so much the highway itself as it is the idiot drivers on the road, who seem to think 120 km/hr is for all conditions and other times just a recommendation and do 130 km/hr.
Is the danger the steepness?
Would you drive it towing a 30’ RV?
Yes, the steepness contributes to the danger, but it’s not the entire source danger. It’s the combination of the steepness and the ice and snow during the colder months where the true danger lies. The steepest part of the Coq is over 20 km (12.5 mi) of a 9% grade. You shouldn’t have any problems towing a 30’ RV over the Coq in the summer. In the winter, it boils down to whether you’re comfortable towing a large RV on a long, steep hill in the ice and snow. Make sure you carry tire chains if you attempt the Coq in the winter. The best alternate route is Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada) through the Fraser Canyon, which is much less steep and stays at lower elevations.
@@AdventurePangeaYou SHOULD drive Interstate 77 from North Carolina, upinto Virginia. In 3 miles You drive up 2,500 feet. I've done that about 4 times as a Truck driver. You'd be going up into the Cumberland gap.
My uncle regularly used to tow a large RV. You just need a car powerful enough to do so.
Thanks 4 posting fella. Have driven it in both summer n winter in a semi. You have to respect it or it will bite u in the Ass.