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Private roads and silly cars

Private roads and silly cars


Postby cmarcol » Mon Jun 30, 2014 11:05 am

Yesterday, in the glorious weather, I went up the Big Buachaille. The layby was full when I arrived so I pulled into the private road on the opposite side of the road where a few other cars were already parked.

I drive a Civic Type S which has quite a low undercarriage (lower than the normal civic I think). The giant pothole on the way into the private road looked quite bad but not horrendous and I couldn't reverse back out onto the main road because I couldn't see well enough so slowly I eased my car down into what I thought was the shallowest part of the hole. A horrifying pinging noise alerted me to a broken spring AGAIN (only replaced 8 weeks ago). This is the second time this year that poor private roads have damaged my car quite badly/expensively :(

My question is - which other hills (stick with Munros for now) have notoriously bad access roads or roads which a low bellied car might struggle with? There may be too many to list but had I known how bad that road in Glen Coe was I wouldn't have even tried to go into it. Thankfully there was a fellow walker there when I turned and went back out. If someone hadn't been stood at the front of my car guiding it out I wouldn't have got back out of that parking area with a front bumper! I grounded on the road to the Dalmunzie Hotel a couple of months ago as well. Would much rather walk an extra few kilometres along the road than have my car damaged.

Thanks in advance,

C
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby Backpacker » Mon Jun 30, 2014 11:22 am

The road to Ben Hope, although a decent surface, the up's and down's aren't spaced correctly for modern lower cars and tend to scrape the bottom of them, hence why I went out and bought something that sits higher up
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby Fife Flyer » Mon Jun 30, 2014 11:46 am

Moral of the parking problem (especially on a Sunday) is an early start :lol:

it has to be said that alot of start points for the hills appear to have more spaces, one of the worst ones is probably starting at the Lawers Hotel, very little parking there unless it has changed over the last 10 years :wink:

As for road surfaces, I know where you parked & I wouldn't have taken my car 'off road' as I would have probably had the same problem :(

Hope you get it sorted OK :wink:
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby cmarcol » Mon Jun 30, 2014 11:54 am

Backpacker - I would maybe have considered a more suitable car but I'm not really in a position to change at the moment :( and I secretly love my car. Is it just the main road to Ben Hope that's 'hopeless' for a low car? You don't go into a private road do you? Put a wee note in my Munro book about it! Cheers

Fife flyer- was too late when I turned in. Couldn't reverse back out because the Civic is a nightmare for blind spots. I was there at 0820 - obviously not early enough. It's in the garage just now but I'm pretty sure it was springs!
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby Nigels3011 » Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:19 pm

When I did Carn a'Chlamain I took the option to pay the Blair Atoll estate to allow me to drive on the private track and park at Forest Lodge to bag the Munro. The six mile drive in a little Rover Metro GTa on tracks better suited to a Landrover took some care and some time. As well as bagging the Munro I considered it a great acheivement to make it back to tarmac without damage....except....
The turn out of the track back onto tarmac was a bit sharp and required a bit of manouvering at which time I took out a rear light on a gatepast. Aaaaarrrgghhh!!!!! I had a wheel on the tarmac and failed in the last few yards. Aaaaarrrgghhh!!!!!
It just shows no walk or journey can be considered a success until you have safely returned. Just reaching the top is not success. Returning safely IS success.
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby jimmeh » Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:31 pm

I too got stuck in the very same pothole at the Buachaille on Saturday!! I reported the problem last night to the "Fill That Hole" website which I've had success with before.
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby jmarkb » Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:37 pm

Don't try the road between Glen Lochay and Glen Lyon, that's full of big holes these days.

If you are doing both ends of the Buachaille, you might just as well park 1km further west at the start of the Lairig Gartain path, which is often less busy.

Fife Flyer wrote:one of the worst ones is probably starting at the Lawers Hotel, very little parking there unless it has changed over the last 10 years


You can park at the hotel now (for free if you patronise it afterwards!).
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby cmarcol » Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:42 pm

Nigels3011 wrote:It just shows no walk or journey can be considered a success until you have safely returned. Just reaching the top is not success. Returning safely IS success.


I've often told worried friends/family that the most dangerous part of a day in the hills is the drive home! Thanks for the heads up on that one. Maybe a cycle :)


jimmeh wrote:I too got stuck in the very same pothole at the Buachaille on Saturday!! I reported the problem last night to the "Fill That Hole" website which I've had success with before.


I never thought to look into anything like that because it's not an authority maintained road. You usually are at your own risk on a private road. Find out the cost of the damage in 25mins..... :(

jmarkb wrote:Don't try the road between Glen Lochay and Glen Lyon, that's full of big holes these days.

If you are doing both ends of the Buachaille, you might just as well park 1km further west at the start of the Lairig Gartain path, which is often less busy.


Another mark to put in the book!
I ended up parking in the top car park. Was nice coming off and being at the car!
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby Shug » Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:48 pm

I have a few deep scores in the oil sump on my car courtesy of the road to Inversnaid!
Having a car with sports suspension is not ideal for roads near munros! (the 4 wheel drive is tho 8) )

Fingers crossed for your car, I know the pain of car bills (mot 3 days ago. expensive....) :(
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby cmarcol » Mon Jun 30, 2014 3:30 pm

Shug wrote:I have a few deep scores in the oil sump on my car courtesy of the road to Inversnaid!
Having a car with sports suspension is not ideal for roads near munros! (the 4 wheel drive is tho 8) )

Fingers crossed for your car, I know the pain of car bills (mot 3 days ago. expensive....) :(


Wish I had the benefit of 4 wheel drive! Would have made getting back up over that hole a little less noisy and embarrassing on a serene and sunny Sunday morning!
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby IamAJMiller » Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:51 pm

The road along Loch Arkaig was discussed as a bad one quite recently. I was there last week and it's not impassable but certainly you'd want to take care when you get closer to the carpark at the end! I echo the suggestion for an early start, I had the pick of Polldubh spaces in Glen Nevis on Sunday, driving home via Glencoe I saw the amazing amount of cars at the Buachaille and was glad I wasn't trying to fight for a space there!! Shame about your car! :(
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby cmarcol » Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:04 pm

IamAJMiller wrote:I echo the suggestion for an early start, I had the pick of Polldubh spaces in Glen Nevis on Sunday, driving home via Glencoe I saw the amazing amount of cars at the Buachaille and was glad I wasn't trying to fight for a space there!!


I usually am super early but alas was too late this time. Despite the 40+ cars I only bumped into 3-4 people all day.

Car is ok now. Thanks for the responses so far - keeping a note for future reference.

C
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby Gareth Harper » Mon Jun 30, 2014 7:45 pm

I'd guess you just gave the car a rub. I've done it loads of times, can sound really nasty but often doesn't do any harm.
And if you broke a suspension spring generally speaking the car wouldn't be drivable, not to mention it would just be about to let go anyway, so better to break crawling along than at 60mph through a corner!


Road to the start point of the usual route up Ben Hope is fine. Very narrow, take your time as if you press on you'll catch some air on that road or end up in the ditch.
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby prog99 » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:04 pm

I thought the buachaille car park was the busiest I've ever seen it on Sunday. Saturday night there was definitley a car that had ground down one of the boulders.

No such problems down the road at the bee hive.
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Re: Private roads and silly cars

Postby cmarcol » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:42 pm

Gareth Harper wrote:I'd guess you just gave the car a rub. I've done it loads of times, can sound really nasty but often doesn't do any harm.


That's what the mechanic's conclusion was today. I panicked a bit because it was the same noise I had a few months ago when I did snap my spring. Either way it's fine but I would rather not risk any future damage/grounding issues. It's not a sensible car for taking on these roads and I'd happily walk an extra few km to avoid any garage costs.

prog99 wrote:I thought the buachaille car park was the busiest I've ever seen it on Sunday. Saturday night there was definitley a car that had ground down one of the boulders.

No such problems down the road at the bee hive.


Yeah it was crammed when I got back but the hill was eerily quiet! Must have been early enough to beat the masses but not enough to get a good parking spot :lol:
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