Woke early this morning and decided I’d drive through Switzerland and Austria in one hit, just in case the weather got worse. Good decision I have not made many in my life but this was one of them {good I mean not decisions}.
The whole journey up through the passes culminating in the Brenner was a fantastically beautiful sight, we climbed and climbed till we could climb no more and came to a halt when the snow had blocked the road and they were forming up a convoy to take us through.
I was at the front of this convoy but I’d rather have been at the back hiding!
Up the fast lane comes 3 giant Austrian made Steyr snow ploughs, we are formed up behind them and behind them 2 giant gritters, then us. Fortunately I had lost my place at the head of the queue, and of we trot quite sedately at first then a bit faster till god knows what speed we are doing, but its fast! I daren't look at my speedo because that would be dangerous! also I'm not sure I want to know. It’s not as if it is a sunny day, the weather conditions were horrific, dense fog and a dense snow blizzard all day.
I was genuinely frightened yet totally exhilarated at the same time, because of the speed and the danger, this went on for 22 miles when they pulled off and we were allowed to continue towards the Brenner tunnel. 7km long seemed pleasantly boring after our previous part of the journey, so how did I do it? Sheer grit and determination? no by continually playing the rap version of Roxanne by sting very loudly! that way I figured that travelling at that speed I wouldn’t hear the crash until I hit the back of the steyr snowplough, by which time it would as one of the other songs on the tape says: It would be too late.
Here is the snow plough we were following - doing 60MPH!:
I was going to stay at Brixen, but didn't quite get there as it was cut off by an avalanche blocking the exit of the motorway. The polizia stradale were very helpful though as everyone else seemed to know there was an avalanche at brixen except me.
They rang another site from my AA book and told the man there to expect me. When I got there he was stood by the side of the road waiting for me in the snow.
I’d like to know what they told him, perhaps that I was important but more likely a "mental i inglazi"
Free to go now!
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