[Uskys]

I know I havn't yet the editing skills to put a decent video together though some of you may like to see 10' high walls of snow at the side of the road... so for that reason here it is!

Unfortunatley my camera's sound was on the blink.. so its silent.

[kvet]

I drove over that pass in spring '77.There was far more snow in those days (pre-AGW!). During a particularly rosy sunset the whole world turned a vivid pink-unforgettable!

[Uskys]

kvet, on 02 February 2012 - 08:52, said:

I drove over that pass in spring '77.There was far more snow in those days (pre-AGW!). During a particularly rosy sunset the whole world turned a vivid pink-unforgettable!

Did you wear gloves? I wish I had, even with power steering my hands were sore... That was filmed in the last week of May. I've driven over quite a few times but that was the only day that it was clear... Good you got the bonus of the sunset, its unforgettable even without that!

[kvet]

Interesting that you had sore hands. My car was a 1966 merc- no, not a big powerful car, but a small boxy thing typical of the mid-'60s.No power steering, of course. I've never worn gloves. The other highlight of that trip was the brake fluid evaporating on the way down- I lost all braking in a flash, and pulled into the side of the road on the handbrake. I got rid of the car soon after!

[skanky]

Good film that. We drove through there a few (over ten I think?) years back through snow like that. Isn't it normally closed most of the winter?
Apparently it's not that uncommon to see some skiers jump the road, if the snow's good enough - though I may be getting muddled up with another pass.

On good years you can get similar conditions over the Juras, but that's quite rare I think.

[Uskys]

kvet, on 02 February 2012 - 09:40, said:

Interesting that you had sore hands. My car was a 1966 merc- no, not a big powerful car, but a small boxy thing typical of the mid-'60s.No power steering, of course. I've never worn gloves. The other highlight of that trip was the brake fluid evaporating on the way down- I lost all braking in a flash, and pulled into the side of the road on the handbrake. I got rid of the car soon after!

That sounds a bit unforgettable for the wrong reason! .. but brake fade can still be an issue ... I think my problem came from doing too many mountain passes , I did at least 6 every day for a week or more, in fact I did the petit st bernard twice in one day and its the 100's of hairpin bends -even on the leather steering wheel at the end of the trip my hands not happy.

skanky, on 02 February 2012 - 09:44, said:

Good film that. We drove through there a few (over ten I think?) years back through snow like that. Isn't it normally closed most of the winter?
Apparently it's not that uncommon to see some skiers jump the road, if the snow's good enough - though I may be getting muddled up with another pass.

On good years you can get similar conditions over the Juras, but that's quite rare I think.

I don't know about the skiers jumping the road, but I do know the the 'italian job' 1966 film was partly filmed on this pass. It had only been open a couple of days when I took this video, I was prevented from doing any of the higher passes like the galibier because they were still closed.... this isn't unusual and to get from the bottom to the other side is 1 & half hours quicker by using the mont-blanc tunnel.

[skanky]

Uskys, on 02 February 2012 - 10:35, said:

I don't know about the skiers jumping the road, but I do know the the 'italian job' 1966 film was partly filmed on this pass. It had only been open a couple of days when I took this video, I was prevented from doing any of the higher passes like the galibier because they were still closed.... this isn't unusual and to get from the bottom to the other side is 1 & half hours quicker by using the mont-blanc tunnel.

Yeah, but the views aren't as good.
My sister lives in Courmayeur, so we've done the tunnel a lot - though we did the Gran St. Bernard a couple of times as well.
Don't really know any of the others.

[Uskys]

skanky, on 02 February 2012 - 11:29, said:

Yeah, but the views aren't as good.
My sister lives in Courmayeur, so we've done the tunnel a lot - though we did the Gran St. Bernard a couple of times as well.
Don't really know any of the others.

LOL .. and the cinemtography is a damned 'sight' better too.... I might be really sad one day and clip together all the video to exactly mirror the film... including the scenes through the tunnels.

I am so envious of your Sister - what a place to live!... one of the most beautiful and spectacular locations of anywhere in the alps.

[skanky]

That would be interesting - though you may have problems with the city centre bits....but also the jumps from Wales to Italy would be bits to spot (or was it only the ending that was filmed in Wales?).

My sister's actually going to be moving down nearer to Aosta soon (gotta build the house first), as they need a bigger house and prices in Courmayeur are eye-watering.
It is a lovely part of the world though - despite the auto strada. Incidentally, the tunnel wasn't quite so fast in the old days before that was built.

[Uskys]

skanky, on 02 February 2012 - 15:07, said:

That would be interesting - though you may have problems with the city centre bits....but also the jumps from Wales to Italy would be bits to spot (or was it only the ending that was filmed in Wales?).

My sister's actually going to be moving down nearer to Aosta soon (gotta build the house first), as they need a bigger house and prices in Courmayeur are eye-watering.
It is a lovely part of the world though - despite the auto strada. Incidentally, the tunnel wasn't quite so fast in the old days before that was built.

Ha, no , no filming outside the alps, the only bits of the film location I have are the alps!...its only gonna be 5 minutes long.

That bit of auto strada down to Aosta is something else... that whole valley is nice but courmayer is best! ... First time I went through the tunnel was in 1968 and I rememeber what the road up on the italian side was like! ( as you prob know, most of it is still there from Aosta.)

Anyhow going completely O/T

[skanky]

Uskys, on 02 February 2012 - 15:21, said:

Ha, no , no filming outside the alps, the only bits of the film location I have are the alps!...its only gonna be 5 minutes long.

That bit of auto strada down to Aosta is something else... that whole valley is nice but courmayer is best! ... First time I went through the tunnel was in 1968 and I rememeber what the road up on the italian side was like! ( as you prob know, most of it is still there from Aosta.)

Anyhow going completely O/T

Wouldn't take long to nip to Ffestiniog though.

Yes, they still have to use the old main road if the autostrada gets closed which causes chaos. As you though, well OT now.
I did enjoy the film though, brought back some memories, so thanks for posting it.