History Main / RidiculouslyDifficultRoute

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[[caption-width-right:350:Rush hour must be a real ditch.]]

'''Loki''': If it were easy, everyone would do it.\\

* ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld''. Loki and Thor use a secret "back door" from Asgard. This involves flying a ship at top speed into a tiny crevice in a very rocky mountain, with, one can imagine, disastrous consequenses if one misses. Even with Loki's 'expertise' they barely avoid crashing on their way out. See page quote.
** ''Film/ThorRagnarok''. In order to get back to Asgard in time to stop Hella, the heroes need to go through [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace the Devil's Anus]], a giant wormhole full of debris, and forces that would tear apart most ships.

* In ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'', the humans have to fly their ship through the maintenance tunnels to get back to the city in time to join the fight against the machines. The tunnels are only marginally wider than the ship itself and have several hairpin turns. Fortunately for the humans, Niobe is an AcePilot.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. Captain Janeway is so intent on taking Voyager home she has a habit of barging through territory it would be safer to go around. Radioactive nebulas ("One"), xenophobic alien species ("The Swarm", "Counterpoint"), a warzone between aliens with superior technology bent on conquest ("Scorpion", "Year of Hell") -- nothing stops her! However they originally estimate that even in a straight line it would take Voyager seventy years to get home, so Janeway is taking every short-cut she can find. She makes it in seven.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. Captain Janeway is so intent on taking Voyager home she has a habit of barging through territory it would be safer to go around. Radioactive nebulas ("One"), xenophobic alien species ("The Swarm", "Counterpoint"), a warzone between aliens with superior technology bent on conquest ("Scorpion", "Year of Hell") -- nothing stops her! Still, if Voyager took the slow path, they estimate it would take seventy years. She makes it in seven.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. Captain Janeway is so intent on taking Voyager home she has a habit of barging through territory it would be safer to go around. Radioactive nebulas ("One"), xenophobic alien species ("The Swarm", "Counterpoint"), a warzone between aliens with superior technology bent on conquest ("Scorpion" "Year of Hell") -- nothing stops her! Still if Janeway took the slow path, they estimate it would take seventy years. She makes it in seven.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. Captain Janeway is so intent on taking Voyager home she has a habit of barging through territory it would be safer to go around. Radioactive nebulas ("One"), xenophobic alien species ("The Swarm", "Counterpoint"), a warzone between aliens with superior technology bent on conquest ("Scorpion" "Year of Hell") -- nothing stops her!

* The 23-mile stretch of US Route 550 in southwestern Colorado between Silverton (elev. 9,308ft) and Ouray (elev. 7,792 ft) often shows up on lists of the most dangerous roads in the world as either Red Mountain Pass (the name of the 11,018ft high mountain pass this section of US 550 crosses) or The Million Dollar Highway (allegedly a reference to how insanely expensive it was to build and pave each mile during the 1920s ... [[MultipleChoiceBackstory among other explanations]]). Because it's a Federal Highway it is reasonably safe for the terrain and well maintained. The part north of Red Mountain Pass, however, is very narrow, has tight hairpin turns, steep grades, no shoulder, almost no guardrails, no runaway truck ramps, and goes through Uncompahgre Gorge (much of this part of US 550 is little more than [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Million_Dollar_Highway_10_2006_09_13.jpg a two lane paved ledge cut into the sides of steep cliffs]]). It's also subject to heavy snowfall in the winter, falling rocks, and avalanches. Why is this stretch of white-knuckle terror still a Federal Highway? Because US 550 has fairly heavy traffic, is one of only two north-south Federal Highways in southwest Colorado, and bringing it up to current US two-lane highway standards would be absurdly expensive. US 550 was also part of the post-WWI plans for US Federal Highways, this section mostly follows the route of an 1880s toll road, and was completed years before construction of the Yungas Road (which was built with NoBudget through even more difficult terrain (see above)) began.

* ''VideoGame/Guild Wars Prophecies'' uses these in conjunction with {{Beef Gate}}s to keep beginner players from wandering away from the main story.

** For comparison, look at the [[UsefulNotes/FormulaOne Monaco Grand Prix]]: you get both lanes and a Formula 1 car does require suspension modifications just to turn tightly enough to handle the hairpins. On US 550, you get at most 12 feet (one lane, the other has oncoming traffic) to work with and the elevation changes you have to deal with is roughly 0.6 miles up and 0.4 miles down or 0.4 miles up and 0.6 miles down. There is zero margin for error.

* The 23-mile stretch of US 550 in southwestern Colorado between Silverton (elev. 9,308ft) and Ouray (elev. 7,792 ft) often shows up on lists of the most dangerous roads in the world as either Red Mountain Pass (the name of the 11,018ft high mountain pass this section of US 550 crosses) or The Million Dollar Highway (allegedly a reference to how insanely expensive it was to build and pave each mile during the 1920s ... [[MultipleChoiceBackstory among other explanations]]). Because it's a Federal Highway it is reasonably safe for the terrain and well maintained. The part north of Red Mountain Pass, however, is very narrow, has tight hairpin turns, steep grades, no shoulder, almost no guardrails, no runaway truck ramps, and goes through Uncompahgre Gorge (much of this part of US 550 is little more than [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Million_Dollar_Highway_10_2006_09_13.jpg a two lane paved ledge cut into the sides of steep cliffs]]). It's also subject to heavy snowfall in the winter, falling rocks, and avalanches. Why is this stretch of white-knuckle terror still a Federal Highway? Because US 550 has fairly heavy traffic, is one of only two north-south Federal Highways in southwest Colorado, and bringing it up to current US two-lane highway standards would be absurdly expensive. US 550 was also part of the post-WWI plans for US Federal Highways, this section mostly follows the route of an 1880s toll road, and was completed years before construction of the Yungas Road (which was built with NoBudget through even more difficult terrain (see above)) began.
* During the Monaco GP, you get both lanes and an F1 car does require suspension modifications just to turn tightly enough to handle the hairpins. With US 550 you get at most 12' (one lane, the other has oncoming traffic) to work with and the elevation change you have to deal with is rougly 0.6 miles up and 0.4 miles down or 0.4 miles up and 0.6 miles down. There is zero margin for error.

* The 23-mile stretch of US 550 between Silverton, CO (elev. 9,308ft) and Ouray, CO (elev. 7,792 ft) often shows up on lists of the most dangerous roads in the world as either Red Mountain Pass (the name of the 11,018ft high mountain pass this section of US 550 crosses) or The Million Dollar Highway (allegedly a reference to how insanely expensive it was to build and pave each mile during the 1920s ... among other explanations). Because it's a Federal Highway it is reasonably safe for the terrain and well maintained. The part north of Red Mountain Pass, however, is very narrow, has tight hairpin turns, steep grades, no shoulder, almost no guardrails, no runaway truck ramps, and goes through Uncompahgre Gorge (much of this part of US 550 is little more than a two lane paved ledge cut into the sides of steep cliffs). It's also subject to heavy snowfall in the winter, falling rocks, and avalanches. Why is this stretch of white-knuckle terror still a Federal Highway? Because US 550 has fairly heavy traffic, is one of only two north-south Federal Highways in southwest Colorado, and bringing it up to current US two-lane highway standards would be absurdly expensive. US 550 was also part of the post-WWI plans for US Federal Highways, this section mostly follows the route of an 1880s toll road, and was completed years before construction of the Yungas Road (which was built with NoBudget through even more difficult terrain (see above)) began.
** During the Monaco GP, you get both lanes and an F1 car does require suspension modifications just to turn tightly enough to handle the hairpins. With US 550 you get at most 12' (one lane, the other has oncoming traffic) to work with and the elevation change you have to deal with is rougly 0.6 miles up and 0.4 miles down or 0.4 miles up and 0.6 miles down. There is zero margin for error.
* Hannibal Barca during the Second Punic War famously marched his army, elephants and all, through the Alps to get them behind the Roman defense. No one saw this coming.

** During the US Civil War the Union quickly captured and took control of almost everything between Harpers Ferry, [=WVa=] and the Mississippi River to the north of the Tennessee River and west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Union offensive then stalled because there weren't enough railroads or navigable waterways in that part of the US to go much further. The number of railroad lines from Tennessee to the deep South could be counted on one hand.

** During the Monaco GP, you get both lanes and an F1 car does require suspension modifications just to turn tightly enough to handle the hairpins. With US 550 you get at most 12' (one lane, the other has oncoming traffic) to work with and the elevaton change you have to deal with is rougly 0.6 miles up and 0.4 miles down or 0.4 miles up and 0.6 miles down. There is zero margin for error.

* Invoked in the H. Rider Haggard novel ''King Solomon's Mines''. The heroes follow a route given in an old account that turns out to be barely survivable; at the end of the novel they discover the natives know of a longer but less risky alternative.

Not many people use a particular route. Why? It's damn difficult, that's why, otherwise most people probably ''would''. But, for some [[ItsTheOnlyWay reason]], the protagonists need to use it, probably because the usual route has been destroyed or otherwise blocked off. This is a case of DontTryThisAtHome as the success of such a plan is rarely TruthInTelevision due to [[ShortcutsMakeLongDelays the probability of things going wrong]].

The route is either difficult because the terrain is ''physically'' difficult to travel, in which case any enemies will also find it difficult, or (more commonly) there are lots of hostile [[{{Mook}} mooks]] in the way, in which case whether enemies find it difficult to travel depends on exactly who the mooks are hostile to. Often it is a combination of both. But, either way, because of the difficulty the route is mostly never used.

** During the Monaco GP, you get both lanes and an F1 car does require suspension modifications just to turn tightly enough to handle the hairpins. With US 550 you get at most 12' (one lane, the other has oncoming traffic) to work with and the elevaton change you have to deal with is rougly one mile up and 0.4 miles down or 0.4 miles up and a mile down. There is zero margin for error.

* The 23-mile stretch of US 550 between Silverton, CO (elev. 9,308ft) and Ouray, CO (elev. 7,792ft) often shows up on lists of the most dangerous roads in the world as either Red Mountain Pass (the name of the 11,018ft high mountain pass this section of US 550 crosses) or The Million Dollar Highway (allegedly a reference to how insanely expensive it was to build and pave each mile during the 1920s ... among other explanations). Because it's a Federal Highway it is reasonably safe for the terrain and well maintained. The part north of Red Mountain Pass, however, is very narrow, has tight hairpin turns, steep grades, no shoulder, almost no guardrails, no runaway truck ramps, and goes through Uncompahgre Gorge (much of this part of US 550 is little more than a two lane paved ledge cut into the sides of steep cliffs). It's also subject to heavy snowfall in the winter, falling rocks, and avalanches. Why is this stretch of white-knuckle terror still a Federal Highway? Because US 550 has fairly heavy traffic, is one of only two north-south Federal Highways in southwest Colorado, and bringing it up to current US two-lane highway standards would be absurdly expensive. US 550 was also part of the post-WWI plans for US Federal Highways, this section mostly follows the route of an 1880s toll road, and was completed years before construction of the Yungas Road (which was built with NoBudget through even more difficult terrain (see above)) began.

* The demands of wartime absolutely insist "lines of communication" be both secure and passable - no matter what.
** In particular, units in the front line will get through prodigal amounts of logistic supplies - ammo, fuel, replacement munitions, water, food [[note]] in that ''strict'' order. Some armies such as Napoleonic France and Soviet Russia insisted its men forage for food. If they could live on captured enemy stores, that was all for the good, as this offered another reason to win their battles.[[/note]]. all this needs to be replaced - even oversupplied, if an offensive is imminent. Supply services had to get this where it was needed. Even over hair-raisingly dangerous routes such as;
** The infamous "Chocolate Staircase" (there was more than one). The original one was a steep winding jungle path through mountains. In the monsoon season. Which was the only way of resupplying Australian soldiers holding the last possible defensive line against the Japanese in New Guinea. Failure to hold here meant there was nothing to stop the Japs invading mainland Australia. Despite horrendous losses to injury and illness, Australia kept this precarious road open to its fighting men in the front line.
** Resupply routes to Allied front line positions in Italy involved some of the narrowest, most precarious, most twisty and turny, mountain roads in the Appenines. The only consolation was the knowledge that the Germans were having it just as bad when trying to resupply their positions. Routes through the mountains in the terrible winter of 1943-44 were marked by a depressing succession of British and American wrecks and roadside graves. And one hideously ill-conceived attack in the Monte Cassino offensive involved American soldiers getting over an ice-cold mountain river - in January - to attack uphill against Germans in prepared positions. More Americans died of exposure and frostbite than of German action.
** The horrendous logistic supply lines of the Eastern Front have been well documented. The Soviet Union resorted to a precarious ice road to Leningrad which depended on the ice over Lake Ladoga being thick and strong enough to support first very laden lorries and then a rail line. The route was opened as early as possible in autumn and kept going for as late as possible in spring. Driving the last lorries over and knowing the ice underneath was thawing must have needed nerves of steel.

** During the US Civil War the Union quickly captured and took control of almost everything between Harpers Ferry, [=WVa=] and the Mississippi River to the North of the Tennessee River and West of the Appalachian Mountains. The Union offensive then stalled because there weren't enough railroads or navigable waterways in that part of the US to go much further. The number of railroad lines from Tennessee to the deep South could be counted on one hand.

* The original ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'', five-part episode "Lion-O's Anointment", has Lion-O tested by his teammates as a ComingOfAge ceremony that every Lord of the Thundercats must go through to earn the title. In the second one, he actually has to ''race Cheetarah''. As impossible as that seems, Lion-O is allowed to take an alternate route (which makes winning possible, given that Cheetarah can't run at full speed for as ''long'' as he can) but there's one catch - it's far more dangerous than the route she takes. After avoiding a ManEatingPlant, a two-headed monster, and dwarf-like savages, he's able to win.

* During the Monaco GP, you get both lanes and an F1 car does require suspension modifications just to turn tightly enough to handle the hairpins. With US 550 you get at most 12' to work with and the elevaton change you have to deal with is rougly one mile up and 0.4 miles down or 0.4 miles up and a mile down. There is zero margin for error.

** During the US Civil War the Union quickly captured and took control of almost everything between Harpers Ferry, [=WVa=] and the Mississippi River to the North of the Tennessee River and West of the Appalachian Mountains. The Union offensive then stalled because there were't enough railroads or navigable waterways in that part of the US to go much further. The number of railroad lines from Tennessee to the deep South could be counted on one hand.

** During the US Civil War the Union quickly captured and took control of almost everything between Harpers Ferry, [=WVa=] and the Mississippi River to the North of the Tennessee River and West of the Appalachian Mountains. The Union offensive then stalled because there were't enough railroads or navigable waterways in that part of the US to go much further. The number of railroad lines from Tennessee to the deep South could be counted on one hand. I know one went to Jackson, MS and another went to Atlanta, GA. If there was a third it probably went to Montgomery, AL, was still under construction, and didn't really matter because the Union kinda ignored Alabama.

** That sretch of US 550 makes the Monaco GP look roomy. During the Monaco GP you get both lanes and an F1 car does require suspension modifications just to turn tightly enough to handle the hairpins. With US 550 you get at most 12' to work with and the elevaton change you have to deal with is rougly one mile up and 0.4 miles down or 0.4 miles up and a mile down. There is zero margin for error.

** That sretch of US 550 makes the Monaco GP look roomy. During the Monaco GP you get both lanes and an F1 car does require suspension modifications just to turn tightly enough to handle the hairpins. With US 550 you get at most 12' to work with and the elevaton change you have to deal with is rougly one mile up an 0.4 miles down or 0.4 miles up and a mile down. There is zero margin for error.

** During the US Civil War the Union quickly captured and took control of almost everything between Harpers Ferry, [=WVa=] and the Mississippi River to the North of the Tennessee River and West of the Appalachian Mountains. The Union offensive then stalled because there were't enough railroads or navigable waterways in that part of the US to go much further.