Ice Road Truckers – Deadliest Roads - Himalayas
Reality shows frequently have trouble getting the final experience to match up with their on paper sell, but IRT worked that problem in the opposite direction of most. When I first heard about the show, I couldn't imagine the interest. Well, apart from a certain NASCAR "maybe a truck will go in the drink" sort of interest. Amazingly, the show has delivered, and the ratings show that I'm not alone in thinking so. Still, as I mentioned, the show didn't completely hook me. The crew is taking things up a notch now with
Ice Road Trucker Deadliest Roads, and it's hard to deny that this one makes it difficult to look away. We've moved to a job hauling loads in the Himalayas, on roads where on average someone dies every 4.5 minutes. After watching the first episode, that number seems low.
The series premiere saw IRT's Alex, Lisa, and Rick taking on the challenge of climbing to the top of the world, but before they could brave some of the deadliest and most historic roads in the world, they had to get out of Delhi. Driving dangerous roads is one thing, but facing off with other drivers in one of the most congested places on Earth is another, and Alex found himself in two accidents before getting out of town. Before ever making it to the treacherous mountain roads, Alex threw in the towel.
Deadliest Roads kicked off with some solid ratings, and it's easy to see why. Those who are already fans get a lot of new spins, including the spotters who must ride along with our truckers, new trucks, and a lot more danger. For those who are new to the franchise, the exotic locale and the fact that you don't go more than five seconds without a near miss makes for a pretty easy sell.
While the danger and sheer insanity of the crush of people, all willing to quite literally risk their lives to save a few minutes, is enough to get people to watch, it's the glimpse into this world that pulled me into the show to a far greater extent than IRT.
There's a good deal of entertainment value to be found in Rick's rants at the crazy drivers surrounding him, but the exposure to that world, which he simply can't imagine, is worth a lot more than the dozens of near misses. We often see the tires inches away from sheer drops of more than 1,000 ft., but the cultural aspects that sneak in are far more mind-blowing to our American sensibilities. For a start, and maybe it's just me, once we hear that well over 100,000 people died on this road last year, the fact that there is anyone on the road at all has a hard time finding a comfy spot in your brain.
From bridges that simply aren't maintained, to roads that have been around since the dawn of time, the danger level is almost to the point that it is unwatchable, but this wild mix of insanity and exotic locale shouldn't be missed.
THE ROUTE
India's Himalayan roadways are among the most historic on the planet. Dating back nearly 3,000 years, these roads began as crude trading routes, enabling the transport of exotic goods and serving as a conduit for the spread of ideas, culture and religion to and from areas that had been isolated for centuries. The Himalayan roads that our truckers will be driving are best known for the key role they played in the development of the famous silk routes of 206 B.C. Spanning from China all the way to the Mediterranean, trade on the Silk Road was crucial to the growth of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia and Rome. Around 1800, construction started to turn the once narrow yak trails into a more modernized trade route. It is on these very roads that our drivers will risk their lives to deliver goods to a rapidly expanding country.
The Himalayas were an integral part of the famous Silk Routes, connecting Central Asia with South Asia, and creating a bridge between culturally and religiously diverse countries such as India, China, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan. Infrastructure that was once narrow yak trails were turned into roads in the 1800s and today's truckers still follow along these same ancient routes.
HISTORY follows the drivers through extreme terrain, culminating at the "Roof of the World" — the notorious Himalayas. Entering the hot, humid and crowded streets of Delhi where 16.5 million people live and compete in traffic, the drivers will then climb to higher altitudes into the mountains. With sheer drop offs of 1,200 feet, our drivers will battle one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Later, when the mountain snows clear and the roadway opens, they'll head up to 13,000 feet through the Rohtang Pass to carry supplies to the local communities that have been cut off all winter. They'll dodge local drivers who play dangerous games of "chicken." They'll pass landslides and cross rickety bridges worn by the weather. Children, pedestrians and the ever-sacred cow zigzag the roads, and unexpected storms drop visibility to zero. But when the clouds part, they'll witness staggering views and eye-popping scenery as they experience a culture so different from their own it will send them reeling.
THE TRUCKS
The hot, loud, rudimentary trucks are right-side drive and must stay on the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD from what the drivers are used to. Decked out in individual designs, they challenge one another for dominance.
The trucks that Rick, Alex, Lisa and Dave will be driving are Tata model 1613s. Each truck is elaborately painted with vibrant colors and adorned with depictions of religious idols to protect the driver from the perils of the road. While they may look dependable from the outside, they offer little in the way of protection. The chassis is the only part of this truck that is made of steel, while the cab is constructed entirely of wood. The 150hp engines, right-side driver's seat and crude engineering only add to the danger our truckers will experience on a daily basis. One false move could send the entire vehicle careening off a 1,200-foot cliff.
THE HAULS
IRT DEADLIEST ROADS will follow runs to and from industrial towns in the Himalayan Mountains, up to hydro-electric plants, dams, mines and other infrastructure projects"¦ and then back again. With each successive run, the viewer will get to know the choke points, history and geography of this most dangerous job in a most fascinating region. Drivers will be assigned increasingly perilous or peculiar runs including carting livestock to farmers high in the hills and sacred religious statues to a high-altitude monastery. The drivers will be sent over the recently melted Rohtang Pass. They'll make runs to and from Keylong delivering much-needed supplies to a town that hasn't had road access for six months. They will deliver barrels of highly flammable aviation fuel to a helipad that conducts rescue missions in the avalanche-prone Rohtang Pass.
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