Is This The Most Epic Road In Australia?
We’ve got some pretty great stretches of asphalt here in the merry old land of Oz – there’s the Great Ocean Road, the Great Alpine Road, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Drive, the Lasseter Highway and about a million others – but nothing can hold a match to this crooked climb in Tassie.
This is Jacob’s Ladder, found in Tasmania’s Ben Lomond National Park near Launceston.
Like many a zig-zag road before it (San Francisco’s Lombard Street and the curvy road to the Remarkables Ski Field in New Zealand also come to mind) Jacob’s Ladder is as much a feature of the scenery as a valley or canyon would be. It’s dramatic, to say the least.
The road itself is used as the final ascent towards the local alpine village, with the steep and winding “ladder” a pretty stark reminder that roads are hella dangerous beasts.
There’s a 30 kilometre per hour speed limit on the unsealed road, with vehicles ascending encouraged to give way to oncoming traffic as they veer around the cascading hairpin turns. In the depths of winter, the road is often closed due to heavy snow and ice.
At its peak, Jacob’s Ladder sits at an elevation of 1570 metres above sea level – and with views like that, it’s totally worth the effort.
Just take your time.
(Images: Tourism Tasmania)
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