[Al Jazeera] Hell's Road: Pakistani truckers' perilous journey

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/riskingitall/2011/05/20115414525333804.html

Nerve wracking video that shows the Pakistani counterpart to Ice Road truckers. 1:45 to 3:00 and 13:00 to 15:45 have some great footage. In spite of the different culture, it's pretty amazing the lengths people go to feed their loved ones.

Hilarious stuff at 2:37 :grin:

"Pakistani drivers face death ferrying goods across treacherous mountain passes on arguably the world's most dangerous road.

The Lowari Pass begins in the Pakistani town of Dir and winds its way through the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

Hell's Road, as it is known among locals, is 240km long and forms the only supply route to the small villages in the Chitral valley in northwestern Pakistan.

And, it is a road where even the slightest error can be fatal.

The sum of $60 is the average Pakistani salary. Since few drivers would accept the risks of the Lowari Pass for that money, Kamara offers a $90 bonus each way, incentive younger drivers find irresistible.

Hell's Road snakes through mountains and breathtaking corniches for hundreds of kilometres, and very few drivers manage to make it to their destinations within a day.

"There is no future! We work, that's all. This job has no future, I earn barely enough to feed my family."

At 3,000m the lack of oxygen causes drowsiness and concentrating becomes a chore, where the smallest movement requires a real effort and staying awake is a major challenge.

Dawoud owes his life to the perfect control of his truck. But he has no control over nature and is at the mercy of the sudden avalanches that sweep everything down their path."

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UuiKM_X4_To?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>