Now, put 8 feet of snow on each side of the road. Or heavy fog at night. Sun melted ice in the late afternoon. I have seen freight trucks up to their axles in mud. Several cars & trucks over the edge. Avalanches, large falling rocks, & moose. I grew up in Bella Coola. Driving the hill was always an adventure.
In 1983 I was 19 living in Williams Lake. My Uncle ran the bakery in hagensburg. Took the Greyhound out there and when we got to “The Hill” as it was called, I was sitting in the front seat talking to the bus driver scared shittless lol. I thought I was gonna die, and he was just chatting away going around the switchbacks like nothing. I remember he had to stop, back up the bus, and then he could make it around the corner. YIKeS. I swear I could look out the front right seat and see no road, just a steep rocky ffing drop. Almost had a heart attack. Going up was scary too. But man that was beautiful country there. So peaceful, and the people were absolutely fantastic to me.
I remember this road very well. Shortly after we moved up north, I drove to Bella Coola to pick up a jet boat with an anaemic 1986 2500 Silverado. The drive down was sketchy enough with an empty trailer and few pull outs (its either a frightening squeeze or single lane essentially). I was NOT looking forward to the drive uphill. Thankfully we spotted an RV and slotted in behind as it cleared the way for us to the top. Was VERY relieved. Looking at it now (after getting used to the local FSRs), it doesn't seem that bad. Would love to do it again...The road to Telegraph Creek is also a fun drive like this... Thanks for posting, and in full !!
Went to Bella Coola in 98 and stayed at the Haagenberg campground for 2 weeks. Camped at Stanley Edwards home a couple of visits. Met an old fella who used to grade that hill. Said he only went over once and was stopped by trees. That would have been the end of that job for me! Kudos to those who grade "the Hill."
I drove this road early 80's with a huge wooden kayak strapped on top, med size car...loved Bella Coola, people were great...while there I worked at the legion, what a hoot, good memories!
I had to laugh driving the hill in November with my wife riding as passenger taking pictures. I glanced over on one hair pin and saw her camera was clicking but her eyes were closed tightly. She preferred seeing it as opposed to experiencing it.
I drove down and up that hill in 2004. Watching this today, I now remember precisely when my stomach troubles began. What added to the terror were the logging trucks whizzing by me...and how very narrow parts of the road were. I couldn't imagine driving it in winter.
Thanks for watching! Unless there's a bad storm (ie. freezing rain) driving the hill in winter really isn't that bad. And the flat section east of the summit to Anahim Lake is actually better in the winter, because the compact snow evens out the washboard and potholes.
That's quite a gnarly drive from the Canadian plateau to the coastal rain forest. And those `slow' caution signs better not ever be replaced with `fast'!
We went down the road in the 80’s, in a truck and camper. You could not take a big truck down you could not make the turned. Enjoyed out tinne at Bella Cola, it was beautiful. Did watch the bears fishing.
Fantastic video. All my life I've heard about the hill descent into Bella Coola but I've never seen it. Excellent to see it in its entirety. Makes me want to go there just to drive it. Naturally I'm curious about Bella Coola too but that hill! Wow. BTW, my uncle took a loaded 18 wheeler into Bella Coola. He only did it once. He refused to do it again.
I drove that road to Bella Coola and return in an aging Toyota pick up truck way back in the mid 1980s. The road seems wider now on the upper section, but it's still one heck of a go. Thanks for the tour down memory lane. Great video.
This is on my list to see being a region I havent seen yet. The mark of a true BC driver like this is being able to drive a road like this unflinchingly and even have fun with it.
Drove that in 1991 …down ..(& back up..)..driving a big old ford crew cab with a 10ft camper on top ..&..pulling a 16ft boat….frig was I scared!..lol…hated the switchbacks…beautiful country though…my daughter & I went for a horseback ride for her 11th birthday…was shocked when they told us their horses chased grizzlies out of the pasture…
Last time I went there was about 76-77, it is a lot wider in some spots than it used to be, far more pullouts too. They were just widening the top by east side of the park when I went there, hadn't got to the hill. Stopped at the botoom for a whiz and had a bear huffing at me across a little slough on the corner.
Thank you for making this video. I’ve never been on this highway and I’ve heard so much about the steep and winding road. And yikes is definitely is narrow in places.
Thanks for watching. I think we've all driven steep roads, we've all driven narrow roads, and we've all driven on dirt roads. The Hill just combines all three of those features into one road. Enjoy your trip to Bella Coola!
I rode my Harley bagger to Bella Coola and back a couple years ago. I counted the guardrails/cement barriers on the way down, and they totalled a big a big fat Zero. I would definitely NOT recommend this trip on a bagger. 🤣
I've driven that, years ago, and can't believe there's still few guard rails!!!!! 😅 There were none back then, and the locals would not drive it at night because of cloud-cover, zero visibility. I was told the government refused to build the road, so the locals built it.👍😎🇨🇦
That was not as bad as the rumours I have heard about it....but what is impressive is that the Norwegian settlers got tired of the government not willing to build a road for them so they built their own!
The road is much wider than I remember in Sep 2015. The locals don't want the road paved as it can be slippery with snow & ice. The campground in Hagensborg is nice. No amount of washing with a garden hose and spray will take the Caribbo mud off the RV. Pretty much wait till you get home and use a pressure wash.
Five of us road our DR650 Suzuki up & down this hill this summer. They had just put some thought of slippery stuff on to the road to try and keep the dust down I think. But it was also raining so it was very slippery.
I'm a retired career truck driver with many hills under my belt. I haven't done this into Bella Coola, but . 12% doesn't seem all that bad. Isn't into Ukluleet 18%. I used to haul fish out of there. The Anichrist down into Osoyoos is no slouch either as well as Blueberry/Paulson.
Kind of looks like driving through the Canyon - if the road was unpaved and had switchbacks. I remember as a kid when we would go to Long Beach and Tofino before the highway along Sproat Lake was put in. To this day, I loathe switchbacks.
The one drawback is remembering to pull over and clean the windshield well. Any debris on the glass makes the focus out of place on the scenery ahead. Otherwise excellent.
Well done. Were you nervous going down or up? Coming from Manitoba our biggest bump is like coming down from Riding Mtn or on Hwy 83 into the Asessippi river valley
Thanks! I used to live in Bella Coola, so I've driven the hill dozens and dozens of times. Like any road, it has to be approached with care and respect - this one maybe more so. Going up is probably my preferred direction.
Like in most cases, looking at it through a camera’s lens probably doesn’t give you the same perspective that you would get actually being there. After this hill going back up how long is it ( hours under average road conditions ) before you get to Williams Lake?
And they call this Heckman PASS?!?! This was the lowest route in and out of Bella Coola? Now I know what it looks like, and now I know I don't want to drive this route. Really appreciate the post, though!
The hill doesn't tend to get too muddy, maybe a spot or two that can be bad but most of it is fine even during heavy rain. But the section between the top of the hill and Anahim Lake can get very muddy, especially during spring thaw.
never take your eyes off the road, yes the scenic road is nice but it will be the last thing you see if you f-up the drive. I have been here and it is not as nice as this video makes it look.
Too bad the BC Government wouldn't spend some dollars on something worth while and widen this road, lessen some of the grades to keep people from going off its edge. Can't imagine travelling up hill and meeting a transport truck coming down loaded with nowhere to go but over. Sure there are pullouts here and there, but not everywhere. Many don't have fear and put too much trust in their vehicles. Loose your brakes or transmission, a blowout and/or hit a patch of ice and you're a goner. I think I'll fly into Bella Coola thanks...but great experience seeing the reality of this dangerous road. The Telegraph Creek road is just as bad if not worse.
Now, put 8 feet of snow on each side of the road. Or heavy fog at night. Sun melted ice in the late afternoon.
I have seen freight trucks up to their axles in mud. Several cars & trucks over the edge. Avalanches, large falling rocks, & moose.
I grew up in Bella Coola. Driving the hill was always an adventure.
In 1983 I was 19 living in Williams Lake. My Uncle ran the bakery in hagensburg. Took the Greyhound out there and when we got to “The Hill” as it was called, I was sitting in the front seat talking to the bus driver scared shittless lol.
I thought I was gonna die, and he was just chatting away going around the switchbacks like nothing.
I remember he had to stop, back up the bus, and then he could make it around the corner. YIKeS.
I swear I could look out the front right seat and see no road, just a steep rocky ffing drop.
Almost had a heart attack.
Going up was scary too.
But man that was beautiful country there. So peaceful, and the people were absolutely fantastic to me.
I remember this road very well. Shortly after we moved up north, I drove to Bella Coola to pick up a jet boat with an anaemic 1986 2500 Silverado. The drive down was sketchy enough with an empty trailer and few pull outs (its either a frightening squeeze or single lane essentially). I was NOT looking forward to the drive uphill. Thankfully we spotted an RV and slotted in behind as it cleared the way for us to the top. Was VERY relieved.
Looking at it now (after getting used to the local FSRs), it doesn't seem that bad. Would love to do it again...The road to Telegraph Creek is also a fun drive like this...
Thanks for posting, and in full !!
Went to Bella Coola in 98 and stayed at the Haagenberg campground for 2 weeks. Camped at Stanley Edwards home a couple of visits. Met an old fella who used to grade that hill. Said he only went over once and was stopped by trees. That would have been the end of that job for me! Kudos to those who grade "the Hill."
Thank You, that is the most comfortable ride in the bush I have ever had.
Thanks! And thanks for watching.
its a beautiful drive . we really enjoyed the drive from Anahim lake to Bella Coola... lots of bear sightings on the way down.
I drove this road early 80's with a huge wooden kayak strapped on top, med size car...loved Bella Coola, people were great...while there I worked at the legion, what a hoot, good memories!
I had to laugh driving the hill in November with my wife riding as passenger taking pictures. I glanced over on one hair pin and saw her camera was clicking but her eyes were closed tightly. She preferred seeing it as opposed to experiencing it.
I drove down and up that hill in 2004. Watching this today, I now remember precisely when my stomach troubles began. What added to the terror were the logging trucks whizzing by me...and how very narrow parts of the road were. I couldn't imagine driving it in winter.
Thanks for watching! Unless there's a bad storm (ie. freezing rain) driving the hill in winter really isn't that bad. And the flat section east of the summit to Anahim Lake is actually better in the winter, because the compact snow evens out the washboard and potholes.
That's quite a gnarly drive from the Canadian plateau to the coastal rain forest. And those `slow' caution signs better not ever be replaced with `fast'!
Thanks for sharing. It didnt seem all that bad, until about 17 minutes in. Then it really got my attention. One day maybe...
Thank you for posting this! Gorgeous scenery.... miss this drive! So much forest has burned since we were there last.
There was a big fire in 2023 that really left its mark.
Up is more scary than going down. I remember being told to “pack a lunch, cause if you go over the edge you will have time to eat it on the way down!”
Classic
We went down the road in the 80’s, in a truck and camper. You could not take a big truck down you could not make the turned. Enjoyed out tinne at Bella Cola, it was beautiful. Did watch the bears fishing.
Thanks for sharing. There’s still some adventure in the world!
Fantastic video. All my life I've heard about the hill descent into Bella Coola but I've never seen it. Excellent to see it in its entirety. Makes me want to go there just to drive it. Naturally I'm curious about Bella Coola too but that hill! Wow.
BTW, my uncle took a loaded 18 wheeler into Bella Coola. He only did it once. He refused to do it again.
I drove that road to Bella Coola and return in an aging Toyota pick up truck way back in the mid 1980s. The road seems wider now on the upper section, but it's still one heck of a go. Thanks for the tour down memory lane. Great video.
This is on my list to see being a region I havent seen yet. The mark of a true BC driver like this is being able to drive a road like this unflinchingly and even have fun with it.
A preview of next summer's adventure. thanks for the head's up.
Drove that in 1991 …down ..(& back up..)..driving a big old ford crew cab with a 10ft camper on top ..&..pulling a 16ft boat….frig was I scared!..lol…hated the switchbacks…beautiful country though…my daughter & I went for a horseback ride for her 11th birthday…was shocked when they told us their horses chased grizzlies out of the pasture…
Last time I went there was about 76-77, it is a lot wider in some spots than it used to be, far more pullouts too. They were just widening the top by east side of the park when I went there, hadn't got to the hill. Stopped at the botoom for a whiz and had a bear huffing at me across a little slough on the corner.
Thank you for making this video. I’ve never been on this highway and I’ve heard so much about the steep and winding road. And yikes is definitely is narrow in places.
Thanks for watching! Yes, it's definitely narrow in places but those sections are fairly short. Not a lot of traffic, so that helps.
Ty for the vid , ill be traveling this road in the spring 2025 . Glad its not as bad as ive heard . Drove on roads like this in northern Utah .
Thanks for watching. I think we've all driven steep roads, we've all driven narrow roads, and we've all driven on dirt roads. The Hill just combines all three of those features into one road. Enjoy your trip to Bella Coola!
I rode my Harley bagger to Bella Coola and back a couple years ago. I counted the guardrails/cement barriers on the way down, and they totalled a big a big fat Zero. I would definitely NOT recommend this trip on a bagger. 🤣
Came down that hill a few times with 4000 lbs of fruit had to stop half way down to cool my brakes😅
I've driven that, years ago, and can't believe there's still few guard rails!!!!! 😅 There were none back then, and the locals would not drive it at night because of cloud-cover, zero visibility. I was told the government refused to build the road, so the locals built it.👍😎🇨🇦
That was not as bad as the rumours I have heard about it....but what is impressive is that the Norwegian settlers got tired of the government not willing to build a road for them so they built their own!
The road is much wider than I remember in Sep 2015. The locals don't want the road paved as it can be slippery with snow & ice. The campground in Hagensborg is nice. No amount of washing with a garden hose and spray will take the Caribbo mud off the RV. Pretty much wait till you get home and use a pressure wash.
Very cool road gotta get there before I die!!!
Five of us road our DR650 Suzuki up & down this hill this summer. They had just put some thought of slippery stuff on to the road to try and keep the dust down I think. But it was also raining so it was very slippery.
I'm a retired career truck driver with many hills under my belt. I haven't done this into Bella Coola, but . 12% doesn't seem all that bad.
Isn't into Ukluleet 18%. I used to haul fish out of there.
The Anichrist down into Osoyoos is no slouch either as well as Blueberry/Paulson.
Well that ain't bad at all...thank you for the video!!!
Kind of looks like driving through the Canyon - if the road was unpaved and had switchbacks. I remember as a kid when we would go to Long Beach and Tofino before the highway along Sproat Lake was put in. To this day, I loathe switchbacks.
The one drawback is remembering to pull over and clean the windshield well. Any debris on the glass makes the focus out of place on the scenery ahead. Otherwise excellent.
A great stretch to save gas, hyper-miling, as long as you turned the key to not lock the steering - be hell to fly off one of those corners.
It would be a very short fright flight.
This hill is nuts, for sure. Even the passenger gets white knuckles.
Similar terrain as Duffy Lake Road East of Whistler I drove twice on bus charter
Well done. Were you nervous going down or up? Coming from Manitoba our biggest bump is like coming down from Riding Mtn or on Hwy 83 into the Asessippi river valley
Thanks! I used to live in Bella Coola, so I've driven the hill dozens and dozens of times. Like any road, it has to be approached with care and respect - this one maybe more so. Going up is probably my preferred direction.
Like in most cases, looking at it through a camera’s lens probably doesn’t give you the same perspective that you would get actually being there. After this hill going back up how long is it ( hours under average road conditions ) before you get to Williams Lake?
Williams Lake to the top of the hill is about 4 hours.
And they call this Heckman PASS?!?! This was the lowest route in and out of Bella Coola? Now I know what it looks like, and now I know I don't want to drive this route. Really appreciate the post, though!
What's it like after a good rain
The hill doesn't tend to get too muddy, maybe a spot or two that can be bad but most of it is fine even during heavy rain. But the section between the top of the hill and Anahim Lake can get very muddy, especially during spring thaw.
Why did you not ask those people on the road if they were OK?
Properly this scary stretch is known as Young Creek Canyon.
never take your eyes off the road, yes the scenic road is nice but it will be the last thing you see if you f-up the drive. I have been here and it is not as nice as this video makes it look.
Too bad the BC Government wouldn't spend some dollars on something worth while and widen this road, lessen some of the grades to keep people from going off its edge. Can't imagine travelling up hill and meeting a transport truck coming down loaded with nowhere to go but over. Sure there are pullouts here and there, but not everywhere. Many don't have fear and put too much trust in their vehicles. Loose your brakes or transmission, a blowout and/or hit a patch of ice and you're a goner. I think I'll fly into Bella Coola thanks...but great experience seeing the reality of this dangerous road. The Telegraph Creek road is just as bad if not worse.
Not 4 months ago😊
I don't know ...must be rush hour😊😊😊😊
I did Highway 20 from the bottom to the top in two-wheel drive pickup truck.. .. 🤷
I'd be nervous driving this in dry summer conditions let alone wet winter conditions.
Hazard pay!!
Play at 2X 😅😅😅
this begs to be a rally course
and a hill climb
My brother rode his Suzuki 1100 Katana, I an 85 BMW Rt1000 down to catch the ferry to Port Hardy, just a down hill ride.
Are you coasting the whole way?