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ZipLine
Nomad
Posts: 109
Registered: 7-16-2015
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Is Highway 5 paved in area approaching Chapala and Hwy 1 ?
I've never driven that route and would like to do it in a regular car.
If unpaved, what is the condition of the road?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64480
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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20-30 miles are unpaved. Some south of Gonzaga and some north of Puertecitos. Regular cars and semi-trucks drive it, but it is not always smooth.
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JZ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9236
Registered: 10-3-2003
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Quote: Originally posted by ZipLine  | I've never driven that route and would like to do it in a regular car.
If unpaved, what is the condition of the road? |
Easy in a regular car. Just slow down.
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John M
Super Nomad
Posts: 1906
Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: California High Desert
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yes, sort of
Six weejs ago we found that the first half-mile or so heading east from Highway 1 was dirt. Then the dirt route was blocked and you were put onto the
new asphalt. We stayed on the new asphalt for about 4 miles then were on the new dirt roadbed. Two or three miles later we were detoured off of the
new dirt roadbed and back on the older road all the way to Coco's and beyond. It was obvious they didn't want us on the new dirt roadbed where the
detours were - big boulders and high dirt berms blocking access.
After talking to several other folks on the road, the construction company changes where you can and cannot drive regularly.
The nine mile dirt portion east of Coco's is good for a passenger car, going slowly. The dirt portion west of Coco's for about 4 miles is rocky but
all sorts of cars drive it. Decent tires and patience would be helpful.
John M
[Edited on 9-2-2019 by John M]
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13033
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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guests of ours just drove it and were totally freaked out and said we really needed to warn people not to go that way...when they finally got to Mex 1
they were held up for 4 hours at a construction site there at the turnoff.
Lesson for me is that road condition advice is very relative and some say no problem and others are completely frightened by it..this group said they
felt it was life threatening....they were scared....sooooo...be forewarned.
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norte
Super Nomad
Posts: 1163
Registered: 10-8-2008
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| Quote: Originally posted by shari | guests of ours just drove it and were totally freaked out and said we really needed to warn people not to go that way...when they finally got to Mex 1
they were held up for 4 hours at a construction site there at the turnoff.
Lesson for me is that road condition advice is very relative and some say no problem and others are completely frightened by it..this group said they
felt it was life threatening....they were scared....sooooo...be forewarned. |
scared, life threatening because it was a dirt road. good thing they didn't travel Baja 30 years ago. Things and people are changing.
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bajamary1952
Nomad
Posts: 204
Registered: 9-29-2016
Location: Ensenada
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Someone has a recent Youtube video of a trip taken earlier this year all the way to Bahia de LA & the road all the way down from south of San
Felipe would prevent me from traveling in a 2WD drive esp. solo.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64480
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Wow....
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Bajazly
Senior Nomad
Posts: 992
Registered: 6-4-2015
Location: Goodbye Cali and Hello San Felipe
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Mood: More Relaxed Everyday
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| Quote: Originally posted by shari | guests of ours just drove it and were totally freaked out and said we really needed to warn people not to go that way...when they finally got to Mex 1
they were held up for 4 hours at a construction site there at the turnoff.
Lesson for me is that road condition advice is very relative and some say no problem and others are completely frightened by it..this group said they
felt it was life threatening....they were scared....sooooo...be forewarned. |
Sounds like they had a “Most excellent Baja adventure”.
Any story involving life threatening, either real or imagined, gets the “Most” designation.
[Edited on 9-2-2019 by Bajazly]
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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del mar
Banned
Posts: 1057
Registered: 7-23-2016
Location: the cantina of course
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Mood: lil' fuzzy
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4 hours at the turnoff???? whats going on there?
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JZ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9236
Registered: 10-3-2003
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| Quote: Originally posted by shari | guests of ours just drove it and were totally freaked out and said we really needed to warn people not to go that way...when they finally got to Mex 1
they were held up for 4 hours at a construction site there at the turnoff.
Lesson for me is that road condition advice is very relative and some say no problem and others are completely frightened by it..this group said they
felt it was life threatening....they were scared....sooooo...be forewarned. |
Life threatening.... lol. They have no business going to Baja.
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ZipLine
Nomad
Posts: 109
Registered: 7-16-2015
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Gracias!
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bajaric
Senior Nomad
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Registered: 2-2-2015
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I think it is a little harsh to disparage someone for describing that road as life threatening. That is a rough little stretch of road and it is best
to know what you are doing and if you get stuck not run out of water. It is the desert, after all, and in the summer an elderly person or someone who
ran out of water might truly describe it as life threatening if they got stuck.
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kiterkip
Nomad
Posts: 139
Registered: 10-17-2010
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Do any of you let air out of your tire before driving this gravel section? I did the route in my Subaru 2 years ago and it was wonderful.... wondering
if it was pointless letting tire pressure down to 20psi pre-gravel?
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JZ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9236
Registered: 10-3-2003
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| Quote: Originally posted by bajaric | I think it is a little harsh to disparage someone for describing that road as life threatening. That is a rough little stretch of road and it is best
to know what you are doing and if you get stuck not run out of water. It is the desert, after all, and in the summer an elderly person or someone who
ran out of water might truly describe it as life threatening if they got stuck.
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If you think that is a rough stretch of road you have no business going to Baja.
What you said about water and heat could be said about any road, paved or not.
Ppl who shouldn't travel in Baja should not be giving advice to the op.
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JZ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9236
Registered: 10-3-2003
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| Quote: Originally posted by kiterkip | | Do any of you let air out of your tire before driving this gravel section? I did the route in my Subaru 2 years ago and it was wonderful.... wondering
if it was pointless letting tire pressure down to 20psi pre-gravel? |
Yes, air down about 40 to 50%.
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5809
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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Mood: Retireded
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| Quote: Originally posted by kiterkip | | Do any of you let air out of your tire before driving this gravel section? I did the route in my Subaru 2 years ago and it was wonderful.... wondering
if it was pointless letting tire pressure down to 20psi pre-gravel? |
If I was driving a vehicle that was running 60 psi or so, I would probably want to air down. In my light weight Kia the psi is already pretty low, so
I don't bother airing down for that brief stretch of dirt.
Driving a little slower for an hour or so is a better use of my time than deflating, and then re-inflating a few miles further down the road.
I do drop the pressure on longer, rougher or softer routes than the dirt on Mex 5!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3455
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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There are newbies who venture down the Peninsula, freak out, never return, and spread their personal experiences about deadly close encounters with
folks. Surprised the bandidos didn't show up.
Baja. Not for everyone.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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SFandH
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6926
Registered: 8-5-2011
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Rome wasn't built in a day, but it took less time than this two-lane road.
How many years has this thoroughfare been under construction? 63?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64480
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by SFandH | Rome wasn't built in a day, but it took less time than this two-lane road.
How many years has this thoroughfare been under construction? 63? |
The Puertecitos south construction began in 2007. In 7 years it reached Gonzaga and 20 kms. beyond. That's about 59 miles.
Blazing a straight line through the mountain and canyon to Chapala has been a big, slow deal. They sadly need to renegotiate the contract every 10
kms. it seems?! Lots of work stoppages the past 5 years.
[Edited on 9-2-2019 by David K]
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