Great Irish Roads/No 3 - R480 Ballyallaban Hillclimb: A series by motoring historian Bob Montgomery
Mont Ventoux, Friedburg, Prescott, Shelsley Walsh - the names of famous hill-climbs familiar to motorsport enthusiasts the world over.
Ballyallaban? Perhaps not well-known beyond this island's shores, but truly a challenge to driver and car to match any hill-climb venue in the world. As such, it undoubtedly merits inclusion in this series of great driver's roads and, despite its short length compared to other roads we'll travel, it has a fascination and challenge which is quite unique.
In terms of other hill-climb venues in Ireland or Britain, Ballyallaban is actually the longest (3.5 kms/2.2miles) and fastest currently in use, a fact which surprises the occasional visitor from abroad who travels to County Clare to take part in the annual hill-climb organised by the Galway Motor Club. It's a piece of road that commands respect and is a unique challenge which rewards skilful driving.
Bounded by solid stone walls which in turn are bordered by the unique limestone slabs which form the Burren's extraordinary and other-worldly landscape, Ballyallaban is not a place to make an error of judgment, as many competitors in the yearly hill-climb - including the author - have found to their cost over the years.
Despite these traps for the unwary, or perhaps because of them, this is a place which rewards the skilled driver like no other. The road is fast, with flowing corners, some of which are slightly banked, and generates a rhythm on a quick run. It's a piece of road that seems to have a "groove", which, when taken correctly, becomes apparent to a driver and is immensely satisfying.
Ballyallaban Hill-climb is situated on the R480 just 3kms outside the picturesque 19th century fishing village of Ballyvaughan. The hill-climb course starts just after the entrance to the Aillwee Cave car park. Aillwee Cave - discovered in 1940 and opened to the public in the 1980s - is a wonderful place where amongst other things, one can see the marks made by the fur of hibernating bears in the soft earth of the cave's recesses.
As the R480 winds uphill along the hill-climb course, to the east of Ballyallaban is Mullagh More, a fine 627ft-high rock strata, folded and contorted like dough, while in the distance to the west is the Burren's highest point, Slieve Elva (1134ft).
Like a prelude to the real thing, the lower sections of the course wind through left- and right-hand open hairpin corners before getting onto the faster section of the road.
To the right, one is aware of an increasing drop on the other side of the stone wall as the road climbs steadily but never steeply.
To a driver used to other shorter hill-climb courses, the course seems to go on and on, yet the corners flow, and as mentioned earlier, some are slightly banked. The last section of the hill-climb is signalled by a small viewing car-park before the 4,500-year-old Poulnabrone Dolmen is passed on the left of the road. Also nearby is Glenisheen wedge-tomb, where, in 1930, a young boy out hunting rabbits found a ribbed gold collar or gorget, dating from about 700BC, and which is now in the National Museum.
Too soon, this fabulous section of road is over but its unique challenge remains one of the most daunting in Irish motorsport. Mont Ventoux, Friedburg, Prescott, Shelsley Walsh, Ballyallaban . . .
This series runs fortnightly