Weather made journey home a challenge!

After Crufts on Saturday I went back to the campsite for the night, intending to set off early the next morning for Holyhead to catch the 14.30 ferry back to Dublin.
I got up early so managed to be on the road by 7, allowing plenty of time to relax once I got to the ferryport. Imagine my surprise when I reached Birmingham (I was staying in Coventry) and there was a sprinkling of snow on the ground. A bit like home, just a dusting and no more, road seemed ok so I trundled on. Then the radio switched over to traffic news - SNOW in Scotland and "parts of Wales", people being told not to travel unless it was essential! As I was (a) alone (b) aiming for the whole of the North Wales coast and (c) driving a 3.5 tonne motorhome on it's first trip since last September and (d) thinking of the consequences of missing the ferry, I was a little apprehensive. Got to the M56 and there was more white on the ground, I slowed down but it was still ok. Then suddenly - around Chester - unbelievable, it was as if the local Council had changed and the new lot hadn't been out with the gritters. As well as that, about 4"-5" had fallen (or so it looked) rutted and even in the tyre marks, still white at the bottom. For miles, even 20mph was too fast and the road was down to one lane. The snow was coming down heavily, pushed by a strong crosswind of near gale force. The motorhome is 10' high and is not keen on crosswinds, but I hardly noticed as I ploughed on (literally) dodging abandoned cars. A bit further on near a junction there was a lorry pulled over, a BMW in the middle, and deep virgin snow the other side of him. I was down to crawling in 2nd gear (recommended for driving in snow I remembered, but didn't think I would ever have to test it) I knew that if I stopped that would be it. There was just enough of a gap between the lorry and the BMW to slither through, spinning the steering wheel round one way then the next as I forced the beast to go where I wanted, luckily whoever is "up there" was looking out for me as I slalom'd through the gap and within a few hundred yards was making steady (and straight) progress. The look on the BMW man's face as he dug around his car was a picture, unfortunately I wasn't in a position to take one! The windscreen wipers were so frozen up with lumps of snow they weren't wiping any more, just pulling mini snowballs in front of my eyes and from time to time the whole van seemed to tilt, not sure whether it was the wind blasting steadily and pinning me over a bit, or snow building under the tyres on that side but the effect was very strange
Once I got near the coast, it magically disappeared and I was able to drive relatively normally in a howling cross gale while chunks of snow fell off at regular intervals. Suddenly, the prospect of sailing across the Irish Sea in a full gale didn't seem to be such a problem!!!!!
The dogs slept through it all and enjoyed a brisk walk at Holyhead and weren't in the least put out by being tossed about for three hours on the car deck as they were asleep when I got back to them!
Dublin to home was blessedly uneventful and easy.

glad to hear you got home ok
xx

aww im sorry your journey home wasnt to good but thank god you arrived back home safe and sound

Ye Gods, Deccy, what a nightmare - I guess in a situation like that you just have to get on with it. Men.......who needs 'em!
Well done, and delighted you got home in one piece xx

Indeed.......

If it wasn't for the ferry, I might have been ok overnight in the snow as the motorhome has central heating, a cooker, oven and running hot water except I only had the butane hooked up and it stops flowing at freezing point!

Nothing is simple, is it??????

Nope, it sure isn't. But you coped and made it back. A real trooper.