Hardknott Pass anyone?

[MarthasGinYard]

Drove over here today what an amazing drive....remember doing it years ago but had forgotten those hairpin bends.

Dd reckons I'd make a fab rally driver

Dp kept giving me 'tips'

Am so intrigued by people who live in these areas who have to use these routes daily.

Any MN'etters up here

Don't worry I won't pop by for tea and cakes....

Unless I get an invite

Its in the Lake District....

Wow, you've taken me back. 20+ years ago. I wasn't driving and I'm glad I wasn't!

Surely no one does it daily

Yes it’s amazing, but best driven at quiet times when you’re not having to squeeze past other cars

Wine

I know, I'd forgotten all about it

Until today.

I’m quite near it but don’t need to drive over it at all. Also actively avoid it even if it cuts 1 hour plus off the journey. It’s closed/ not recommended for most of the winter months anyway so never even consider it for half the year

Last twice I have been up there - last summer - I’ve left the car at the bottom and walked up.

Well done for enjoying the drive over - it is a fabulous drive.

Maids

I'm just intrigued to find if anyone does

Other than Shepherds, farmers etc doing chunks of it.

Did google

lots of trip advisor write ups etc saying sat nav directed unnassuming tourist unbeknowns what lay ahead ....

I did chuckle a bit at the out rage

Happy memories of weekends in Uni Mountain hut. No bathrooms, staying up all night. Happy days

That used to be one of the challenges we set my dad whenever we went to the lakes on holiday. Happy memories . no way I'm recreating those for my kids

Hardknott and Rhinos pass killed my first car. It had a whine in the engine after driving over them.
Dh was driving and I locked the passenger door as the drop on my side scared the hell out of me.
The views are spectacular up there.

Thanks chunter it's beautiful up there.

In winter no way. All signs say No vehicles but I'm sure the odd idiot goes in their fiat panda and ends up getting rescued

Chris

Sounds fantastic

Is Black sail YH near there? I know that's really remote

Sam

You know you want to

Bad times

I have a fear of heights. Being in the passenger seat as you edge past a truck over a 100 ft drop is interesting

I was impaled on the handbrake

I LOVE the Hard Knott pass. And Wrynose.
I don’t live there but have driven over it several times.

Honnister has such beautiful views too.

I live fairly near by but don't use it that often because my daily life (work, kids activities etc) doesn't take me in that direction. I use lots of other steep roads though and a friend of mine used to commute to work over Wrynose and Hardknott - not in the winter though!

I gave directions once to a young woman in my village who was using a sat nav and whose route would have taken her over Hardknott - because there were no contours on the screen she clearly had no idea what was ahead - I tried to explain but I'm not sure she believed me

Dad drove us over HP when we were children.
Rhino's Pass is scary. We were behind a camper van on one of the steep hills when the back doors opened and suitcases came tumbling out!!!

Hardnott is a great drive. It's ages since I did that.

I was there 2 weeks ago and have never been so scared! It was raining and on a steep hairpin bend we had to come to a sudden stop as we came face to face with a motorbike. After that the car refused to move, dh was revving the engine, the front wheels were spinning, smoke was coming off the tyres and there was a smell of burning rubber! He eventually got the car moving but we have both sworn we will never do that again.
Nice views, but there is no shortage of them in the Lake District!

Blacksail YH is amazing - I hiked to it as a 17?yo with my then boyfriend, and didn't appreciate it as much as I maybe should have done. But God, getting my boots off and wandering around on the grass outside was glorious: I can still feel it (30 years on!) It's over near Great Gable I believe.

Wrynose not Rhinos! I remember the smell of clutches and brakes when I was a child over all the Lake District passes 😁

I took my Smart Roadster (about 6in ground clearance) over it by accident. Nobody told me it was basically a footpath in places and so steep the road ahead was near my nose.

Some twat in a camper van was in front of me and decided to stop to take pics on the steepest bit and my car was overheating. I was fucking furious with them

We’ve driven over it a couple of times while on holiday. I was ok when I drove it, but was utterly terrified as a passenger looking down a massive drop with my nails dug into the seat.

One woman came storming along towards us, slowed enough to pass, before speeding off - I assume she must use it often

Dh decided that Hardnose (or Hardknock in our house) was the quickest way back from the west coast. We had to stop several times because the brakes were burning out. It was summer, but it got cold very quickly.

My DH and I drove over it by accident once, thanks to the sat nav! We didn't have a clue what it was until after, it was a brilliant drive though.

Uni mountain hut. Disclaimer - not my uni, EXH ran a club that used the hut. I loved that place but couldn't decide if I loved or hated the Hardknott Pass route. I never drove it personally so at least I got to enjoy the fabulous view. Terrifying in the snow though, and freezing cold in that hut. Thank you for reminding me. I haven't thought about the place for years. I used to dream of how I could convert it to live in....Happy days.