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

Yes some of the Trip Advisor write ups are quite amusing and worth a read.

I've cycled over Hard Knott and Wrynose a couple of times, it was awesome but terrifying coming down

We live in Cumbria so know the passes well ( and a few stories )
We were driving near to Honister slate mine a few years ago in late autumn/early winter ( pass still open) and at the sharp bend by the mine a woman had come across some black ice and could not get enough momentum to get over it, we were stuck behind her going nowhere. My dh was trying to help her do it via encouragement and even offered to do it for her but she ( I think was worried he would also have trouble and she had her kids in the car). We eventually got a big rock and put in behind her back wheel to give her something to drive off from !
Also once the mountain rescue got a call from a man who had ignored the warnings and closed road signs not to use one of the passes in winter and had got his car stuck up there. When they got to the cohope it was Sally Webster (from Corrie ) who apparently was not a very nice lady !

* couple *

Sally Webster

I've become far too invested in this and have been searching the back catalogues of all the incidents on the passes logged on the mountain rescue sights.

There are some real idiots

Annoys me that they put other people's life in danger

MarthasGinYard Those are the ones that get to the stage of a MR call out, there’s loads of others who get rescued by locals or others - I think the people at The Woolpack Inn do quite a few!

Last time I walked up there (Hardknott Fell is a Wainwright) there was one car near the top that was overheating and as I waiting to cross the road another grounded itself in a passing place. Then watched as another approached from the Eskdale side with all the passengers having been chucked out. So in quite a short space of time in perfect weather conditions 3 cars in trouble

Massive respect for all the cyclists I have seen getting up and down the passes - I thought I was hard core climbing it but cycling it is definitely outstanding.

Google helicopter and Kirkstone pass and it might put you off going anywhere in the fog too !!

Blimey Chunter amazing how quick it can all stack up.

I did notice whilst reading the reports many a 'self rescue' and the Woolpack was named more than once. I think the Farmer on the junction of the two passes gets regularly called upon too.

Interesting

Katty

Will google

I've wondered how they get the road-roller up there to re-surface? That would be a scary job, all that mass, shiny metal wheels ... 100 ft drop!

Quite

I'm still wondering what on earth happened to that coach

Yeah, I’d love to know how the coach escapade ended.

Last year I managed to reverse myself off the road under Catbells, coming up from Portinscale to the hairpin bend bit just underneath. The little bus which shuttles to buttermere was coming the other way so I thought I’d be helpful and reverse and there looked to be a patch of ground just off the road.

Didn’t notice the drop and one back wheel went over, car was wedged. Bus driver wound his window down “do you want a hand”. Everyone gets off the bus and manhandles my car back onto the road!

We go to Ambleside a lot and once got stuck up The Struggle. We’d been in a cottage for a week and there was no snow in the town so we thought we’d take the scenic route home. A lovely farming family appeared in a 4x4 after half an hour and helped us turn around. Mortified.

Love these stories of comradery

DParents used to leave nearby. First time I bought DH over for a holiday from Australia Dad suggested a 'nice drive' - suggested DH drove the car and took him over Hardknott and Wrynose! DH's only comment was 'Where'd the road go' when we were heading up a 1 in 3 gradient with the car nose pointing straight up . We tried it again last summer and I had to get out and walk - the vertigo of the drop on the passenger side was too much for me.....