Kirkstone Pass - Ambleside (ish) to Glenridding
Discussion
Yeah it was a bit busy, but we did get a decent run. The plan was to get up early, but the day we decided to do it the ground was very wet until mid afternoom. Still, a lot of fun though, and tough on brakes! First time I ever cooked brakes was on the road to ambleside halfway along that pass in an old golf.
Need to day trip over soon to do some other passes!
Need to day trip over soon to do some other passes!
did it about a week ago, from pooly bridge end. Got stuck behind two coaches trying to pass each other after about a mile which had us sat for 20 min not moving but turned out to be for the best as once passed the one in front of us pulled in and we had a complete free run, Awesome.
Stopped at the pub for a quick photo
Stopped at the pub for a quick photo
Edited by Chris77 on Monday 23 July 10:17
As above, good but crowded. Good from Troutbeck Bridge too, rather than Ambleside.
If driving it after dark watch out for badgers. Last time I went over in the dark we narrowly avoided one badger crossing the road at the top (looked like it had just come out of the Kirkstone Inn
) and another lower down the north side.
If driving it after dark watch out for badgers. Last time I went over in the dark we narrowly avoided one badger crossing the road at the top (looked like it had just come out of the Kirkstone Inn
) and another lower down the north side.Craikeybaby said:
As above, there were a lot of cyclists when I did it in the Fiat 500 last year (500 struggled up the hills a bit).
An original 500 or a new one? I can imagine an original would have a real hard time! My alfa (156 2.0 ts) was flat out and struggling to really pull up the steeper parts of the pass. Interestingly my brothers (balders118) 1.7 puma seemed a pretty even match for my car despite being very different cars.ewenm, we didn't go from Ambleside directly (although there is a road up to the middle of the pass from there) I think the best bit of the road is the bit you'd miss going from there.
jimmy156 said:
An original 500 or a new one? I can imagine an original would have a real hard time! My alfa (156 2.0 ts) was flat out and struggling to really pull up the steeper parts of the pass. Interestingly my brothers (balders118) 1.7 puma seemed a pretty even match for my car despite being very different cars.
ewenm, we didn't go from Ambleside directly (although there is a road up to the middle of the pass from there) I think the best bit of the road is the bit you'd miss going from there.
We went from the bowness/ambleside/windemere roundabout My alfa (156 2.0 ts) was flat out and struggling to really pull up the steeper parts of the pass. Interestingly my brothers (balders118) 1.7 puma seemed a pretty even match for my car despite being very different cars.ewenm, we didn't go from Ambleside directly (although there is a road up to the middle of the pass from there) I think the best bit of the road is the bit you'd miss going from there.
The difference is I was cruising in the Puma and the alfa was on the ragged edge
Craikeybaby said:
New 500, bottom of the range 1.2. It's certainly on my list of places to go back to in a more suitable car!
I dont think the perfect car for that road would be anything too big and powefull mind you, its very tight and the surface is poor for a lot of it (although it was being resurfaced whilst i was there) Maybe the PH favourite mazda would be the ideal sort of car.
There is a road west of Ambleside, heads towards Seascala. Fantasic road and scenarie, but its very windy and thin. Mainly 1st/2nd gears and trying to see arouns 180degree corners with rocks in the way. Still a fantastic road to drive.
I find Kirkstone pass is trouble, someone coming around in the middle of the road or parked in a bad place.
It needs to be 1 way at least!
I find Kirkstone pass is trouble, someone coming around in the middle of the road or parked in a bad place.
It needs to be 1 way at least!
Was there in early June doing that the Whinlatter, Hardknott, Honister and 2 or 3 other passes and the Kirkstone pass was ridiculously good fun. I was very lucky and managed to do the length of it without getting stuck behind another car, I enjoyed it so much I went back up and did it again but got stuck behind people the second time.
jimmy156 said:
I think i would replace the word "fun" with the words "f
k" and "that"
We done it in same conditions, well some of it. A lady had managed, on the thinnest part, to get her car sideways. She couldn't move forwards or backwards as it was so tight! She was waiting for a tow (drag) out! We had to turn around.k" and "that"Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff