Lake District Passes
Discussion
Hi
Apologies if this has been asked before, I had a scroll through and couldn't see it.
Are the passes in the lake district worth driving or are they more for cycling and motorbikes?
I've seen this route on my route app and am tempted to give it a go when I get a day free.
https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/motor-and-car-routes...
Thanks
Apologies if this has been asked before, I had a scroll through and couldn't see it.
Are the passes in the lake district worth driving or are they more for cycling and motorbikes?
I've seen this route on my route app and am tempted to give it a go when I get a day free.
https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/motor-and-car-routes...
Thanks
Absolutely.
But what are you expecting? They ain't like the Furka or Susten Alpine passes that's for sure, mostly narrow, poorly surfaced and plagued by oncoming traffic or suicidal wildlife.
Harry Metcalf has done a few videos recently but if you get things aligned they can be wonderful-you want the weather right, a car small enough and well damped enough to make the most of them and at a time when you're not in a line of tourist traffic.
I'm semi local and love doing at least one once a year but it can be more about enjoying the views and the area than balls out driving enjoyment.
But what are you expecting? They ain't like the Furka or Susten Alpine passes that's for sure, mostly narrow, poorly surfaced and plagued by oncoming traffic or suicidal wildlife.
Harry Metcalf has done a few videos recently but if you get things aligned they can be wonderful-you want the weather right, a car small enough and well damped enough to make the most of them and at a time when you're not in a line of tourist traffic.
I'm semi local and love doing at least one once a year but it can be more about enjoying the views and the area than balls out driving enjoyment.
These are all sedentary drives in the Lakes proper really. Only time it was fun here was in Covid when we lost the 15million annual visitors and roads were empty.
As mentioned the most well known passes are steep at ends and very narrow with plenty of users, not all of which know how to drive up and down stuff. Come for the lovely scenery and treat it as a leisurely drive and you won’t be disappointed.. .. but for anything else it’s really too busy and not the best roads for ‘driving’. Even our local yoof go elsewhere to rag their leases (up Wigton way at 3am back from the clubs in Carlisle is allegedly popular judging by the occasional sad headlines).
Winter sees less folk but it’s still quite busy in most known spots these days. It’s obviously less popular for a reason unless it’s a weekend or there is snow to play in but the saga crew love to come to the lakes to pootle around.
Some passes with snow/ice can stop play occasionally in Jan/Feb. Every year the local paper (and insta etc.) enjoys sharing photographs of some poor person in a beautiful new £100k 4x4 being helped back on to road on Wynose pass etc.
Newlands is/was quieter but it’s still no drivers route. Defo ripe for nasty collisions at the bottom end not far out of the village (blind hedges and up/down coming traffic and plenty of bikes unless mid winter). Top end (last 200m) in mid winter (with ice and snow) is more comedy as it’s smooth and slippery and one pass most cars can fail to get up for a few days a year…I’ve a proper 4wd on winters and wouldn’t go up on such days) ..oh and down to Buttermere is painful if meeting folks on their way up etc as very narrow and there’s always about a million folk looking for parking outside the village as Buttermere is a honey pot.
Don’t be put off though…a tour of lakes for the scenery is lovely if you’ve not been up here,.. especially if you can do nightly stop overs in a couple of villages/towns places so you can also enjoy a walk, pint, swim whatever. It’s a small place the lakes really, but long days doing all the passes gets tiring with a load of other people clogging the road as it can be all stop start and then not long before you wish you could park up.
Note Nov flooding broke the road past Troutbeck up to Kirkstile Inn so it’s closed. It ain’t Japan - so no doubt it’ll be closed for a good while yet whilst there is much head scratching and staring at an empty purse.
Yeah.. I’m local. Like my driving on occasion. I always go elsewhere …
As mentioned the most well known passes are steep at ends and very narrow with plenty of users, not all of which know how to drive up and down stuff. Come for the lovely scenery and treat it as a leisurely drive and you won’t be disappointed.. .. but for anything else it’s really too busy and not the best roads for ‘driving’. Even our local yoof go elsewhere to rag their leases (up Wigton way at 3am back from the clubs in Carlisle is allegedly popular judging by the occasional sad headlines).
Winter sees less folk but it’s still quite busy in most known spots these days. It’s obviously less popular for a reason unless it’s a weekend or there is snow to play in but the saga crew love to come to the lakes to pootle around.
Some passes with snow/ice can stop play occasionally in Jan/Feb. Every year the local paper (and insta etc.) enjoys sharing photographs of some poor person in a beautiful new £100k 4x4 being helped back on to road on Wynose pass etc.
Newlands is/was quieter but it’s still no drivers route. Defo ripe for nasty collisions at the bottom end not far out of the village (blind hedges and up/down coming traffic and plenty of bikes unless mid winter). Top end (last 200m) in mid winter (with ice and snow) is more comedy as it’s smooth and slippery and one pass most cars can fail to get up for a few days a year…I’ve a proper 4wd on winters and wouldn’t go up on such days) ..oh and down to Buttermere is painful if meeting folks on their way up etc as very narrow and there’s always about a million folk looking for parking outside the village as Buttermere is a honey pot.
Don’t be put off though…a tour of lakes for the scenery is lovely if you’ve not been up here,.. especially if you can do nightly stop overs in a couple of villages/towns places so you can also enjoy a walk, pint, swim whatever. It’s a small place the lakes really, but long days doing all the passes gets tiring with a load of other people clogging the road as it can be all stop start and then not long before you wish you could park up.
Note Nov flooding broke the road past Troutbeck up to Kirkstile Inn so it’s closed. It ain’t Japan - so no doubt it’ll be closed for a good while yet whilst there is much head scratching and staring at an empty purse.
Yeah.. I’m local. Like my driving on occasion. I always go elsewhere …
Thanks all for the replies. I think my next free weekend is in February so I'll give it a go. Hopefully be a bit quieter.
I did expect narrow roads from the couple of times I've been to the lakes, and as has been said on many threads on here the general condition of roads in the UK is poor anyway. I don't have a low, stiff trackday car so should be fine in my Seat Leon.
I did expect narrow roads from the couple of times I've been to the lakes, and as has been said on many threads on here the general condition of roads in the UK is poor anyway. I don't have a low, stiff trackday car so should be fine in my Seat Leon.
And this is the correct answer.
I love the lakes for hiking and running, but it's pretty much the last place I'd go for a fun drive.
Wensleydale and Swaledale are stunning but tight and twisty - my favourite roads in England for a Caterham/Mx5 etc.
Cross the border into Teesdale/Weardale and you have pretty much empty, sweeping roads surrounded by massive open spaces.
This is my local patch so happy to give recommendations
I love the lakes for hiking and running, but it's pretty much the last place I'd go for a fun drive.
Wensleydale and Swaledale are stunning but tight and twisty - my favourite roads in England for a Caterham/Mx5 etc.
Cross the border into Teesdale/Weardale and you have pretty much empty, sweeping roads surrounded by massive open spaces.
This is my local patch so happy to give recommendations
ben5575 said:
And this is the correct answer.
I love the lakes for hiking and running, but it's pretty much the last place I'd go for a fun drive.
Wensleydale and Swaledale are stunning but tight and twisty - my favourite roads in England for a Caterham/Mx5 etc.
Cross the border into Teesdale/Weardale and you have pretty much empty, sweeping roads surrounded by massive open spaces.
This is my local patch so happy to give recommendations
Ah thank you I'll have a look at the North Pennines so I've got options when I get a day out. I love the lakes for hiking and running, but it's pretty much the last place I'd go for a fun drive.
Wensleydale and Swaledale are stunning but tight and twisty - my favourite roads in England for a Caterham/Mx5 etc.
Cross the border into Teesdale/Weardale and you have pretty much empty, sweeping roads surrounded by massive open spaces.
This is my local patch so happy to give recommendations
Are there any roads you'd recommend or ones you'd recommend avoiding?
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