Safe Speed Forums

I had to laugh when I saw this picture - how on earth did the driver not realise earlier than this, that he was NEVER going to get that rig over Hard Knott Pass!!

Anyone know when this happened?

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Not sure, but I think he'll need a couple of steel spars to get it free

The driver was probably following a GPS route plotted to avoid CSCP's scamera zones.

Is that a picture of two rigids or one drawbar?

How did you get hold of the picture?

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

If I'd had my day ruined by the feckwit I'd have killed him myself. Just how bloody stupid can you get?

Actually, it looks like two rigids - if you look REALLY closely between the two box bodies you can see what looks like the back of a cab...

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

No, It was a Draw-Bar unit apparently.
The picture was posted by a reader of Lakelandcam who was part of the recovery team. Apparently it shut the pass for two days.

Years ago an Army lorry travelling from Eskmeals went over the pass in fog, but got stuck going down the other side.
Apparently they winched it in a straight line down the rough terrain in order to get it down.

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

My mother tells a story of a driver many years ago who successfully negotiated it in a cattle lorry, having been (correctly) told it was the shortest route to Eskdale. In those days it wasn't even metalled, and he had to stop and take two or three bites at each hairpin - going up and down!

For myself, it reminds me of a few years ago on a Furness night rally one frosty evening. We were out in a Manta and couldn't make head nor tail of the cryptic route instructions (actually we had the wrong edition map ). Anyway, after sitting scratching our heads for twenty minutes at Eskdale Green we reasoned along the lines that if we were using sheet 89 then surely it must go over Hardknott, so off we went.

As we got further up it got colder and icier, until eventually, about 1/4 mile from the top we rounded a left hand bend to find the road was a sheet of ice. Driver valiantly attacked it but we came to a slithering halt ten feet short of the dry tarmac above. Then we slid down backwards for 50 yards - in pitch dark with all 4 wheels locked up! In one of life's golden missed opportunities I'm ashamed to say that as we finally came to rest teetering on the brink I completely forgot to say "Hang on lads - I've got a plan."!

Fortunately all 4 wheels stayed on the road, and we were able to manoeuvre and pick our way back until we could turn round and get back down. We decided not to have another go and eventually caught up with all the other entrants who had (correctly) gone over Birker Fell instead, and thought it hilarious that we'd even tackled Hardknott in such conditions.

Of cours we didn't have speed cameras in those days - it couldn't happen today!

Definitely a road to treat with respect!

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

How bad a road is Hardknott?

If the weather is nice tomorrow I was planning on having a drive out (to give the weekend car some miles - it never gets out of 3rd gear when used around Blackpool) to the lakes and heading to Ambleside and then either heading up to Keswick or going over Hardknott to the coast.

It's very steep and very twisty, but that being said it shouldn't pose any problems for a reasonably competent driver. Mind you, don't expect to get out of second gear, let alone third!

For the full treat you need to head west out of Ambleside then take the turning to Chapel Stile / Great Langdale. After a few miles this takes you up the rather steep Blea Tarn road which gives you an idea of what is ahead. At the end of here turn hairpin right to go over Wrynose, then via Wrnose Bottom to Cockley Beck, where you turn right over the lovely litttle bridge to tackle Hardknott itself. The serious bit is actually only 2 miles from one valley bottom to the other, but it's a drive you'll remember for a long time!

Once you get over into Eskdale if you have time I heartily recommend you go up via Eskdale Green and take the road up the west shore of Wastwater - the sudden view of "The Screes" across the lake is absolutely breathtaking.

Then you can either come straight back down the A595 / A590 if time is short (watch for cameras on any bits where it's safe to go fast); or go over Birker Fell to Ulpha for a scenic alternative; or if you really want to go for it continue up the coast then go over Whinlatter Pass to Keswick, then take the A591 back over Dunmail Raise to Ambleside.

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

I was just looking at Birker Fell to Ulpha as the A595 is on the list of camera sites for tomorrow.

If a do Hardknott I'll have a look at Wast Water as well.

Must remember to take the camera.

Thanks

Russ

Take an angle-grinder and bring an extra one back home with you

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"Politicians are the same the world over... We build bridges where there aren't any rivers." - Nikita Kruschev

You should enjoy it. If you're still up for narrow lanes when you descend into Ulpha then a further detour is to head back up Dunnerdale a little way, then follow the road over Hoses towards Broughton Mills (there are a couple of gates to open). Then if you can find the turning you can go over the Jackson Ground / Stephenson Ground loop towards Broughton Moor (described by rally demon Cooperman as the most challenging road he had ever driven) then follow the lanes through Woodland village and over Subberthwaite Common to pick up the A595 again. You will need to keep a close eye on a good map to ensure you don't get too lost though!

This is the best time of year to explore all these lanes, as the scenery is gorgeous with the autum colours, and it should be mercifully free of "grockles" who spend the Summer months holding everyone up, convinced their cars are 8' wide with a 15mph top speed!

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

There are TWO at Ings.....
mind you the locals wont even notice they are missing!!
Seeing a lot more dangerous overtakes either side of the cameras by hotheads who get p**sed off at drivers who slow below 35 for the cameras, and the locals complain they cannot get out at times as the vehicles close up behind the lead car as it slows for the camera

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

How did your trip go then?

Coincidentally, we had an hour or two spare after Sunday lunch so decided to go for a spin over the passes. Couldn't resist taking this snap of the array of signs that our errant Spar driver had sped past a couple of minutes before ending up where he did...



Had a lovely run round, returning over Birker Fell, Hoses and Jackson Ground, as described earlier. It's great at this time of year when all the tourists have gone home!

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

Whilst we're on the subject of getting stuck in silly places and the subsequent rescue, I bet no-one can beat this for sheer ridiculousness:

http://4xforum.co.za/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB. ... 1126725233

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Carl Prescott

I drove over there some years ago and you do need to be confident. The worst thing for us was we were following a very old DAF with the Variomatic gearbox and I think his elastic band must have snapped and started to roll back towards us. Thankfully his handbrake held!

Didn't go in the end. Took the TVR out friday night to get some petrol ready for the trip, noticed it was running alot warmer than normal, so spent the weekend draining and refiilling the system. Plan on trying to get it surviced ASAP, so will look at the run again before end of the month.