Hi. Just after some advice about Kirkstone Pass. I am sure tons of you guys have been along it. We are camping in Ambleside over Easter and plan to tackle Helvellyn. This means potentially a drive North along Kirkstone pass to Patterdale. Would we be ok in a 1.2 Renalut Modus 09? I need to convince the wife that we will be fine! I would be very gratefull if someone could give me some details about how steep it really is and safety etc? I am a confident driver so to be honest I was quite excited about the journey.
Cheers
Andy
------------- April 2014 - Ambleside
June 2014 - Glastonbury
July 2014 - Borrowdale
July 2014 - Deershed
Aug 2014 - Keswick
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Hi, we've travelled in the rain, snow etc and always found it ok, if's absolutely fine, just need to drive taking into account the weather. Your car will be ok, we used to do it with 4 squashed in an old Nissan micra. I'm sure there will be a couple of videos on You Tube to put your wife's mind at rest.
No problem.. 40 odd years ago I drove it several times in my old Morris Minor and most recently, last month, in my much newer VW Golf. It's no longer the challenge that it used to be. You'll be fine.
------------- Two drifters off to see the world.
I'm tired of reality, so I'm off to look for a good fantasy.
Also plan your trip to gain the best possible weather conditions, its no use going up there if its low cloud, no only will it be a nerve racking drive due to not being able to see the road ahead and over the edges propperly, but you wont be able to take in the fantastic views anyway.
We last drove through the Kirkstone and Hard knot pass about 10yrs ago in a 4x4, and still rank it as the most exilerating and testing 'Drive of my Life'
I would love to take my CRV up there, but OH was scared stiff the woose him, and says never again!
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
We recently did Hardknott Pass and Wrynose Pass in my 1.2 Renault Twingo - a bit tricky at times but compared to those, Kirkstone Pass would be a breeze 😊 x
------------- High Laning, Dent - May 2015
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Kirkstone is probably the easiest of the passes in the Lakes & has a regular bus service go over it. Completely lower league to the others mentioned here. Nowhere near the level of 'difficulty' as Hardknott - Kirkstone is an A road!
Unless your clutch is on it's way out & the cars fully loaded it's not even something to worry about.
We've been stuck on two steep hills (east coast of Kintyre, and road up out of Cullen or Gardenstown on the NE coast) and had to roll back down to the bottom to try again. Why? Not because our MH wasn't up to it - we were doing fine in 1st gear - but because of the idiots who cut the corners on hairpin bends coming downhill. This meant we had to stop and do a hill start - or not, as it happens, given the bad smell of burning clutch. The inside of a hairpin bend is far steeper than whatever the road sign says (nearly 1:1 in Kintyre - I know, I had trouble pushing a bicycle up it) and there was loose gravel on it too, so the tyres didn't want to grip. And OH says he will never go over the Blue Hills in Shropshire again (or whatever it's called), as the brakes faded going downhill and he was looking to run off onto the verge at one point. We must be wimps, but if the map has that two arrow "very steep" symbol on it, we seriously consider going a different way. I think you'll just have to blindfold your passenger.
Yes you will be fine, hope the weather for helvellyn is good for you ,did it a couple of years back in glorious sunshine from glenridding via striding edge and down by squirrel edge that way you pass the pub just after the youth hostel for a well earned pint? By contrast did Ben Nevis in July the year after poor visibility so a bit of a anti climax. But in the lakes just after Easter hoping to do blencathra via sharp edge. Enjoy your walk
Kirkstone is a gentle hill compared to wrynose annd hardknott and I remember doimg hardknott in my dads hillman minx with 3 kids and 2 dogs! I'd worry if towing a van with that car but if solo your worrying over nothing!
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Topic: Kirkstone Pass. Ok In A 1.2 Renault Modus
