Featured 899 Alston / Hartside Pass Photographer, 8th April

Cool.

 

I was always baffled when I’d seen photographers buried in the hedges when out for a ride until one positioned themselves on my favourite stretch of road. They kindly left a board a few hundred metres before and after their position. When I found the pics online I began to understand the appeal!

 

if you join the group bikers unite on fb its normally advertised when shes about

 

Social media snappers are at Hartside all the time through the summer. A favourite spot is the last hairpin before the summit. Why I don't know as it's too tight for really photogenic heroics. At least it's been resurfaced now. It was all potholes and gravel and you had to tiptoe round it and they were still taking pics.
Beware up there on weekends. The police operate drones. They'll get you on the road up to the summit on the Alston side as well - and that's a potentially very fast road if you feel so inclined. At least the pass is so twisty there's a limit to how much damage you can do to your licence.

I could tell you where the drone operator usually parks his van and trailer but I'm not sure that would be a wise move legally on a public social media platform...
Just be careful up there.

I'm lucky enough to live only 30-40 minutes away from Hartside so I tend to go up there on weekday evenings when it's quiet.

 

Much like most of the notable passes in Europe where there are photographers that must do a decent trade. Not a big price to pay for the memories of past tours.

 

Now its illegal to tell people to slow down (due to a speed van). Its illegal to flash your lights too apparently, though I always do it.

Its time to tell the police and the government to F.O.

 

The police even got involved with a roadside photographer that was taking pictures on Fish Hill, near Broadway on the edge of the Cotswolds, on the grounds that he posted on social media when he was going to be there and hence was encouraging anti-social behaviour. A case of over-reach if ever there was one.

EDIT: Here's the police article about it.

 

I saw camera van a few weeks ago on the A69 heading into Newcastle. I was traveling the other way on the opposite carriageway so I had a good look at it. It had drawn my attention because it had orange flashing lights on the roof and I thought FFS not more roadworks in the morning. As I went past I saw clearly that is was a police camera van with the black glass panel in the back. But with orange flashing lights and red and yellow striped rear doors it looked exactly like a highway maintenance van. Seems they're using camoflage now.

 

That middle shot looks like the turn on Stelvio that features in many Youtube videos.

 

Well it seems to me if we all keep bending over and taking it, there will never be an end to the queue.

 

Yep, correct. I'm at the end of the line of bikes following the Porches, may two mates are a short while after; Trev feet down and Carl on his 996 bringing up the rear.

 

Nicely done!

 

Thanks, most of the corners on that side of the Stelvio are effectively blind due to the retaining walls; wide in, tight to the right on the way out. Leave some leeway and be prepared to correct, or even stop, if necessary (steep inside cambers can easily catch out the unwary). With coaches and cyclists, let alone cars and other bikes, some taking up more than their fair share of road it tends to be pretty hairy. The photographer at that corner also has the video camera running and does regular whoopsie compilations, see his YouTube channel.

 

Yep, that’s how I recognised it.