Wrynose and Hardknott follow one after the other and are usually done together, which I am sure you are aware of
True. But I wonder what altitude the Stelvio is at at the bottom? Bet the road is better on the Stelvio too, although the drop is further if you get it all wrong. I once did the Furka in fog. That was fun, like when you suddenly find a hairpin with a sheer drop and the only thing preventing you going over it are a few concrete bollards that you saw at the last moment.
I believe the village of Stilfs, at the bottom of the Stelvio climb on the north side, is about 1,300 metres above sea level. So the climb is 1,450 metres, with 48 hairpins.
Is altitude the barometer of how good a road is? It seems to have descended (no pun intended) to this. And hairpins, give me fast sweepers all day.
I agree, it is fast sweepers and varied curves which make a fine riding road. The vast number of unfeasibly tight hairpins on the Stelvio road mean it is not actually enjoyable to ride - one goes up it just to say one has been up it really. The upland areas of England, like the Lakes, Peaks & Dartmoor, have many beautiful landscapes and good roads. Enjoy them whenever you get the chance. But in the wider scheme of things, it cannot be denied that our "mountains" are just foothills compared to real mountains. It just a question of scale.
Completely agree with that. I've done many passes in the Alps, but my memories of the Stelvio are not outstanding. It is high, steep and quite slow. The Grimsel for fast sweepers, but it's so tempting you might end up in jail these days. The Splugen is one of my favourites: it seems very remote. Less traffic, spectacular views.
Hmmm. Scale does come into it but there are many more things to the quality of mountains than their size. Britain has some wonderful mountain ranges each with their own character and charms and are just as "real" as the larger ranges elsewhere. Have you ever been on top of the Cairngorm Plateau in a gale in the middle of winter ?
Yeah, I agree. We merely have foothills in this country. But some of the best roads anywhere. As Jeremy demonstrated.....
Blimey, yeah just looked it up. A long time ago, I'm 52 now and reckon I was 16 when we did Honister. Just getting into fags, booze and camping back then.... Happy dayzz...
There was a bottle of champagne and a bottle of Macallan (I think). I didn't sleep much and never felt like doing it again but it was fun at the time.
Whilst I don't mind Peroni, the beer, in the evening, in the lake district makes up for any deficiencies in the roads!
Hardknott pass in the then girlfriends litre Fiesta back in the early 90's... girlfriend screaming in terror as we backed down slowly with outside wheels on the grass to let somebody through the other way or we'd end up with gridlock... Ah, the good old days ! Can't have been that bad, she is SWMBO now and we're still together
