An interesting test of......

[HPsauce]

Auto gearbox, 4WD and ESP. Going steeply uphill as fast as seemed physically possible on a very twisting single-track road. :tuttut:
It was quite odd, as they all kept interacting in very strange ways. The ESP light was on more than off.
SWMBO was "riding shotgun" and looking ahead (well up) for any oncoming vehicles.
Yes, it was the Hardknott pass last week!

Plus the road surface was terrible so I was bouncing all over the place and my right foot was twitching on the loud pedal!

It's 1 in 3 for anyone who hasn't been over and I went up from the West side (Eskdale) then continued over the Wrynose Pass to Langdale, which is quite tame in comparison.

One of the "tamer" sections:
http://www.davidhalllakedistrictwalks.co.uk/20070608/12.jpg

[David's8]

The last time I did this road was in an MG Midget a few (many) years back. You must have a lot of fun doing this in an 8!

[HPsauce]

A bit of reversing on the approach due to morons who have no idea how to drive on single-track roads.
We have plenty of both in my area too so I'm very familiar with them (morons and very narrow roads with passing places).

The electronics kept taking over, but with the amount of power on tap I daren't turn ESP off on the twisty bits as I doubt I had more than 3 wheels firmly on the road that often, so it kept "bogging down". Still a lively ride though! +++

[tintin]

Last time I did this was about 18 months ago in the wet, and a less capable car (driver?) had managed to ground on the bend shown on your photo (where the rock is..). Slowed me up for a bit...

[Adrian E]

Did this once with the whole family, complete with roof box, in what passed for 'family' transport at the time - a 1987 Nissan Micra! Was terrifying.....

[ScottD3]

I wanted to do this when me and the wife was near but had no faith in the 1.9TDI A4 fully loaded with roof box, so gave it a miss.
I had fears of the gearbox going pop and that would have killed the start of the holiday.

Next time in the A8 I think.

[mannyo]

Where is this road, it looks amazing.

[HPsauce]

I must admit grounding was a concern given how long and low the S8 is, but I didn't hear any scrapes at all.

Mannyo it's in the Lake District, between Eskdale (goes down to Ravenglass on the West coast) and Cockley Beck in Dunnerdale (south centre, runs down to near Broughton-in-Furness in the South).
The road then continues East over the Wrynose pass into Little Langdale then across to Ambleside. Or you can bail out down Dunnerdale.
(All single-track roads with mostly unforgiving stone walls)

I think most people go the other way, West to East, then return back via other (flatter) routes.
The ascent from the West is visually scary, a long winding snake, but that from the East is worse to drive up IMHO and has 2 separate very steep sections with the old Roman fort in between to stop and look at.
We went from West to East this time (been over several times before) as it was late afternoon on a clear sunny day so had much better views with the sun behind us.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardknott_Pass

[Architex_mA8tey]

lol this is what can happen on the windier sections. . . :D

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=3157&stc=1&d=1333956281

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=3174&stc=1&d=1334003826

[HPsauce]

When/where exactly was that? The Lakes trip a couple of years back, based at Brackenrigg?

[Architex_mA8tey]

When/where exactly was that? The Lakes trip a couple of years back, based at Brackenrigg?

this was the reccy meeting for that meet, which was an experience in itself!! :D

[IT]

I love hardknot / wrynose. This is a good time of year to do it, still enough traction on the road, but most of the summer tourism is no longer clogging up the road.

Still got to watch out for sheep though ;)

Great location for a bit of star gazing late at night, very clear view.

I've seen plenty of 4x4's make it over the top only to realise that the laws of physics when it come to stopping are the same for them as any other car. :rolleyes:

If you know the road well, you can make rapid enough progress to reduce most passengers to tears I find.... :D

[HPsauce]

this was the reccy meeting for that meet, which was an experience in itself!! :D

Looks like the photos were taken on the Wrynose?

[Architex_mA8tey]

Looks like the photos were taken on the Wrynose?

they were indeed +++ we explored all opportunities for the roads we could drive on for the meet (good excuse eh?) but it was felt that running 20 cars along this road was perhaps not the best of ideas!!

[HPsauce]

Insane I reckon.
Almost as bad as that single-track road in the Forest of Dean........ :rolleyes:

[Architex_mA8tey]

Oh it was worse than that - for the actual meet we got diverted due to an accident and ended up with 20 A8's and S8's running down this lane! :rolleyes:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=3655&stc=1&d=1338904511