Motorcycle Ride Planner · Routes · United Kingdom
Hardknott & Wrynose Passes (33% Grade)
United Kingdom · Hardknott Pass Road
England most notorious and extreme mountain pass, originally surveyed by the Roman army to supply the Mediobogdum fort. Features severe 33% (1-in-3) maximum gradients, blind crests, and off-camber hairpin corners with polished, bumpy tarmac. Toll-free. Impassable during winter ice and snow. Stopping mid-hairpin on a heavily loaded motorcycle can easily cause a drop; requires high clutch sensitivity, aggressive throttle commitment, and careful scouting for oncoming cars.
Hardknott & Wrynose Passes (33% Grade) runs 11 miles between Eskdale, Cumbria, Lake District, UK and Ambleside / Little Langdale, Cumbria, UK. We count about 75 corners along it, which is consistently bendy. A hard road that rewards experience and punishes bravado.
Tank-bag quick reference
- StartEskdale, Cumbria, Lake District, UK54.3986, -3.2758
- High160 ft - 1,289 ft (393m Hardknott Pass)elevation range
- EndAmbleside / Little Langdale, Cumbria, UK54.4172, -3.0678
T-CLOCS before you go: tyres and wheels, controls and cables, lights and electrics, oil and fluids, chassis and stand.
More in United Kingdom
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- Black Mountain Pass (Top Gear Welsh A4069)17 mi · 85 corners
- Applecross Pass (Bealach na Bà)11 mi · 65 corners
Questions riders ask
- How long does Hardknott & Wrynose Passes (33% Grade) take to ride?
- About 11 miles. At an unhurried pace with stops that is roughly 1 hour of riding, longer if you are stopping for photographs.
- Where does Hardknott & Wrynose Passes (33% Grade) start and end?
- It runs between Eskdale, Cumbria, Lake District, UK and Ambleside / Little Langdale, Cumbria, UK. Either end works as a start; the route reads the same in both directions.
- Is Hardknott & Wrynose Passes (33% Grade) a twisty road?
- We count about 75 corners across 11 miles, which is consistently bendy.
- Is there a GPX file for Hardknott & Wrynose Passes (33% Grade)?
- Yes. The GPX is free, there is no account, and the planner will build a route that includes this road alongside others nearby.
Where these numbers come from
Distances and corner counts come from the route's own geometry, not from ratings or votes. Nothing here is crowdsourced and nobody paid to appear.