Once described as one of Britain's most "outrageous" roads, Hardknott Pass between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley in the Lake District is only the width of a bridleway and is filled with twisting bends.
Whilst it is one of the most direct routes from the central Lakes to West Cumbria, visitors are often encouraged to take hour-long detours to avoid it's hairpin turns, seriously steep incline and "unpredictable" surface. Despite being one of the steepest roads in England with a gradient of 1 in 3, it's also described as "great fun" - though one family recently had quite the opposite experience.
Locals have many tales of visitors freezing at the challenge, as well as skidding and brake failures on the narrow carriageway, and now a family have described it as 'hell on earth'. Posting a lengthy TripAdvisor review, one mum detailed how a leisurely drive along the 13-mile stretch between the towns of Boot and Ambleside left her thinking they were all going to die.
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The review posted under the headline, 'Gorgeous views, but this road is HELL ON EARTH', read: "Family of four staying at nearby Eskdale. Daddy thought it would be fun to set off on a little ‘drive through the hills’ on this soggy Lake District Day. Decided to head up this road so we could take the children to visit the Roman Ruins.
"Had a nice little look around and then thought it would be clever to crack on even further up the road. Holy cr*p. Hairpin turns so steep and tight that I thought we were all going to die. My ten-year-old son to the rear right of me asked for his inhaler due to a full blown panic attack.
"Eight-year-old daughter directly behind me pulling my hair yelling ‘yaaaaaaaaaaas’ and ‘yeeeehaaaaawwwww’ round every bend like she is riding a horse."
"Twenty-six-week-old foetus in my stomach punching the living daylights out of me from inside me due to severe dislike of possible G-Forces. My husband to my right with white knuckles on the steering wheel and a toothy, nervous grin that made him look like Wallace from Wallace and Gromit for a good twenty minutes."
And in a word of warning to other would-be explorers, she simply stated: "Do yourself a favour and walk instead".
Hardknott Pass, and then Wrynose Pass, is a single track road right through the middle of the Lake District. This very steep road is usually open all year round, but can be closed for long periods during the winter months as ice makes the bends treacherous.
While some say the road is "one to avoid", others on the review site describe it as "amazing" and "incredible". One wrote on the website: "This was amazing and a memory me and my partner will remember and laugh about for a very long time, next time we do it we won’t do it in a long wheel based campervan and we’ll learn to read signs better! Haha.
"I wouldn’t want to have my driving skills tested much more so I’m not saying it’s easy but if you can do it in a van don’t believe some of the idiots that say it needs to be shut and it’s unsafe. They have roads just like this open in every other country it was a joy to find one that the fun police haven’t shut here!"
Though others have warned the drive is "not for the faint hearted and to only take the trip if you have a "death wish". They wrote: "The single most scariest thing we have ever done. There is a reason why there is a sign that says ‘Extreme Caution’. Seriously high inclines and descents. Prayed like I have never prayed before. Had two teens in back of car and one was reduced to tears. Seriously do yourself a favour and avoid at all costs!!"
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