Kirkstone Pass and Ullswater
27 miles (44 km), 1 hr, intermediate
Photo: Peter McDermott, CC BY-SA 2.0, resizedMotorcycle ride in England
Wrynose and Hardknott passes
23 miles (37 km), 1 hr 5 min, advanced
The steepest crossing in England, in the heart of the Lake District. From Ambleside, the road passes Skelwith Bridge, then crosses Wrynose Pass and Hardknott Pass, with gradients close to 30% and tight hairpins on a single-track road, before dropping into the Eskdale valley. Avoid in the rain or on a loaded bike.
Stops along the way
- SStart: Ambleside
- 1Skelwith Bridge, after 3 miles (5 km)
- 2Wrynose Pass, after 8 miles (13 km)
- 3Hardknott Pass, after 11 miles (18 km)
- 4Boot, after 15 miles (24 km)
- FFinish: Ravenglass, after 23 miles (37 km)
Download the GPXTrack and stops as a GPX file, for a sat nav or another app.
Photos along the route
This ride in the MotoLert app
In MotoLert, this ride is one of the roadbooks: its route, stops and photos are in the app. Premium guides you along it; camera zones and reported hazards stay free. The app is coming soon to iPhone.
Other rides nearby
Roads change: passes close in winter, roadworks, rockfalls, local restrictions. Check the road before you set off. MotoLert does not replace road signs or the Highway Code.
Route planned by MotoLert with Valhalla on © OpenStreetMap contributors data (ODbL). Photos from Wikimedia Commons, with the author and licence under each image.