Driving From Rome to Amalfi

On Mon, 24 May 2010 21:20:53 +0100, "bart.c" wrote:

I'm sure I've done the Hardknott Pass in a minibus, without too much
problem.

Well yes, a minibus with a competent driver should be able to
negotiate any road I know of. Small trucks use the pass on
maintenance. But the combination of 1 in 3, full on hairpins, single
track and water on the road mean the vehicle has little in reserve and
poor drivers do get stuck, usually by stopping at just the wrong
place. I have seen someone slip back and go off the road (needed AA
truck), the classic was when a misdirected large truck got stuck, it
made the cover of a truck mag, I've seen it but cannot find it with
google. It took a recovery team to get it off.

BTW both these routes (the pass and the Amalfi coast road) are on Google
Streetview. Looking at the latter, it looks little different from any other
winding main road in Italy.

That was my perception when driving it, just another road. As I said
at the start, it seems from posts over the years Americans are not
familiar with narrow winding roads (I know Kiwis are not). But Amalfi
isn't even narrow. "Narrow" is when two vehicles *cannot* pass for
most of the road or you have to pull your mirrors in. Dangerous is
when there are no barriers to a drop and you have to edge along it.
The hazards at Amalfi are the hazards of any Italian road.
--
Mike
Flying a couple London/New York just once equals
a whole years driving in a medium car in carbon terms.

On Tue, 25 May 2010 07:19:46 +0100, "Mike"
wrote:

Well yes, a minibus with a competent driver should be able to
negotiate any road I know of

"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardknott_Pass"
--
Mike
Flying a couple London/New York just once equals
a whole years driving in a medium car in carbon terms.

On 25/05/10 08:19, Mike wrote:
On Mon, 24 May 2010 21:20:53 +0100, "bart.c" wrote:

I'm sure I've done the Hardknott Pass in a minibus, without too much
problem.

Well yes, a minibus with a competent driver should be able to
negotiate any road I know of. Small trucks use the pass on
maintenance. But the combination of 1 in 3, full on hairpins, single
track and water on the road mean the vehicle has little in reserve and
poor drivers do get stuck, usually by stopping at just the wrong
place. I have seen someone slip back and go off the road (needed AA
truck), the classic was when a misdirected large truck got stuck, it
made the cover of a truck mag, I've seen it but cannot find it with
google. It took a recovery team to get it off.

BTW both these routes (the pass and the Amalfi coast road) are on Google
Streetview. Looking at the latter, it looks little different from any other
winding main road in Italy.

That was my perception when driving it, just another road. As I said
at the start, it seems from posts over the years Americans are not
familiar with narrow winding roads

It is clear that you are not familiar with the USA and as usual you over
generalise.

On 25/05/10 08:22, Mike wrote:
On Tue, 25 May 2010 07:19:46 +0100, "Mike"
wrote:

Well yes, a minibus with a competent driver should be able to
negotiate any road I know of

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

"Hardknott Pass is a pass that carries a minor road between Eskdale and
the Duddon Valley in the county of Cumbria, England, in the Lake
District National Park. The road approaching the pass vies with Rosedale
Chimney Bank in North Yorkshire for the title of steepest road in
England with both achieving a gradient of 1 in 3 (about 33%)."

There are other 1 in 3 gradients in Yorkshire, but nothing like the
Amlafi road that I am a aware of.

On Tue, 25 May 2010 07:19:46 +0100, "Mike"
wrote:

I've seen it but cannot find it with
google. It took a recovery team to get it off.

I think this photo shows the character of the drive, cannot find that
truck!
"http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/14307457.jpg"
--
Mike
Flying a couple London/New York just once equals
a whole years driving in a medium car in carbon terms.

On May 25, 4:29*am, "Mike" wrote:
On Tue, 25 May 2010 07:19:46 +0100, "Mike"
wrote:

I've seen it but cannot find it with
google. It took a recovery team to get it off.

I think this photo shows the character of the drive, cannot find that
truck!
"http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/o..."
--
Mike
Flying a couple London/New York just once equals
a whole years driving in a medium car in carbon terms.

Help! My question about a drive in Italy has been hijacked by the
Brits! (Thanks for the responses, by the way!)

On Tue, 25 May 2010 18:38:07 -0700 (PDT), Tom
wrote:

Help! My question about a drive in Italy has been hijacked by the
Brits! (Thanks for the responses, by the way!)

not really, you now have a better idea what is meant by "difficult
road" in Europe.
--
Mike
Flying a couple London/New York just once equals
a whole years driving in a medium car in carbon terms.

On 2010-05-20, bart.c wrote:

"Mike" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 20 May 2010 14:35:50 +0100, "Mike"
wrote:

heres a reference point to really winding mountain roads

this one is only wide enough for one car, so steep you can only use
1st gear with foot hard to floor and no barriers
"http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/10/78/107887_d9656394.jpg"

Lovely.

Looks like somewhere in UK. And not particularly dangerous as there is no
precipice to fall hundreds of feet to your certain death. (And is it steeper
than about 1 in 3?)

A 33% incline is pretty steep. You don't see many roads steeper than that.