Commuting between Manchester and Sheffield at night.

[JFKvsNixon]

I've cycled up Winnat's Pass and it almost killed me! The scenic route via Edale up Mam Tor is much more scenic.

[ECCOnoob]

Changing the subject slightly anyone able to give a rough guess of best time to set off to get to Man Airport by 9.30?

 

Route planner says just over an hour but I feel that is a bit ambitious for a Friday morning rush hour.

 

Anyone know rough timing and any best way?

 

Thanks

[Nagel]

Changing the subject slightly anyone able to give a rough guess of best time to set off to get to Man Airport by 9.30?

 

Route planner says just over an hour but I feel that is a bit ambitious for a Friday morning rush hour.

 

Anyone know rough timing and any best way?

 

Thanks

 

The best route to Manchester Airport is the Pott Shrigley route via the Winnats Pass. There's hardly ever any delay on it, unlike any route using the A57.

[Cyclone]

Changing the subject slightly anyone able to give a rough guess of best time to set off to get to Man Airport by 9.30?

 

Route planner says just over an hour but I feel that is a bit ambitious for a Friday morning rush hour.

 

Anyone know rough timing and any best way?

 

Thanks

 

About 0700 to be on the safe side.

Go via Winnets though, or you'll queue forever at Hollingsworth.

[stifflersmom]

I think the Snake is easier than Winnat's Pass. I'm a very confident experienced driver and I hate driving Winnat's, its a narrow windy road with drop offs at both sides, unlit and if it gets a bit foggy it's horrendous. Just my thoughts!!

 

This seems a bit confused. Winnats does not have drop offs on both sides, its a road through a gorge and not a particularly twisty one at that. Sightlines are good. The elevation is lower than the Snake so it is less prone to fog or low cloud. Also it takes less than 5 minutes to drive up or down whereas the time to drive (and therefore concentrate) on the Snake is much longer. Sections of the Snake do have drop offs, and it is not uncommon to find weather conditions changing throughout the climb. Altogether that makes it a more challenging route than Winnats in my experience.

[truman]

I think the Snake is easier than Winnat's Pass. I'm a very confident experienced driver and I hate driving Winnat's, its a narrow windy road with drop offs at both sides, unlit and if it gets a bit foggy it's horrendous. Just my thoughts!!

 

Do you mean Woodhead not Winnats?

Edited September 23, 2015 by truman

[Priorylady]

Do you mean Woodhead not Winnats?

 

No I meant Winnats, someone had suggested that Winnat's pass was an easier route and I was commenting on that

 

---------- Post added 22-09-2015 at 18:02 ----------

 

Here it is

Purely going by Google maps, between your route and the Snake, there's little in it distance wise, but via Castleton is about 15 minutes longer duration.

 

I'd concur with that roughly, as I travel from S10 to Disley at least once a week, and that takes a tiny shade under the hour on a Saturday afternoon.

 

There's less chance of getting stuck behind a wagon though if you go via Winnats, due to the weight restrictions, so it sometimes more or less balances out.

 

And yes Jaylou, it is a fairly stress free drive. It also might give you more confidence in your night driving abilities; unlike the Snake, a mobile does seem to work all of the route if that's what's bothering you.

(before some pea-brain jumps in, I'm not advocating using it whilst driving. )

 

Google Link but I think it's a bit optimistic on the travel times earlier on in the day.

[small_hall]

Driving at night is a skill like any other, you get better with practice and it gets easier.

 

I like driving over the snake at night, so long as the weather isn't atrocious.

 

agree with practice improving confidence levels - when i first passed my driving test i hated going on snake pass - it was too windy and i thought 50mph speed limit was too high. I now dont mind driving on snake pass at all - i have learnt how to manage the road ( Ie at what point to slow down before a sharp bend , because i wasnt taught how to drive on very windy/tricky roads) . I would be fine driving through when dark .

 

I was travelling back home a month ago and was making my way to heysham ferry port. Sat nav took me through snake pass where i encountered some of the heaviest rain i have ever driven in.

It came down with such force my window wipers couldnt handle the rain . That was from when i got to lady bower through to Glossop. Everyone crawled along at 20mph (on both sides )

Edited September 22, 2015 by small_hall

[bisphamblade]

andy c has the answer for you there but even some of the 62 is unlit. out of the 2 roads the woodhead is the better way to come over the pennines but in bad weather forget it as they both block quickly. i drive from blackpool a good bit and tbh i find it as quick to go m62 m1 but thats the day time. you can come round holmfirth but this way is also unlit. my answer would be get a job in sheffield. its gonna cost you 20-30 quid a round trip and the snake and woodhead are crap roads. its not your driving that you have to watch for. some people think its a race track.

[biotechpete]

Hi, I don't think my original post was very clear but I'm only doing the journey twice a week: from Sheffield (S10 area) to Manchester (m23 area) on a friday night and back again on a Sunday night.

 

For the person who put that I shouldn't be driving if I don't like driving at night: learn to read. I put that I don't want to drive on snake pass at night, not avoid driving at night all together.

 

But thanks everyone for all the responses, it's given me loads to go on! Don't feel half as nervous any more. :)

 

I used to drive to m23 daily. Snake was quicker in light traffic, but I mainly went through Winnats, Whaley Bridge to Pott Shrigley. It's an OK drive in the dark, not lit, but when I first started to drive that way in my younger days it felt pretty safe.

 

---------- Post added 22-09-2015 at 23:29 ----------

 

I think the Snake is easier than Winnat's Pass. I'm a very confident experienced driver and I hate driving Winnat's, its a narrow windy road with drop offs at both sides, unlit and if it gets a bit foggy it's horrendous. Just my thoughts!!

 

You don't have to do Winnats pass if you turn at the travellers rest and go through Bradwell to the A623. It actually only about 3 mins longer that way.