Really nasty hills

It seems incredible now that only 30 years ago it was quite normal to take a run at even an ordinary hill like Swanscombe Cut on the A2, at 75 mph but be down to 13 mph by the time we were parallel with the electricity station, especially if driving Merc 1619s or anything with a 180 Gardner: same scenario approaching Leicester Forest East from the north. Now we can sail over in top gear, with the right kit.

Given a particularly savage descent, nowadays, the cruise-control backs off, the automated gearbox gives a soft-shoe shuffle, the engine-brake kicks in and you simply glide down the slope making a reasonably controlled descent at twice or thrice the speed we used to; and those big disc brakes are coolly waiting in the wings if we need them — at least, on a clear, dry day.

Not so long ago, we would block-change down a fistful of gears as we crested the summit, hit the exhaust-brake and descend on tip-toe. Before that, we simply slowed to walking pace, engaged a very low gear and crept down the mountain to prevent those drum-brakes from fading.

Call me old-fashioned, but even with disc-brakes I used to play safe with the worst hills. One particularly nasty descent I remember was the hill from Belen Pass in southern Turkey, down to the turn-off for Reyhanli and the Syrian border at Cilvegozu (it’s been in the news a lot recently because that border has been in the wars). The village at the top had a shack that served truckers with some of the cheapest and best food in Turkey — the village is called Kici. I remember hitting the summit one trip and looking down on the clouds as if I were in an aeroplane! It wasn’t a hugely dramatic descent but it was vicious and unrelentingly steep. I was fully-freighted that particular trip and as I tipped over the summit, I engaged 1st gear in the Twin-splitter and sailed all the way to the bottom on the exhaust-brake without having to touch the brakes. As I had disc brakes, that probably wasn’t completely necessary, but it was safe. I do remember having to do the same thing with a drum-braked Scania without a working exhauster fully-freighted going down the mountain at Amfissa in Greece: on that occasion it WAS strictly necessary. In the old days, all driving was done this way.

Another nasty hill was the motorway descent from Pozanti in the Toros mountains of Turkey, 30 unremitting KMs down to where the road divides to Tarsus or Adana. Those of you who remember the much worse old road that the motorway replaced may like to tell us what that was like.

We mustn’t forget that the UK has some of the worst short climbs in Europe, and a lot of those are in busy urban settings! Others that spring to mind in Europe include the climb out of Koblenz in Germany, Cluj in Romania, Sunbilla in Spain (before the tunnel was built), Santa Lucia in Spain, Malaga in Spain, the old N1 to Alsasua in Spain (where Miguels and Alaska truck stops were), Aosta in Italy. I drove over the High Atlas south of Marrakesh and those were nasty climbs. And what was that horrible hill in Portugal called — IP5?

There are thousands more. Who can remember the really tricky climbs and descents? Your thoughts, drivers, please! Robert :slight_smile:

Here are some pictures of hills I took when I was driving lorries abroad. Robert









Hi Robert.

Where were you heading south of Marrakesh?

Clive.

ANDREWDAX:
Hi Robert.

Where were you heading south of Marrakesh?

Clive.

Yes, on that particular trip I was going to Ouarzazate in southern Morocco, out in the Sahara. I’ve posted lots of pictures of that trip on my North Africa Work thread, if you’re interested. Robert :slight_smile:

Don’t forget the UK. Tales of old wagons struggling on Shap are legion, but there are plenty more hills in Blighty. Even Jubilee Way caught me out (picture below) back in '86 when an airline melted and brought me to a halt above Dover! Robert :slight_smile:

I went up/down here a few times, when i started on Euro work.
maps.google.com/maps?q=%C3%89pi … rance&z=16

I always enjoyed watching the Portuguese mob smoking there brakes down the old N1 (Miguel’s) kamikaze porkas…

Only made the mistake of coming down the “new” motorway slope from Pamplona once in an old 2800 without an exhaust brake…a15 think it’s called. Never moaned about the old 121 Sunbilla after that.
Can also recall a b’stard big hill coming out of Malaga toward Antequera never seemed to end. Especially loaded with tiles from Velez.

Hey Robert, Yes are not Always the big montains,of course it are the most dangeous. but on the way to madrid the
somo siërra and cabrera and lots more in spain,and the old way from Point Caja into portugal and Luso.
But the shorts here the National 4 up and down from Namur to Luxembourg. That way with the F88 as we got the F89 it was a real flyer :laughing: (we didn’t know something else),but had more time to stop in Bande as today what do you want.
And thinking that Dad did it with only 150/165HP. But at that time he had some flyers too■■? EX WWII Diamond T’s with a ■■■■■■■ in it. And they loaded 24 tons too, that was the norm says the boss.
Coming down in Malmedy coming from Eupen,and lots more in the Ardennes.
Wales was nice too or some in Ireland, and yeah the jubelée way was a test track :slight_smile:

cheers Eric,

kindle530:
I went up/down here a few times, when i started on Euro work.
maps.google.com/maps?q=%C3%89pi … rance&z=16

Oh yeah, the Frensh Voges Bonhomme, Bussang, Saint Marie (Tunnel a bit low so over the montain) and so on
And the last years before it was forbidden to pass them, they were already much improved as in the '60’s and '70’s.

Cheers Eric,

Tubbysboy:
I always enjoyed watching the Portuguese mob smoking there brakes down the old N1 (Miguel’s) kamikaze porkas…

Only made the mistake of coming down the “new” motorway slope from Pamplona once in an old 2800 without an exhaust brake…a15 think it’s called. Never moaned about the old 121 Sunbilla after that.
Can also recall a b’stard big hill coming out of Malaga toward Antequera never seemed to end. Especially loaded with tiles from Velez.

hey Tubb, the 121 was one of the highlights too.
Last decovered a 20% in Belgium and not a short one,no signs on that top or before,but at the bottom a STOP sign !!!
AND nice the sign 20% stand at the Climbing side,of course usefull too.

Cheers Eric,

Tubbysboy:
I always enjoyed watching the Portuguese mob smoking there brakes down the old N1 (Miguel’s) kamikaze porkas…

Only made the mistake of coming down the “new” motorway slope from Pamplona once in an old 2800 without an exhaust brake…a15 think it’s called. Never moaned about the old 121 Sunbilla after that.
Can also recall a b’stard big hill coming out of Malaga toward Antequera never seemed to end. Especially loaded with tiles from Velez.

Even with our lightly-loaded garment trailers coming home from Morocco, we used to puff and pant up that endless climb out of Malaga. Going down it heavy was also an engaging experience, especially that top section. Robert :slight_smile:

tiptop495:
Hey Robert, Yes are not Always the big montains,of course it are the most dangeous. but on the way to madrid the
somo siërra and cabrera and lots more in spain,and the old way from Point Caja into portugal and Luso.
But the shorts here the National 4 up and down from Namur to Luxembourg. That way with the F88 as we got the F89 it was a real flyer :laughing: (we didn’t know something else),but had more time to stop in Bande as today what do you want.
And thinking that Dad did it with only 150/165HP. But at that time he had some flyers too■■? EX WWII Diamond T’s with a ■■■■■■■ in it. And they loaded 24 tons too, that was the norm says the boss.
Coming down in Malmedy coming from Eupen,and lots more in the Ardennes.
Wales was nice too or some in Ireland, and yeah the jubelée way was a test track :slight_smile:

cheers Eric,

You are right about the Ardenne, Eric. I think that’s why TRUCK magazine favoured it as their Euro Test circuit in the '70s and '80s! Robert :slight_smile:

hey, but like the HP 's are Climbing in the future there will be no montains any more :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Cheers Eric,

tiptop495:
hey, but like the HP 's are Climbing in the future there will be no montains any more :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Cheers Eric,

Bet that big one coming out of Liege heading south will never be flattened… Used be in 3rd gear dragging up that in an extremely tired and very gutless FH380 . Loaded with kappa paper in a fridge box. Can’t remember the name of the hill…?

so there ar’nt any hills in britain now !! :unamused:

curnock:
so there ar’nt any hills in britain now !! :unamused:

Back in the '60s the short sharp climb out of Whitstable in Kent (Borstal Hill) used to give rise to written complaints to the local rag that lorry drivers were ‘pulling out the choke’ to get up it in the mornings and fouling the air with smoke. This led to ribald answers to the effect that diesel engines didn’t have chokes. But all was revealed in the end when a local driver was found to be using his cold-start plunger to stagger up the slope, leaving sleepy Whitstable in darkness! Robert :laughing:

OK starting in the north and heading south. A list of my favorites…
Berridale Braes on the top end of the A 9
The short cut over by the Altnaman pub, it used to take a good half hour of going round by Spinning dale, but it was single track with grass growing down the center of the road, I only just managed to fit my draw bar round some of the corners. To my surprise I met one of Kinlockbervies Dafs up there one night, but later on I asked him about it and he told me he only took the 40 footer up that way.
The climb up over Glen Fiddick and Glen Annan,
The decent to Elgol harbour on Skye.
The west side of Skye.
The A 949 from Grantown on Spay to Banckory
The A 93 from Ballater through Breamar to Blairgowrie.
The Carter bar south of Jedburgh.
Most of the the south end of the A 68 including Killin pit hill on the south side of Hexham
The old road down into Stickelpath.
Telegraph hill ( short but sweet )
The drop into Honiton.
Jubilee drive.
The climb up Lawyers eastern Belguim on the way to Luxemburg, ( actually there are a few climbed and descents in that area )
Cutting through from Rimermount to Thann
in the same area from St Die to Mulhouse
The climbs from Bourg to Nantua, ( tunnel bridge section )
The drop on the Italian side of the Blonk, St Bernard, and Brenner.
Mont Cenis
Canna in southern Italy

Running north east out of Italy towards Hungary and Slovakia there were a few climbs but I wouldn’t know their names.

Robert has already mentioned most of Spain Portugal and Greece, and north Africa.

A couple more for Turkey are; Tahir still as high as it used to be but it’s now Autoyola most of the way, Kizeldag as well.
Kirikkate to Samsun, pretty wild both directions.
Getting from the UAE to Muscat is a bit vertically challenged.
There are some nasty ones round Almaty in south east Kazakhstan. hard to read the topography so they come up quick and unexpected.

The Moombie ranges near Armadale NSW.
The Blue Mountains Especially Mount Victoria, in NSW
The south end of the Putty road from Windsor to Singleton NSW.
Mount Arrowsmith Lylle highway west Tasmania.
Queenstown Lylle highway west Tasmania.
Tarralieaha, Lylle highway Tasmania.
The Sidings near Scotsdale Tasmania.
Kingston to Hounville Tasmania.
The Southern Outlet into Hobart, 1 in 9 ( the steepest main road descent into any capital city in the world )
Any climb with a road train.

In Australia we have the most stupid law, which is no use of foot brakes on descents, everything must be on gears, backed up with an engine brake. No engine brakes after dark in built up areas. If your caught with your foot on the brake its 3 points and $150.

Jeff…

North Africa drivers will remember the short but very sharp hill out of Takkadoum. The Moroccan artic drivers used to descend that at nought miles a fortnight weighing 64 tonnes, with both driver and mate hanging out of the open cab doors ready to jump if the kacky hit the fan - saw that dozens of times! Robert :laughing:

Going up the hill through Mardin, s.e.Turkey in the old days before they let you use the so called military road.

First time I was in a 110 Scania and tail end charlie in the “■■■■■■”, overloaded naturally as I was driving for Simons and had to engage crawler gear and throwing out ciggies to the kids running alongside. i was going so slowly that they were able to pick up the cigs and catch me up again for more ready with the rock in the hand if the cigs weren’t forthcoming!!