Well… there are hills and there are hills.
Came down from falkirk last night and was doing alright to be honest, wasn’t raining hard, no wind, and quite a chilled drive until I came off the A1. First of all I cocked up as i came off the A1 at the A61 and came into thirsk from that end through the 7.5T weight limit “except for access” friday night at about 8pm and about 20 mins driving time left so yes i went for it.
Thirsk town centre was pretty fun, got a few looks as I was trundling through pulling a double decker round those bends but made it round just fine.
As I headed out of the town I passed all those warning signs about how many HGVs had blocked the road last year and flashing signs telling me to select a low gear blah blah blah, I thought to myself that there must be a hill coming up 
■■■■ me I wouldn’t even call it a hill, It just looked like a wall and the road had come to an end. I was empty so I was fine but that didn’t stop me from nearly coming to a complete stop.
Anyone know it? Or got any other steep hill stories??
“sutton bank” i only ever go up when empty and it’s dry. caravans are prohibited from going up or down and like the signs say numerous truck drivers have come unstuck attempting it 
i think the police take a dim view on it now and points are handed out
the wagons i’ve seen having issues were empty!!
i’ve been down it plenty of times at full weight but can’t actually remember if i’ve been up loaded. i always find the 1st section to be the worst, i’m less worried once around the hairpin 
Only ever been up it once and that was in an elderly 6 wheel rigid cf85 and that was empty .I thought at one point it would of been quicker to get out and walk 
, was going that slow i was overtaken by a lad on a mountain bike
Went up it once taking a statue of the Virgin Mary to Ampleforth College, I was waiting for her to crash through the back doors and slide down the hill on her arse.
Went up it once in an empty Stralis, which didn’t like the gradient and constant wheel spin and gear changing was in order, and that was before the bend at the bottom. So slotted it into manual, and gently feathered the throttle, and made it to the top after a few arse nipping moments. Came down it in 1991 on my first road rally with no front brakes left. 
At 1 in 4, it’s not for the faint hearted.
There is also the hill from Stanhope in Weardale, (B6278.) to Barnard Castle. You cross the ford in the village, (Which now may be closed so you use the diversion.) over the disused Blue Circle railway line, and keep going. At the top of the hill, which steepens very quickly, there is a left hand hairpin which then turns into a right hand hairpin. Did that in an F10 with tri-axle trailer about 15 years ago. If it’s wet, then pray.
Ken.
Went up there in a loaded 7.5tonner, painful in 1st gear. Also had a delivery for the gliding club at the top once, despite knowing where it was the fog was so bad at the top I couldnt find the driveway.
My dad got stuck there pulling a tanker about 15 years ago. It is a bloody steep hill on the bend tho
Never been up it but come down it every other week. It’s not just that it’s steep, it’s the hairpin bend half way up that usually catches folk out. You start to lose traction and you never get it back.
The police do take a very dimview of you getting stuck, there’s enough signs.
I went up it in an 18 tonne DAF around about 1997. It had a large tail lift on the back and as it was multi drop it was half loaded at the time. I will be honest… At one point I was leaning forward as ballast for the front end as I thought the truck was going to do a wheelie which on that gradient would have spelt disaster, it didn’t though but I was glad to get up the top. The distance it saves you though is amazing.
There’s another interesting hill in the area that runs between Stokesley and Helmsley which we used run when heading out of Stockton & up to the malton pig choppers. Going through “chopgate” was interesting in ERF with a comfort shift gearbox pulling a reefer …
I’ve also been up Sutton bank in the same rig loaded with empty blue pallets
glad I’m not the only one!!
There is a county council highways dept layby just further up from Sutton bank and once in the early '90’s I delivered a load of 10ml limestone chippings to it for the road maintenance gangs with a D reg (1986) Scania 112 pulling a triaxle tipping trailer. It was 38 tonnes in those days of course. I was a bit apprehensive at first but I changed into second near the bottom and the old lass pulled all the way up with no problem or drama. Maybe trucks were better in them days?
By the way, through Thirsk town centre always used to be the normal way to go for artics before the weight limit was imposed.
peirre:
There’s another interesting hill in the area that runs between Stokesley and Helmsley which we used run when heading out of Stockton & up to the malton pig choppers. Going through “chopgate” was interesting in ERF with a comfort shift gearbox pulling a reefer …
Especially if you forget about the bump halfway down. Bad enough on a motorbike, plain scary at 40T.
Is the cafe still at the top ? been up a few times empty it does save the miles.
IIRC there’s a weight limit thru the chopgate road now
Came down Sutton Bank on thursday, just for a bit of extra drama it was like pea soup at the top 
I’ll only ever come down with half a load at the front of the trailer, and I’m wary of going up if its damp without any weight on the drive wheels. It was on this hill one day when it was damp that I found out that the Actros exhaust brake is connected to the ABS system, I couldn’t understand why it kept knocking it in and out
10 out of 10 for going up with a double decker though 
If you happen to be in the area at the summit in your car, then head for Caydale Mill via Old Byland, where there is a ford that is used regularly in road rallies. There is a chicken route through the gate at the field next to it, but usually it’s locked by the farmer.
In 2009, a road rally was taking place in the area, as I was on a control at nearby Hawnby, when we got news that a car had gone on it’s roof because even though the organisers weren’t using Caydale, the crew had guessed wrongly that they were, attacked it at ten tenths, and misjudged the bend on the way down towards Byland, and ended up doing some roof surfing.
Ken.
FarnboroughBoy11:
Anyone know it? Or got any other steep hill stories??
Sutton Bank. Best done in 2nd high all the way up. Trouble is the first bit lulls you into a false sense of security and then you hit that hairpin left
Running commentary a bit crap and done in a car but it gives you the joys of Sutton Bank