Your favourite hill climb?

[Woolley]

And why?

Since it came up in another thread, where do you prefer to drive/marshal/spectate? And more importantly what are the reasons?

You'll have guessed Shelsley is my favourite, but it's a closer decision than you might expect. The main reason is it's where I started marshalling, ans so has a bit of a soft spot for me. On track it's go everything in terms of spectacle - Big single-seaters through Ess Approach, a well-driven sportscar out of Crossing or even a Mini into Bottom Ess without lifting. Nothing beats standing at Ess Approach when a V8 is passing 4 feet away at 120+. The downside for me is the number of cars that get sent home in a skip. The club have been working very hard to make it safer, but there's a limit to what is achievable.

Prescott is a close second. The marshals' facilities are second to none (the pound) and the layout of the hill is briliant. Good viewing from everywhere, and a sequence of very demanding twists and turns. Anyone who can charge the Esses at full chat gets my respect.

[listernoble]

I like most UK hills ,but as a driver Loton has more for me than any other UK venue at which I have competed.
It's a relatively long course with complex bends,adverse cambers,a fast"straight",has a great atmosphere and hosted by a very friendly club run with volunteer help.
Generally good paddock areas,good spectating places,refreshments quite good and I like the little bar for a welcome beer at the end of the day.
If you are lucky,they also have very interesting prizes which change each year.
Lister

[wi11iamm]

Although I havent driven Jersey and Guernsey, I believe Doune and Craigantlet are the best hillclimbs in the UK from a drivers point of view. The first section of Doune feels like a rollercoaster, and the G-force felt through the double right hander on the Meadow is incredible.

Craigantlet is also a great hillclimb with a slow, technical section before the crossing, after this you can really let the car flow with the wide road and the penultimate corner is one of the best in the UK. You really have to commit to carry the speed round the final corner and onto the finishing straight.

Out of the midland hills, they are all good. The same skills and bravery are needed to hold it flat round crossing at Shelsley, going into the esses at Prescott and up the "straight" at Loton.

[flagwaver]

For me it is Barbon Manor, Just because it is so narrow

[Andrew Gunnell]

I have only been to Prescott and Shelsley. I like Shelsley best because the history and atmosphere.

[Fireblade]

Thats my boy Andrew. You'll go far you will.

[MGDavid]

Porlock, nothing comes near it for the length and the succession of blind bends that really test your commitment. Oddicombe, 'cos it's really narrow and the edges are very hard so you need to be ultra-precise. Wiscombe, for the setting and the atmosphere, on a good English summer's day it is perfection.

[Suze]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

Porlock, nothing comes near it for the length and the succession of blind bends that really test your commitment.

I know this original post is nearly 5 years old [just found it on a search], but are sprints still run on Porlock, and if so when, how much of the road, who runs it etc? Did it on a rally a couple of weekends ago and loved it in the fog / mist / rain!

[Wet marshal]

Mine is Gurston,(As a BARC Marshal),closely followed by Prescott.

Good People

Good Banter

[Flat Out Farr]

I loved Valence, followed by Gurston and the Harewood.
Rothersfield was also excellent!

Miss the camaradarie of it compared to circuit racing.

[Cameron Winton]

Being Scottish, I am biased towards Doune. A hill of two halves. Bottom half is all about bravery and maintaining speed/momentum. Maybe easier up to Junction but into East Brae is a real test of judgement
It's a place you get obsessive about. Little room for error - Even Jr has had offs
Been to Shelsey to watch and for atmosphere, I don't see many places beating it due to history etc

[Mike Holmes]

Prescott! cos when I were a lad we lived in Cheltenham and I used to cycle there to be a paddock marshal, then later hill marshal and when I finally built a car it was my first competitive event. You never know one day I might go back with the midget!

[FLoads]

At last people are standing up for and justifying their favourite hills. I, only recently, and others in the past have felt a little lonely in declaring that SW is/was the best in the hope that there would be a response.

[greenbean]

my favorite is loton park then prescott and third is gurston

[Woolley]

What I like about hills is the differing characters of each. To a certain extent, circuits are quite similar now that they're mostly scarred with gravel traps, but no two hills are really alike.

[Stuart Hill]

Originally posted by Woolley
but no two hills are really alike.

I hate to differ but...............

so many of them are!

Good Competition;
Good Company (Drivers, Officials and Marshals etc);
Good Facilities;

and you're asking me to choose ?


Suffice to say, if it's a Hillclimb, then it has every chance of having all the above and maybe even more!!

What more could anyone want from their chosen hobby??



But i must choose as that is the point of the thread so......

in no particular order but with reasons, here are mine....

Viewing: Prescott
Awesome: Shelsley
Technically: Loton
Facilities: Prescott (Drivers and Marshals)
Hospitality to newcomers: Gurston
Saturday Party: Harewood
How the F*** do they Drive THAT???? : Doune!!!

so my favourite would have to be....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

to be continued!!!!!

[telfire]

THE best hillclimb IS Gurston. Very fast downhill start. Great team of marshalls. Good showers and Bar. The August BBQ is damn good as well.

[mcb666]

I think,.........errr,,..

Doune.

More to follow, but I like Stuart's thread. If we could add spectators viewpoints, press viewpoints, quality of program and content. Quality of the PA and commentators, timings access and reports, and Internet reports. WHAT THE BAR is like.
Then we could start to score them.........

Bet that would meet with a few competitive comments......


Richard.

[Pugdriver205]

Not experienced to many but out of the ones I have I would have to say...

Wiscombe For the sheer challenge and yes the setting
Finlake -(When it was running) For the atmosphere
Oddicombe -(When it was running) For fun with a capital F
Werrington - For its abilty to scare you poo less through the cattle grid !
Mamhead - For technicality... and THE best setting ever !

Favourite out of those 5 ? - Depends on the weather !

Now what about sprints !

[Fireblade]

Originally Posted by Pugdriver205

Now what about sprints !

Acaster Malbis gets my vote every time.

[blackx]

Originally Posted by Fireblade

Acaster Malbis gets my vote every time.

Ahhhh the Cathedral of Speed in sprinting circles

[mcb666]

Dear Stuart,
can I borrow 50 of your posts.
And then I can get into Parc flermae and arrange a beer.

McB

(My other personality).

[Woolley]

Go to Trackside - it's the designated place for such a thing, and you don't need any posts. Then just mention in here there's a thread going on so it keeps popping up on the new posts listing.

Stuart is right, the spirit is the same at all climbs even if the track is different. So much good company wherever you go.

[bwatt]

Are we allowed to nominate venues which no longer exist ?.

If so, great though Shelsley, Prescott & Loton are, I'd like to nominate Great Auclum.

Challenging course, totally informal, excellent beer, delightfully idiosyncratic - but sadly hasn't been held for some thirty years now, and the site is surrounded by houses.

Now I've made myself feel old....

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by bwatt

Are we allowed to nominate venues which no longer exist ?.

If so, great though Shelsley, Prescott & Loton are, I'd like to nominate Great Auclum.

Challenging course, totally informal, excellent beer, delightfully idiosyncratic - but sadly hasn't been held for some thirty years now, and the site is surrounded by houses.

Now I've made myself feel old....

Another oldie here. Always a great Saturday at the beginning of August. "Idiosyncratic" is the perfect word, a downhill start and a banked bend which Rivers Fletcher would use and large trees seemingly inches from the track.

The one which gave me most pleasure was my local, as a youngster that is, Brunton near Collingbourne Kingston in Wiltshire (between Andover and Marlborough), because I attended so many meetings (B.A.R.C. Soth Western Centre) there between 1954 and 1970. If anybody has any material, information etc on it please let me know.