Log in / RegisterA brand new classic and vintage car rally is set to reach new heights as it journeys from the lowest road in the UK to the highest, usually restricted to motorists.
Scheduled to be held from 22-26 September 2021 and limited to just 14 crews, Fen to Fell is a three-day driving adventure. Organised by Driven to Extremes, this is the only rally organisation granted privileged access to a restricted National Air Traffic road leading to a radar station atop a rugged peak at 2,782 feet above sea level at Great Dun Fell.
Organiser Mac Mackenney explains: “This is an adventure drive that not only showcases the stunning roads and scenery of the UK but also affords the crews some pretty spectacular bragging rights. Not many people have driven the UK’s highest road so this is a unique opportunity. The route, designed by veteran rally planner Kim Bannister, is stunning!”
Open to vintage and classic cars dating pre-1976, the event starts at just nine feet below sea level in the picturesque cathedral city of Ely, Cambridgeshire. The second smallest city in England, the cars will be scrutineered before heading to the start line for the off.
There’s a chance to visit the UK’s lowest pub for breakfast as the route heads north-west, through the Holme Fen nature reserve, before heading for the southern tip of the Peak District. Through Flash, the highest village in the UK, to the historic Chatsworth House, before climbing over the spectacular Winnats Pass and an overnight stay in the beautiful Hope Valley.
Day two starts at the Ladybower Reservoir where the brave airman who took part in the daring Dam Busters raids of 1943 practiced their night bombing raids just 60 feet above the water. Climbing up and over both Snake and Woodhead Pass, the route then descends into Holmfirth, the location for the award-winning television comedy, Last of the Summer Wine.
It is then on to the stunning Yorkshire Dales. Driving into the National Park, passing the picturesque Malham Cove before climbing up Fleet Moss, the 13th highest pass in the UK, before dropping down into Hawes for the night.
The final day of the event starts by climbing up and over the breath-taking Buttertubs Pass, considered by Jeremy Clarkson as the most spectacular road in England. The route continues to climb northwards and upwards, over ever higher passes, Yad Moss, Harthope Moss and Killhope Cross, driving along the most spectacular roads of the North Pennines.
Arriving at the small Cumbrian village of Dufton, entrants will prepare for their final ascent. Passing through security barriers, for five miles and with gradients up to 15 per cent, they steadily drive up the highest road in the UK. At 2,782 feet above sea level, it is a whopping 583 feet higher than the highest public road in the UK, Cairnwell Pass in Scotland.
Having now joined an elite group of adventure motorists, the only way now is down heading south and back into the Yorkshire Dales and Hawes to celebrate in the Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in the UK.
As its name suggests, Driven to Extremes is no stranger to adventures. Part of Max Adventure Ltd, the team has 25 years of experience in planning, leading and supporting vehicle expeditions across the most remote, inhospitable and challenging environments on earth. From the Arctic to the Himalayas, the team has worked with leading explorers such as Sir Ranulph Fiennes, racing drivers and even Hollywood actors to create amazing adventures.
For more information on the Fen to Fell Rally, visit http://www.driventoextremes.co.uk