Ka ‘vs’ MR2

The Moors Meet

W

ell, it had to happen. Yes; really, it did! The Yorkshire Moors are just too pretty to ignore (see here). So what better than to arrange a little meet. We had originally planned to embarrass a Peugeot 405-owning chap, but regrettably he had to call it off because of a bike CBT appointment. Well, it seemed churlish to let the opportunity pass us by!

York to Pickering

At 05:30 in the morning, I was waiting for my chum to arrive in his MR2. It was a cool, humid morning, with a fine mizzle in the air. A good opportunity to take a cool picture of Kermit, then! I filled the tank (not to measure the fuel economy of the trip, but because I needed motion lotion). Once the MR2 arrived, we set off . . .

We headed out of York, on to the A64, to Malton, then turned off the dual carriageway to head towards Pickering. By this time, it was already getting light, but no sign of the mist lifting just yet. But that’s okay: we can cope with a little bit of mist here and there.

From Pickering, find some Moors . . .

Just after six thirty, and after some interesting hill descents (following by an even more interesting hill climb), we came across the North Yorkshire Steam Railway. The railroad crossing was shut – at that time of the day, you get to do it yourself. “How quaint” springs to mind! Taking heed of the sign, we tore off down the road and into the forest park!

The Forest Park

Now the forest park road is wide, and has a loose dusty, gravel type surface that is a little bit slippery if you’re either careless with the brakes (the Ka) or the power (the MR2). It also has some tight corners, and in these, a little bit of either trailing brake or the handbrake can just help the Ka around without too much drama /cough/.

Unfortunately, following the MR2 meant eating it’s dust, literally. With the dust being kicked up from the MR2’s manoeuvres, and the moisture from the mist, Kermit was soon utterly, utterly covered in thick, grey dust. Everywhere!

To see a video of how to not take the above corner, click here and download it. But be warned, it’s not pretty, there is no sound, and it is approximately 3·6 Mb in size. No animals, cars, or people were harmed in the production of it. All driving was conducted well below the speed limit. Actually, well below 30 mph. If you try this and crash, it’s your own fault!

As we venture deeper into the Moors, the weather starts to close in on us. If this picture to the left looks a bit vague and dull, imaging driving in it! When it’s this thick, you can’t go particularly quick. The danger of encountering rabbits, or a deer, or a fox, or pigeons, or indeed a cat, is too great.

I did see a fleeting fox-like shape in the murky distance, but by the time we arrived, it had gone.

Ford Ka in a ford

At seven thirty, two hours after starting off, we came across a ford with water in it. We only found a few wet fords – but many dry ones – so, of course, it’s a photo-opportunity.

But why just look at a photograph, when you can download and watch a QuickTime movie of the Ka splashing through the ford . . . here. Just be warned that the file is 1·8 Mb in size, and there is no audio.

And in case you’re wondering about the picture of Kermit tackling the ford, yes, I’m not in it. In the interests of this web site, I got wet feet . . .

At quarter past eight, we stopped at Rosedale for a breather, and to take in the countryside (and not to annoy people who were preparing for the show, you appreciate).

We also took this opportunity to plan our next trip. Given where we were, and the fact that the weather was still grotty, we decided to head north, and cross the moors via the splendid A1257.

After a little airfield excursion.

The A1257 Over The Moors

As we started our run on the A1257 – with nobody around, which was good news! – the mist lifted. Suddenly, we were in sunshine! Perfect for some MR2 chasing (which is increasingly becoming a hobby of mine!).

These two pictures, with me in the Ka chasing the MR2, cannot really do the roads justice. They also illustrate one of the problems with such a road: other users of it!

Perhaps it’s me being selfish, but it is annoying when you encounter shower moving traffic. We’re happily climbing the hills at 55 – 60, and we encounter somebody taking every bend at 35 mph (and then accelerating hard back up to 60 for the straight bits).

At one of the many viewing points, we were reminded just how close the mist was to us.

The Final Moors Leg

The final leg of our Moors trip was to turn off the A1257, and come back via the middle of the Moors, through some of the prettier and – thankfully – now open, sunny, and getting hot.

Here’s an example of what a ford should look like. If you look carefully, you’ll note that the MR2 is already half way up that steep hill. This ford is around three inches deep, which is enough to make a big splash if you’re in the mood, but not enough to soak the brakes.

Given that the hill is around 25%, I thought the sign, “Try Your Brakes” rather humourous just past where the MR2 is. I suppose you could stop, and dry them off whilst rolling backwards . . .

Some of the quieter parts of the Moors would make excellent picnic spots . . .

Finally, we headed back towards Pickering, and for the dull drive home.

Epilogue

I waved the MR2 off at the A169 / A64 roundabout, as he decided to take the B-road route back to south York. After just a couple of minutes, I arrived at a big traffic jam.

Still, all of these people probably weren’t up at 04:30 to explore the countryside . . . suckers!