Snake Pass is short by the standards of Britain's famous drives, about 26 miles from Glossop to Sheffield, but it packs a lot into that distance. The A57 rises from the Manchester side onto open moorland, crosses the high ground at more than 500 metres, then drops past the Ladybower Reservoir towards Sheffield. It's a road people drive for the views as much as to get somewhere.
What the climb does to economy
On a road this short, the climb is the main thing that moves fuel use. Heading east from Glossop, most of the ascent comes early and steadily, and a car will use noticeably more fuel per mile than on the flat. Much of that is recovered on the long descent, provided you let the car coast in gear rather than braking hard. Drivers who accelerate hard between the bends and brake late into them use far more than those who carry a steady speed.
A cost example
Take a car that averages 45 mpg on ordinary roads, with petrol at an illustrative 140p a litre. The 26 miles would cost about £3.70 on the flat. Allowing for the 15% or so the climb takes off economy, it's closer to £4.30. Those are small sums. The bigger cost comes when the pass is shut.
When Snake Pass closes
The A57 here is one of the first roads in the region to close in snow, and it has also been closed for long periods after landslips. When it's shut, the usual alternative is the A628 Woodhead route, adding around 20 miles. For the same car, the 46-mile diversion costs about £6.50, and the Woodhead road carries heavy lorry traffic, so journey times are longer too. In winter, check the council's road status before setting off, and don't rely on sat-nav, which can keep sending drivers towards a closed road.
Refuelling and charging
There's nothing on the pass itself: no fuel, and very little shelter. Fill up in Glossop or Hadfield on the west side, or around Sheffield on the east. Electric car drivers will find charging in the towns at either end rather than on the moor, and should allow for extra consumption on the climb in cold weather, when batteries are less efficient.
Driving it well
The pass is popular with motorcyclists and cyclists, and the bends are often tighter than they look. Leave room, watch for sheep where the road crosses open moorland, and use the laybys to let faster traffic by rather than speeding up. A calm, steady drive is both the safest and the most economical way across.
Cycling and walking on the pass
Snake Pass is a favourite with cyclists, and the Pennine Way crosses the road near the summit. Look out for walkers crossing at the summit car park, and give cyclists plenty of room on the climb.
A second example: commuting over the top
Some people drive Snake Pass every day between the Manchester and Sheffield areas. A daily return trip of 52 miles in a car averaging 45 mpg, at an illustrative 140p a litre, uses about £7.35 a day before the climb is counted, or around £8.65 allowing for it. Over 220 working days that's roughly £1,900 a year. Diversion days in winter add to that, and a commuter may find the Woodhead route or the train more practical when the forecast is poor.
Ladybower and the eastern descent
On the Sheffield side, the road drops through woodland to the Ladybower Reservoir, where viaducts carry the A57 across the water. The car parks around the reservoir make a good break before the final run into Sheffield, and the descent is a chance to let the car roll in gear rather than braking, recovering some of the fuel used on the climb.