27/01/2003

 

 

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THIS TRIP ... IN THE TIME I HAVE BEEN LANING WITH DAVE, I HAVE NEVER SEEN OR BEEN IN SO MUCH MUD. DAVE WAS STUCK SEVERAL TIMES, AND SO WAS I. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EXPLORER TRIP FOR THE RUN ON THE 9TH FEB (TERRYS BIRTHDAY) .... ROLL ON THE 9TH FEB ... I WANNA GO BACK.

 

WELL I GOT TO DAVES HOUSE FOR ABOUT 8.30am, DAVES GOOD LADY WAS MAKING BACON BAGELS.... SUPERB. WE HAD TO PARK THE VITS NEXT TO EACH OTHER FOR A HEIGHT COMPARISON AND MINES TALLER ... HEE HEE HEE. I BELIEVE DAVE IS DUE TO TALK TO MR WARREN ABOUT A FURTHER INCH OR SO ... HA HA

 

WHEN WE REACHED THE FIRST RUN THAT DAVE HAD LOCATED, THE CLOUD WAS REALLY LOW AND VISIBILITY NOT GOOD. IT STARTED OFF REALLY GENTLY AND NARROW. THE RUTS WERE DEEP IN PLACES AND WE EVEN HAD TO DRIVE ROUND ONE OR TWO OF THEM.

 

THE RUTS GOT BETTER AND BETTER, BUT THE LANES REMAINED VERY NARROW. EVENTUALLY WE CAME TO A BADLY RUTTED SECTION AND BEFORE TRYING TO PASS IT, WE DECIDED TO WALK AHEAD AND SEE WHAT LAY IN FRONT OF US.

 

WELL I WISH I HAD TAKEN THE VIDEO CAMERA WITH ME AS THE LANE WENT EVEN NARROWER VERY SLIPPY UNDERFOOT AND LARGE POINTED ROCKS LAY EVERYWHERE...... THIS WAS AS FAR AS WE COULD GO AS THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH OF US TO SPOT AND HELP IF THE NEED AROSE...... TURN AROUND ...... DAMN!!!!!!!

 

ON THE WAY BACK TO JOIN THE A5, I SAW THIS MOUND OF EARTH. STILL ON THE TRACK SO DECIDED TO SHOWBOAT A LITTLE.

 

GOD I LOVE THE ARTICULATION WITH THE 3" CALMINI KIT FITTED .

 

STILL ON THE WAY BACK AND I FILMED DAVE CROSSING SOME OF THE RUTS WE HAD NEGOTIATED THE OTHER WAY ... LOVELY REAR AXLE SHOT.

 

FINALLY AFTER A BIT OF SEARCHING WE FOUND THE START OF THE NEXT LANE. THE MIST WAS STILL WITH US AND THE RUTS WERE GETTING BETTER AND BETTER, THE FURTHER DOWN THE LANE WE WENT.

THIS ROUTE WAS ACTUALLY IN A MAGAZINE THAT " ANDY WHALLEY "(ANOTHER OF OUR MERRY BAND) PASSED TO DAVE AND WAS NOT FAR FROM THE ONE WE ORIGINALLY WENT LOOKING FOR. I THINK DAVE SAID IT WAS CALLED THE STEPS ... I KNOW WHY !!!!!! LOL

 

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL FILM THAT ALL THESE STILLS ARE TAKEN FROM, YOU WILL SEE THAT MY REAR WHEEL IS ACTUALLY OF THE FLOOR HERE AND STATIONARY.!!! THE ROCK THEME HERE IS LOVELY GROUND TO CROSS GIVING SOME EXCELLENT SHOTS FOR THE CAMERA AND DIFFICULTY FOR THE VITS.

 

A CRACKING PHOTOGRAPH, AS THE SUN FLARES OF THE LENS OF THE CAMERA AS DAVE ATTEMPTS TO CROSS A PARTICULARLY LARGE WET ROCK. THIS WAS ONE OF THE LAST SECTIONS ON THIS LANE. WE THEN TURNED ON TO THE MAIN ROAD AND A PARKING SPOT OVERLOOKING THE RIVER TO EAT LUNCH, AND TALK ABOUT THE LANES WE HAD DONE AND THE FINAL ONE TO COME.

 

THE START OF THE FINAL LANE IS MINUTES FROM THE LAST LANE. IT LOOKED REALLY PICTUESQUE AS WE DROVE THE FIRST STAGES. THEN DAVE DROVE INTO WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE A MUDDY PUDDLE ... IT WAS ... AND ALSO DEEP. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN DAVES TRUCK BOGGED DOWN.

 

AS DAVE PROVES IN THIS PHOTO ... SHEEP ARE NOT THE ONLY THINGS TO LOOK SHEEPISH. I WAS OFFERED UPTO £20.00 BY DAVE NOT TO TELL OF THIS ... BUT WHAT THE HELL. WHERES THAT REPUTATION NOW DAVE FOR NOT GETTING STUCK ... HEE HEE HEE

 

THIS PROVES THE POINT THAT YOU SHOULD NOT GO LANING ON YOUR OWN. ANYWAY WINCH ON TO THE FRONT OF MINE, COMBINED WITH A TOUCH OF REVERSE AND OUT SHE COMES.

 

EEERRRRRR TALKING OF SHEEP .. WHY THE HELL DID I FOLLOW HIM THROUGH !!!!. LETS FACE IT IF DAVE DIDN'T GET THROUGH NEITHER WILL I. ( BRAIN OUT OF GEAR AND IN WE WENT ..... STUCK ... DOH!!)

 

THE END RESULT OF US BOTH BEING PULLED OUT .. NOTHING ELSE TO SAY .

 

OH GOD !!! HERE WE GO AGAIN

 

JUST GOT OUT .. AND I MEAN JUST. THAT MUD IS REALLY SOFT AND DEEP.

 

DAVE THINKS HE WILL GET THROUGH OK, SO IN HE GOES.

 

AFTER SEVERAL RETRYS. HE ENDS UP ON A TOW ROPE FOR THE SECOND TIME THAT DAY ... HEE HEE. IF ANYONE THINKS THEY CAN DO IT OR LAUGH .. WE WILL SEE ON THE 9TH.

 

LOOKING A LITTLE BATTLE WEARY .

 

A HANDY BOULDER THAT... NICE PHOTO WITH THE MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND.

 

THIS WAS THE START OF A SHORT ROCKY SECTION WHERE AS WELL AS FILM .(HEE HEE). . WE HAD TO GUIDE EACH OTHER OVER THESE ROCKS AS SOME OF THEM ARE QUITE TALL ( DAMAGING)

 

THE CAMERA NEVER SEEMS TO CATCH THE MOMENT .. THESE ROCKS ARE BIGGER THAN THEY LOOK. DAVE LOOKS BACK AS WE LET THE ENGINES ( AND CLUTCHES ) COOL FOR A MINUTE.

 

THIS WAS THE LAST PLACE THAT DAVE GOT STUCK. I TRIED TO DRAG HIM OUT FORWARDS BUT COULD NOT MOVE HIM. IN THE END WE FOUND A HUGE BOULDER, SOME 20 YARDS AWAY AND PUT A NYLON STROP AROUND IT. ATTATCHED THE WINCH CABLE TO THE STROP AND PULLED HIM OUT BACKWARDS. WITHOUT THE WINCH IT WOULD OF BEEN A LONG SLOW PULL WITH THE HI LIFT JACKS.

 

THE FINAL SHOT OF ANOTHER SUPERB TRIP. THANX TO DAVES GOOD LADY FOR THE BAGEL AND ALSO TO DAVE FOR YET ANOTHER CRACKING DAY OUT.
TO THE ONES THAT ARE COMING ON THE 9TH FEB.... BRING A CAMERA .COS THE FUN WILL BE LARGE AND ALSO CLEAN CLOTHES AND CAR SEAT COVERS, COS YOU NEED TO SEE THE MUD ON THE INSIDE OF MY VIT ...... MAD FOR IT.