I went for a solo drive today, just me and the truck with a view to exploring some new-to-me tracks on the mountain behind our house. I'd been studying the satellite images and comparing them with the maps, the latter showing nothing and the former clearly indicating tracks.
The problem is, with so much horse-drawn traffic here, tracks and tracks can vary a lot! Were they navigable by me in my little 80?
There's only one way to find out, so I set off up a well-known track from walking with my daughter when she's horse-riding, but instead of turning right at the point where the horse always turns right without any commands, I went straight ahead to see what would become of it. Well several kilometers of not much to report is the answer, until the track ended.
Where the stream crossed was narrow, but I had a look and it was wide enough and the track would take me up onto the open mountain, or so I hoped from the satellite images.
So across the stream I went and up the steep gully (View back from the top)
and off to the left, making my way up. This track was rough going to say the least!
Looking back down the track towards the stream crossing,which is on the right of this picture. The stream on the left is another one!
Up we went, looking for open space with no stream “Vs” to get stuck in, avoiding bushes and brush. I wanted to get over to the right at this point.
Now, at this stage, I ended up going round in circles, not finding a suitable way on to the top of the hill and eventually I was faced with a sheer drop or to turn around. Preferring the latter, I decided to go back the way I had come.
That was no problem till I got to the stream crossing. As I went hrough the water I was conscious of having to keep to the right. The stream flowed from right to left and the drop off the left edge of the track was about half a meter and then it sloped downwards at about 45 degrees or so.
Didn’t want to put my back left wheel down there did I !!
On the exit of the stream, I steered to the left as I had to, and as the right front wheel climbed the right hand bank a little, the back of the car slid to the left… a lot in fact, AGGGGH too much!
I stopped and jumped out of the truck, sh!t, the back left wheel had slid off the track (onto the 45 degree slope half a meter below the level of the track).
There’s no photos of this bit. My stomach was in my throat and I’ve never seen the truck at such an angle… and I’ve put it to some tests I must say.
To really complicate matters, the edge of the track under the rocks and soil, was made from tree trunks and 2 of them had been broken in the middle years ago and their ends were poking up. One of them, the front face of my rear tyre had rested against (above axle level) and the other was aiming at my fuel tank.
“OK stay calm” I said to myself, got the HiLift out and got the back wheel up to the level of the tree trunk. OK fuel tank danger over, wheel at the same level as the tree trunk, all I have to do now is drive forwards out of trouble.
The only problem was how, still jacked up on a HiLift!
Ah, thinks me, replace the HiLift with some rocks under the tyre.
Can you imagine how long it takes and how many rocks you need to build a support for a 3 tonne truck half a meter deep and on a slope of 45 friggin degrees? I didn’t count the rocks but it took me 2 hours!
Scared of it slipping sideways again, I tied the only rope I had to a piece of sturdy angle iron which was part of an old buried grating someone had installed years ago. Sadly the only rope I had was a brand new unused snatch rope… I didn’t have my proper rescue kit with me, sh!t again, no snatch-blocks, so the front winch was useless to set up any sort of angled pull. What an idiot I was not to throw my kit in the truck before I set off!
OK, best of a bad deal, I tied off to the RHS chassis and then I let the HiLift down very carefully and stowed it away. I jumped in to drive it forward, mm by mm to save dislodging the stones and rocks I’d built up.
After stopping and slackening the now tight rope (a little) I inched further forwards. Eventually I had to let the rope lose altogether, but how? Of course, the lock knot I’d used was welded, the only way out was to cut it!
That done, and the truck still stable by some miracle, I drove off with only the clunk of the tree trunk as it slid off the underside of the back axle. As the rear wheel left the pile of rocks, they all tumbled away, but the 3 good wheels pulled me out as the LHS rear slid down again.
What a relief! There’s something about being alone with everything going wrong. I took my time and thought out every move. There were no guarantees, but I was lucky in my bad luck. NEVER again will I go out without my full kit. I’d cut a perfectly good new snatch rope. It served me right for being such a fool.
Looking back I then took a couple of photos. The tree trunks are not very visible and it all looks a little tame, but at the time it was a horror story!
OK, I’m free again. After a 10 km detour, another unknown track. This time it was well used, only by horses and carts, but at least used and more reliable. It took me up the other side of a deep valley and very nice too!
There's snow on them thar hills! That's the mountain Sinaia in the centre distance, 2,400 m or so above sea level!
No danger here, just some very muddy puddles and lovely scenery…
After a few slippery moments on some steep sections, I decided to return home. Then I noticed that I was low on fuel, enough to get home, but too low for comfort.
Moral of the story? Go out properly prepared with a full tank and recovery equipment. It's no use to you sitting in the shed!
I was lucky this time.
I'll make sure there's not a next time.
The problem is, with so much horse-drawn traffic here, tracks and tracks can vary a lot! Were they navigable by me in my little 80?
There's only one way to find out, so I set off up a well-known track from walking with my daughter when she's horse-riding, but instead of turning right at the point where the horse always turns right without any commands, I went straight ahead to see what would become of it. Well several kilometers of not much to report is the answer, until the track ended.
Where the stream crossed was narrow, but I had a look and it was wide enough and the track would take me up onto the open mountain, or so I hoped from the satellite images.
So across the stream I went and up the steep gully (View back from the top)
and off to the left, making my way up. This track was rough going to say the least!
Looking back down the track towards the stream crossing,which is on the right of this picture. The stream on the left is another one!
Up we went, looking for open space with no stream “Vs” to get stuck in, avoiding bushes and brush. I wanted to get over to the right at this point.
Now, at this stage, I ended up going round in circles, not finding a suitable way on to the top of the hill and eventually I was faced with a sheer drop or to turn around. Preferring the latter, I decided to go back the way I had come.
That was no problem till I got to the stream crossing. As I went hrough the water I was conscious of having to keep to the right. The stream flowed from right to left and the drop off the left edge of the track was about half a meter and then it sloped downwards at about 45 degrees or so.
Didn’t want to put my back left wheel down there did I !!
On the exit of the stream, I steered to the left as I had to, and as the right front wheel climbed the right hand bank a little, the back of the car slid to the left… a lot in fact, AGGGGH too much!
I stopped and jumped out of the truck, sh!t, the back left wheel had slid off the track (onto the 45 degree slope half a meter below the level of the track).
There’s no photos of this bit. My stomach was in my throat and I’ve never seen the truck at such an angle… and I’ve put it to some tests I must say.
To really complicate matters, the edge of the track under the rocks and soil, was made from tree trunks and 2 of them had been broken in the middle years ago and their ends were poking up. One of them, the front face of my rear tyre had rested against (above axle level) and the other was aiming at my fuel tank.
“OK stay calm” I said to myself, got the HiLift out and got the back wheel up to the level of the tree trunk. OK fuel tank danger over, wheel at the same level as the tree trunk, all I have to do now is drive forwards out of trouble.
The only problem was how, still jacked up on a HiLift!
Ah, thinks me, replace the HiLift with some rocks under the tyre.
Can you imagine how long it takes and how many rocks you need to build a support for a 3 tonne truck half a meter deep and on a slope of 45 friggin degrees? I didn’t count the rocks but it took me 2 hours!
Scared of it slipping sideways again, I tied the only rope I had to a piece of sturdy angle iron which was part of an old buried grating someone had installed years ago. Sadly the only rope I had was a brand new unused snatch rope… I didn’t have my proper rescue kit with me, sh!t again, no snatch-blocks, so the front winch was useless to set up any sort of angled pull. What an idiot I was not to throw my kit in the truck before I set off!
OK, best of a bad deal, I tied off to the RHS chassis and then I let the HiLift down very carefully and stowed it away. I jumped in to drive it forward, mm by mm to save dislodging the stones and rocks I’d built up.
After stopping and slackening the now tight rope (a little) I inched further forwards. Eventually I had to let the rope lose altogether, but how? Of course, the lock knot I’d used was welded, the only way out was to cut it!
That done, and the truck still stable by some miracle, I drove off with only the clunk of the tree trunk as it slid off the underside of the back axle. As the rear wheel left the pile of rocks, they all tumbled away, but the 3 good wheels pulled me out as the LHS rear slid down again.
What a relief! There’s something about being alone with everything going wrong. I took my time and thought out every move. There were no guarantees, but I was lucky in my bad luck. NEVER again will I go out without my full kit. I’d cut a perfectly good new snatch rope. It served me right for being such a fool.
Looking back I then took a couple of photos. The tree trunks are not very visible and it all looks a little tame, but at the time it was a horror story!
OK, I’m free again. After a 10 km detour, another unknown track. This time it was well used, only by horses and carts, but at least used and more reliable. It took me up the other side of a deep valley and very nice too!
There's snow on them thar hills! That's the mountain Sinaia in the centre distance, 2,400 m or so above sea level!
No danger here, just some very muddy puddles and lovely scenery…
After a few slippery moments on some steep sections, I decided to return home. Then I noticed that I was low on fuel, enough to get home, but too low for comfort.
Moral of the story? Go out properly prepared with a full tank and recovery equipment. It's no use to you sitting in the shed!
I was lucky this time.
I'll make sure there's not a next time.
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I'm glad you got back home safe and sound Clive, I had a lucky break at Lincomb after which I never ever go off-road on my own, but with that kind of countryside on your doorstep I can see how tempting it must be, roll on 2015. 
