Gav Peter
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- Joined
- Mar 1, 2010
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'10:00 am rendevous at Tesco's in Bangor' were the last instructions received from Jim's (Jimbo4x4) smessage on Easter Sunday evening which sparked a furious flap of preparation at Chez Gavlad, fuelled by an afternoon roast dinner & the accompanying excessive dwinkee poos with my Ma & Pa after being newly returned from their month in New Zealand...
I almost couldn't get to sleep in excitement for my first proper 'expedition' (
) away from the local mud pit... DEP Wirral ~07:45 for a leisurely cruise out to Bangor down the A55 via McDonalds. On the last roundabout before arrival at Bangor, MUX's dull growl of a mostly removed exhaust suddenly becomes more of a roar. Yup, the last bit had broken off so the zorst now finishes just afer the flexible section - its loud... 
Anyhoo, Jim lands & he's got all the routes punched in on his laptop & I'm completely in his hands. Off we go.
The first lane is undrivable due to fly tippers so we head round the tarmac twisties through the wind & rain over towards Capel Curig past Tryfn & the Nant Ffrancon valley. Even the tarmac sections are fun in the wet & the scenery is dramatic. One of my gloves attempts to make an escape while Jim's setting his bearings atthe foor of Tryfn - my 100 yard dash secures that badboy
I ain't built for speed & must've looked ridiculous 
The first lane is one I have walked sections of in the past - Tan-y-Garth (thanks for the info Jim
) It skirts around Moel Saibod to the forestry commission area after a very nice rocky climb up through the woods. I got a couple of (poor) photos of Jim but was enjoying it all so much thereafter, I forgot to take any more Lots of gorse... (Crispin, take a strimmer if you go ;-))
Another blast along some tarmac got us over to Sarn Helen - what a wonderful lane... This hooks us up from Pont-y-Pant to Betws-y-Coed.
Just after I skin MUX's flares on a tight gatepost even with Jim spotting me we pass the abandoned farmhouse - someone's next 'Grand Design' in a beautiful spot... Shame the camera had one of its funny turns 
And then, through the wind & rain, we spot 'arboretist (sp.) of the year' - anytime, anyplace, anyweather!!! A braver man than me ;-)
On we go, following some of the routes Jim plotted over Christmas with a few of you guys on here. Pen-y-Rhiwlas & on to Llyn alwen where we were defeated by snow. Jim had a trundle into the drifts & was able to back out but when MUX & tried it, the 'hydrofoil' bumper grounded us high & dry so out came the recovery gear that I had spent til 11 o'clock at night packing
It looks fairly inoffensive but its not really snow - its halfway to ice & quite a bugger to shift...
On we yomped & on to Corwen Carwash... I was (quite unnecessarily as it happened) apprehensive of this having only forded 'streams' before. Jim sent me through first to check things out & shot some video
No problemo
, not with the 'hydrofoil' bumper ;-)
A happy river traverser...
Here, we met up with a couple of Landy owners & we joined up for the afternoon after visiting the burger van on the A5 that exists solely in Jim's mind... ;-)
Paul took over the lead around here in his Discovery - I think Jim was feeling the pressure ;-) We went up & over Cieriog Forest & then to Whitestones where we encountered a bunch of trials riders - apparently our route had intersected with a huge local event... We pulled over to let them past... Cue the 'team' shot ;-)
but after a ten minute wait for no-one we carried on... And then they did too!!!
Up on the moors - the trail winding away into the distance with Jim in front of me...
Queuing up waiting to drop down into Llanarmon:
From where Paul led us up to 'splashy lane' - vay apt!!!
[youtube:5sxp7g8k]3NiHHOOOAxI[/youtube:5sxp7g8k]
This is the run down the top of the pheasant pen steps:
Parked up whilst the route was assessed:
Rob in the other landie had been strategically positioned as lead truck by now as there had been some chat about a big hole on this route. So as his truck had a winch, he went first... Around the side of the hole, very neatly & without any problems really.
Then Paul had a go at the hole - not the best decision ever made...
DOH...
As a little interlude, Jim tried to hide... Can anyone spot the Jimster on the snap below??
Anyhoo, we got Paul out & Jim followed Rob's line round the side of the hole. I spotted Jim - no probs - & then nipped back up the hill to fetch MUX. When I got back, they'd all buggered off so I came on through & got a bit plugged :-( On with the difflocks (front only, rear still not playing nicely...) & out the big guy came with little effort - what a truck
Descending the steps - quite a few steps here & quite hairy...
Then it was back on the black stuff so Jim could get home (late!!!) for his tea ;-)
I gave MUX a light de-dusting:
And assessed the scraups...
Ooops, sorry MUX
What a way to start mine/our laning career though - mucho gracias to Jim for getting me on-board & to 'er indoors for letting me play out. Fabulous day out & about - can't wait to do it again!!!
Cheers
{Admin Edit: Relocated to Trip Reports
}
I almost couldn't get to sleep in excitement for my first proper 'expedition' (
) away from the local mud pit... DEP Wirral ~07:45 for a leisurely cruise out to Bangor down the A55 via McDonalds. On the last roundabout before arrival at Bangor, MUX's dull growl of a mostly removed exhaust suddenly becomes more of a roar. Yup, the last bit had broken off so the zorst now finishes just afer the flexible section - its loud... Anyhoo, Jim lands & he's got all the routes punched in on his laptop & I'm completely in his hands. Off we go.
The first lane is undrivable due to fly tippers so we head round the tarmac twisties through the wind & rain over towards Capel Curig past Tryfn & the Nant Ffrancon valley. Even the tarmac sections are fun in the wet & the scenery is dramatic. One of my gloves attempts to make an escape while Jim's setting his bearings atthe foor of Tryfn - my 100 yard dash secures that badboy
I ain't built for speed & must've looked ridiculous The first lane is one I have walked sections of in the past - Tan-y-Garth (thanks for the info Jim
) It skirts around Moel Saibod to the forestry commission area after a very nice rocky climb up through the woods. I got a couple of (poor) photos of Jim but was enjoying it all so much thereafter, I forgot to take any more Lots of gorse... (Crispin, take a strimmer if you go ;-))Another blast along some tarmac got us over to Sarn Helen - what a wonderful lane... This hooks us up from Pont-y-Pant to Betws-y-Coed.
Just after I skin MUX's flares on a tight gatepost even with Jim spotting me
we pass the abandoned farmhouse - someone's next 'Grand Design' in a beautiful spot... Shame the camera had one of its funny turns And then, through the wind & rain, we spot 'arboretist (sp.) of the year' - anytime, anyplace, anyweather!!! A braver man than me ;-)
On we go, following some of the routes Jim plotted over Christmas with a few of you guys on here. Pen-y-Rhiwlas & on to Llyn alwen where we were defeated by snow. Jim had a trundle into the drifts & was able to back out but when MUX & tried it, the 'hydrofoil' bumper grounded us high & dry so out came the recovery gear that I had spent til 11 o'clock at night packing
It looks fairly inoffensive but its not really snow - its halfway to ice & quite a bugger to shift...
On we yomped & on to Corwen Carwash... I was (quite unnecessarily as it happened) apprehensive of this having only forded 'streams' before. Jim sent me through first to check things out & shot some video
No problemo
, not with the 'hydrofoil' bumper ;-)A happy river traverser...
Here, we met up with a couple of Landy owners & we joined up for the afternoon after visiting the burger van on the A5 that exists solely in Jim's mind... ;-)
Paul took over the lead around here in his Discovery - I think Jim was feeling the pressure ;-) We went up & over Cieriog Forest & then to Whitestones where we encountered a bunch of trials riders - apparently our route had intersected with a huge local event... We pulled over to let them past... Cue the 'team' shot ;-)
but after a ten minute wait for no-one we carried on... And then they did too!!!
Up on the moors - the trail winding away into the distance with Jim in front of me...
Queuing up waiting to drop down into Llanarmon:
From where Paul led us up to 'splashy lane' - vay apt!!!
[youtube:5sxp7g8k]3NiHHOOOAxI[/youtube:5sxp7g8k]
This is the run down the top of the pheasant pen steps:
Parked up whilst the route was assessed:
Rob in the other landie had been strategically positioned as lead truck by now as there had been some chat about a big hole on this route. So as his truck had a winch, he went first... Around the side of the hole, very neatly & without any problems really.
Then Paul had a go at the hole - not the best decision ever made...
DOH...
As a little interlude, Jim tried to hide... Can anyone spot the Jimster on the snap below??
Anyhoo, we got Paul out & Jim followed Rob's line round the side of the hole. I spotted Jim - no probs - & then nipped back up the hill to fetch MUX. When I got back, they'd all buggered off so I came on through & got a bit plugged :-( On with the difflocks (front only, rear still not playing nicely...) & out the big guy came with little effort - what a truck
Descending the steps - quite a few steps here & quite hairy...
Then it was back on the black stuff so Jim could get home (late!!!) for his tea ;-)
I gave MUX a light de-dusting:
And assessed the scraups...
Ooops, sorry MUX
What a way to start mine/our laning career though - mucho gracias to Jim for getting me on-board & to 'er indoors for letting me play out. Fabulous day out & about - can't wait to do it again!!!
Cheers
{Admin Edit: Relocated to Trip Reports
}
That was a fun day, thanks for the writeup Gav (and coming along, of course).
