Mission Murmansk - The Kola Peninsula Sept 2018

[Chris]

OK so clearly a Collie, two Landies, a Troll, a GeeVaagen and a smattering of Troopies and 80s made it all the way around, but I can't imagine doing it in anything other than an 80 or 105. In terms of the necessary blend of strength, ability, comfort, space, reliability etc I just couldn't fault the 80 beasts. There was a good deal of mile-munching which you could have done in an Astra van, but going over those mountains (the hard way) in my view the 80 took the hits like a pro. And yes we took some hits I can assure you.
We drove over this. No, I don't mean we drove on a track near here, I mean we actually drove OVER this.

 

[moggy1968]

Holy crap thats gnarly!!

 

[StarCruiser]

Holy crap thats gnarly!!

You can say that again.

 

[moggy1968]

Just watched the vids on the previous page, man thats a proper expedition, hats off to you chaps

 

[Andy]

Holy crap thats gnarly!!

Mmmm, gnarly, a good description, it WAS tough, but the 80’s all handled it well, as they did everything on the whole trip, and still pounded the motorways back home through Europe as if nothing had happened, in fact took mine for a ride tonight & it yet again put a BIG smile on my face.
I think I’d marry it if my wife would let me!

 

[Olazz]

but I can't imagine doing it in anything other than an 80 or 105. In terms of the necessary blend of strength, ability, comfort, space, reliability etc I just couldn't fault the 80 beasts. but going over those mountains (the hard way) in my view the 80 took the hits like a pro.
We drove over this. No, I don't mean we drove on a track near here, I mean we actually drove OVER this.
View attachment 149928

A good and well prepped 80 can do that stuff all day, no sweat. So having done that trip, how do you think a 12t truck would cope? Too big? Too heavy?

 

[chapel gate]

Mmmm, gnarly, a good description, it WAS tough, but the 80’s all handled it well, as they did everything on the whole trip, and still pounded the motorways back home through Europe as if nothing had happened, in fact took mine for a ride tonight & it yet again put a BIG smile on my face.
I think I’d marry it if my wife would let me!

Lol.
Yeah, em has her "concerns" about my 80 and me...

 

[Chris]

Knowing how capable that truck is Lazz, I doubt that there was any terrain that it couldn't cross. However, with its size, there were places where it simply would not have fitted. Simples. Sam took out a door setting a route at the foot of that last pass. You'd have had to cut down a dozen trees to get Tembo through there.
Now you could rumble around Finland, Sweden, Norway etc in Tembo but then you could also do it in a Yaris.

Being frank, the greatest challenge was the mountain secti0n. Without that we might have well as driven around Grizedale. It was nuts and the core of the whole adventure. Miss that out and it was like driving on Chapel Gate for a month.

 

[SamW]

A few videos of the trip

 

[Chris]

Oh that last one was a bitch

 

[SamW]

It was especially when you cant see the rocks

 

[Olazz]

Ouch....That poor drivetrain was taking a real hammering !!!

Proper expedition stuff... Hoorah

 

[Andy]

A few typical pics

 

[Chris]

We did rob the sports shops of just about every gadget they had, but this one stands out. It's a flat pack slot together BBQ / fire pit. Comes in a bag too. Needs a grill top making or some bars. But it worked really well. It's probably better suited to being a charcoal burner as it did bend slightly when we had a roaring fire in it one night. But if there's anyone out there with laser cutting skills and the desire, it could be easily copied. Mine hasn't been used yet. Andy's came out a couple of times.

I won't tell you what we paid.

 

[Andy]

Good for chicken pork
Nicks got competition now!

 

[fbnss]

Good for chicken pork
Nicks got competition now!

we've moved on since then, its all about the currys now

 

[Chris]

Shame as I also have some special skewers too.

 

[fbnss]

Well if you figure out satay chicken...

Edit. I just got googling. When I've unskinted myself I shall have an experiment

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Just as a matter of interest as I'm in discussion with a member regarding shockers and I wondered which make these each truck had and how they performed in the extreme conditions?

 

[SamW]

Toms has the icon suspension with remote reservoirs mine Andy's and Chris's all have efs.

Toms was a much nicer drive over the really bumpy roads but his suspension is abit more specilist the efs stuff worked really well and couldn't fault it