Club 80-90 Forums

So while you were all lolling around nursing hangovers we thought it would be a good idea to join the local 4x4 club and have a green laning run out.



Nothing too extreme although there was a bit of concern regarding a small water crossing and how it would be and some of the ruts were rather deep.

So with a mixture of vehicles, Discoverys, Suzuki Vitaras, Landrovers, Nissan Terranos and Range Rovers. We met in a layby close to the beginning of the lanes and exchanged pleasantries - Only one innocuous comment being "Don't worry there are lots of Disco's here to pull you out when you get stuck!" She even said it with a smile on her face only for Sharon's reply of "Oh, we'll see."

So, the first group went out and what happened...... Yep got stuck, Who? The person who made the comment.

1/2 hour later we were underway again. Actually for a first lane it was pretty well rutted, everything on the dash board became very re-arranged on the floor - must remember to de-clutter.



Temperature didn't get above freezing all day, The lanes were good, and the ground firm. It was quite fun watching the wild fowl ice skating on the frozen ponds, few rambling obstacles and one tractor hedge cutting



We had a trouble free day, no getting stuck, the only problem which was suffered was a landie with carb problems, not bad considering 16 vehicles turned out.
The small water crossing wasn't anything to worry about it was pretty low, although after a bit of rain you could see that it would become much more entertaining.

So Happy New Year to you all and see you all soon.

PS sware filter doesn't like f o r d and replaces it with ...

I took my dog for a long walk - saw quite a few Goosander on the Wye.
Started thinking about the new year and what good fun is to be had when I get the T3 back on the road!
Yes, a Happy New Year for us all.....

PC52 wrote:
So, the first group went out and what happened...... Yep got stuck, Who? The person who made the comment.

love it

Your lanes are miles different to our local ones. The ones round our way are really full of trees and the aim of the game seems to be get through the lane without gouging the hell out of the side of your van. It usually takes about half an hour to do a mile if your lucky, but that is what i like about them. It took me 40 minutes to do a mile today but i was on my own so lacked the support and confidence you get in a group and got stuck between trees a few times. A few of us had a little mini meet today in wildest Surrey, Box hill to be exact.

Thought i would get up early and do a couple of green lanes before i headed up to the mini meet at Box Hill. There is one on the way up that i had never done before and i guess i shouldn't have done a lane i have never done before on my own as if i got stuck i would be knackered.



As it goes it was really easy going at the start but was a bit more of a challenge at the end when he trees really closed in and it was a bit of a b'stard toward the end. It took me 40 minutes to do a mile Got stuck a couple of times against trees but only the roof rack took the brunt of it,





Anyway got their in the end in one peace,




i enjoyed it and wish i had taken some pictures of the hard bits but i couldn't open the doors at the time and when your panicking a bit the last thing you think about is taking pictures. That's why its good going with other people i guess. Take this picture of Jake when he pulled the mushroom off his snorkel to get through some big trees and split his eyebrow open. Now he would never of thought of taking this if he was on his own depriving the rest of us of a good laugh



jed

Nice one Jed,
We did a few lanes a while ago on our own, got well stuck, spent half a day digging ourselves out and a bit of damage- if we were with company it would of taken as long as a tow. As much as it's nice to take a drive out we would never do it on our own again.
There were a few lanes we did which CJ would describe as being 'fluffy', being the extremely long hawthorn needles and a few smash your wing mirrors against the side of your van lanes.

PC52 wrote: There were a few lanes we did which CJ would describe as being 'fluffy', being the extremely long hawthorn needles and a few smash your wing mirrors against the side of your van lanes.

Thats the ones i couldnt put it better myself. Nice to be out though.

jed

those are the fluffy lanes,we havnt been down the nasty ones yet

Nice one Pete and Sharon... same comments I got when i ptched up with the "locals".....
Did you do the rounds at the punchbowl Jed???

We (or should that be I) drove the 675 miles back from France.... quiet roads... even the ferry was quiet.... not like boxing day on the way out...

I can see the draw of a sika for green laneing as its only the back that ever gets stuck.





jed

toomanytoys wrote: Did you do the rounds at the punchbowl Jed???

i have just finishing the ones between Reigate and Guilford and that will be the next area to do when konky gets back. They are building a big tunnel to go underneath their at the moment so i don't know how that will effect the area.

jed

We have finally given up on the syncro for driving on Dartmoor and got ourselves a Toyota Landcruiser.
As the oldest son was off beating the local shoot, Louise was working , I took the youngest and his new Toyota for some rock crawling on the Moors.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wIQIAVwCnQs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I took the youngest and his new Toyota for some rock crawling on the Moors.

So you put the music on to smother the sound of your son saying 'please dad, please let me have a go, its my turn; pleease!"

and i can clearly see an aftermarket for bolt on bodies in a style of your choosing !

And on January 2 I got on my bike (MTB vareity) and recced a couple of lanes which look encouraging albeit a little fluffy in places but nothing that an experienced traveller of Devon lanes can't handle!!
I did plan to recce another one but lactic acid build up and a puncture prevented me from doing so - so that's Sundays ride sorted.

toomanytoys wrote::Did you do the rounds at the punchbowl Jed???

We (or should that be I) drove the 675 miles back from France.... quiet roads... even the ferry was quiet.... not like boxing day on the way out...

Could of done with a punch bowl, nearest this lot got to it was a clearing in the woods and a cold bowl of macoroni cheese - not a pub lunch in sight - yawn.
That's a fair drive Simon. Nice the roads were empty though especially doing that god awful Dover to home run (which always tends to be the longest part of the journey. Did you do the return trip in one?

syncrodoug wrote:And on January 2 I got on my bike (MTB vareity) and recced a couple of lanes which look encouraging albeit a little fluffy in places but nothing that an experienced traveller of Devon lanes can't handle!!
I did plan to recce another one but lactic acid build up and a puncture prevented me from doing so - so that's Sundays ride sorted.

Nice one Doug looks like another Wales trip this year. We spent the day playing with power washer. How's the syncro coming along?

Yep.. only stopping was a 15 min pee and sandwich break and the ferry....... in an A4 2L Tdi so no fuel stops and 80mph cruise control... bloody seats are rubbish in it though...
Thank to portable DVD the kids were entertained most of the trip too...
Total traveling time door to door 12 hours... bit less than the syncro would be and we would have had to stop for fuel in that too... (more power needed )