A bit scary, but quite satisfying

[PaulP38a]

Early Saturday morning, seven 4WD's got together in the Brindabellas for a morning drive. The plan was to be home by lunchtime or so... 'twas not to be.

The track up the power line trail had been eaten away by all the rain we had lately.
Looking up
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/3579-1/IMG_2026.JPG

Looking down
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/3589-1/IMG_5052.JPG

First 3 cars went up. All stalled, stopped had to adjust their lines and drop tyre pressures some more. One poor bloke broke his rear window sliding back in to a tree, and then had to winch up to a flatter spot.

I dropped my tyre pressures to 20 and set EAS mode to "standard" height - a reasonable compromise between decent bar clearance and wheel travel.

My Rangie was number 4...
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/3587-1/IMG_5028.JPG

Up it went, and turned out to be the only car that made it up without stopping :cool:
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/3602-1/IMG_5224.JPG

Then the car behind me got stuck, so I had to reverse back down to snatch him up the hill! :o that was a bit scary. Took 3 snatch straps, air-locker on, and about 5 attempts to get him to a spot where he could get traction.
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/3608-1/IMG_5276.JPG


Then the last bit of shale, dirt and rock hopping
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/3623-1/IMG_5312.JPG
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/3625-1/IMG_5315.JPG
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/3633-1/P3200031.JPG
...with a pretty gnarly sharp left turn at the top and a rut that tried to eat one of the Mitsi's.

What should have been a 30 minute run up the hill turned out to be almost 4 hours of mostly recovery and building up the tracks and steps for a few of the less-prepared vehicles, and a tyre change on the hill for a bloke who ripped his sidewall off on a sharp rock.

A good day though, nice bunch of people, and a very satisfying result for the Rangie :cool:

Out again tomorrow, but this time with the Land Rover Club on the "Beginner's Trip". I wonder if they'll tell me my Rangie is too ugly? :)

Cheers, Paul.

[parasnoop67]

p38 too ugly :mad: NEVER :D

[PeterH]

Nice one Paul, great pics.
Rangie to the rescue!

[justinc]

No ugliness to be seen there Paul!:D

....Except on the other end of the snatch strap:wasntme::p

Good stuff!:)

JC

[101RRS]

Which section of Powerlines was that - between Two Sticks and Webb Trail or at either end.

I can normally do power lines in my Freelander but that looks like it might have been tested just a little - but then if a P38 could do it a Hippo should have been able to manage it.:D

I was originally down for the Brindies for Beginners but my 101 gearbox is still on the ground on the driveway. Was tempted to use the Freelander but I cannot afford it to be damaged at the moment with the 101 off the road.

Garry

[mike 90 RR]

.... I'm impressed ... :cool:

Mike
:)

[Hoges]

Second last photo of the P38 sequence ... would make a very respectable "hero " poster!! :twisted::BigThumb:

[RickP38]

Awesome shots Paul!!

[PaulP38a]

Which section of Powerlines was that - between Two Sticks and Webb Trail or at either end.

I can normally do power lines in my Freelander but that looks like it might have been tested just a little - but then if a P38 could do it a Hippo should have been able to manage it.:D

I was originally down for the Brindies for Beginners but my 101 gearbox is still on the ground on the driveway. Was tempted to use the Freelander but I cannot afford it to be damaged at the moment with the 101 off the road.

Garry
Hi Garry - I haven't figured how to take the "breadcrumb" trail from the GPS and map it on Google Maps or similar yet, so I'm guessing a bit here. Past Uriarra Station, going down Brindabella Rd on the dirt... keep right on the fork, past the Namdgi National Park sign (on left) and a couple of Km's, then under powerlines. Turn left... climb down (not too bad), then go up. Brings you up another road (turn left) that you can follow down in to Brindabella Valley.

Drive with the LRC today was a lot of fun too. Some parts werre not what I'd call beginners runs, but everyone got through ok nonetheless. I doubt if your 101 would fit down some parts of Genges Trail, and I'm not sure if your (or my) Freelander would have made it up (and then back down) the hill climb bit without a fair bit of underbody damage :o. Was a good day.

Cheers, Paul.

[Disco_owner]

Hi Paul ;

If there is any opportunity in future to do this trip again , I would be very interested to drive from Sydney to join you lot for a drive , Never Driven Brindabella ,looks like awesome country ,are there any good camping site nearby?

[PaulP38a]

Hi Paul ;

If there is any opportunity in future to do this trip again , I would be very interested to drive from Sydney to join you lot for a drive , Never Driven Brindabella ,looks like awesome country ,are there any good camping site nearby?

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe we can do an inter-club trip, or at least get a few club members together who know the Brindabellas better than me and invite some of our AULRO cousins along for a drive.

From memory, there are camp sites near Uriarra Crossing and Brindabella Valley and probably a few more that I don't know about.

The drive today with the LRC had a few challenging bits and quite a lot of low range. A nice scenic drive up Mt Coree (great views)
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/3691-1/IMG_2043.JPG
and then a quick water crossing to wash the underside.... Yes... I took a P38A through water again :o (although I've been told my bumpers didn't get wet).

Cheers, Paul.

[Hoges]

starting to get all nostalgic :cry: as a uni student there in the late 60's we used to explore those areas in a Morris 1100 ... with a sump guard, winter tread tyres /chains on front wheels, and the 'hydrolastic" suspension pumped up, it would crawl its way around especially over the snow ;)

Recovery was simple ...2 blokes lifting/pushing and one behind the wheel:angel::D

[QLDMIKE]

Nice work.

I went down that track about 12 months ago, no need to ever do that again! I think up is a much better idea.

I spent a heap of time building that track up at the top just before that "sharp turn left turn".

[DT-P38]

Fantastic photo's dude! I would put them on the HRA site straight away (if you haven't already!) they are perfect advertising for that lift kit and P38's in general!!!

I will have to do it all with "the pig" one day... will put it on my bouquet list! :D

[PaulP38a]

a few more pics from the LRC outing
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/


in the water at Vanity's Crossing
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

and out the other side :p (yes it is on EAS high mode... I didn't want to get my bumpers too wet)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Remy]

very nice Paul. let me know when your next planning a trip. How much of the track was your locker on or did you get up the track without assistance?
cheers,
Remy

[willem]

That's some nice pics for HardRange.com, Paul!

That's quite a hill ... not sure I'd try it myself.

Willem

[2door grover]

nice work, every time i drive past that road i try to get the boys to folllow me down into it :twisted: but no one ever does.

good to see the rangey did it.

[101RRS]

nice work, every time i drive past that road i try to get the boys to folllow me down into it :twisted: but no one ever does.

good to see the rangey did it.

Which actual road is it - which section of powerlines?

Garry

[Cap]

Gotta be the best P38a around!

As for the hills, yet, I agree, would be scary! Down hill shot gives a great perspective on the steepness. You would have to be half baked to attempt that track in the wet.

[PaulP38a]

very nice Paul. let me know when your next planning a trip. How much of the track was your locker on or did you get up the track without assistance?
cheers,
Remy

Switched the rear locker on in the top third of the track, which was oddly enough the same part of the track I had to reverse back down again to snatch the Mitsi. A few scary moment, especially in reverse.

Cheers, Paul.

[Razza's Rangie]

WOW!! Awesome pics!!! What a day mate!!!!

the car looks awesome is that your original one or the one you got with Hard Range?

JEALOUS

[PaulP38a]

WOW!! Awesome pics!!! What a day mate!!!!

the car looks awesome is that your original one or the one you got with Hard Range?

JEALOUS

That's the original Hard Rangie that I bought from Hardy (founder of Hard Range) not long after he sold Hard Range to Andrew. I thought about buying Andrew's Rangie as well, but couldn't convince my better half to give up her Freelander and put another lifted P38A in the garage :D

Cheers, Paul.

[101RRS]

Paul,

Had a day with not much happening so took the 101 up into the Brindabella NP looking for the area you did your hill climb - I think I found it just off Two Sticks Road. Is a bit steep so as I was by myself I did not give it a go. The main easy trail goes around the hill to up near the top on the other side. Went down the other side but was a big bog all chewed up by a zillion 4wds trying to drive through it. Unfortunately it is not mud but clay and this is how I ended up

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e334/gazzz21/22072010.jpg

Doesn't look too bad but the locked rear just turned and both wheels of the open front also turned. Even in first gear high range at idle all wheels turned with not a hint of load on the engine. I forgot to take my shovel so decided to winch out - approx 70m to the nearest electrical grid tower. My sand tyres do not work so well in clay but I guess muddies would not have been much use either. I had about 50m of cable out and also used a 20m extension strap.

Oh - don't ask me how many times I slipped over and fell into that little water hole near the door - 3 - it was cold.

The single line pull struggled to pull the front wheels vertically out of the hole (the winch clutch came into operation and slipped) but putting the transfer case into gear (not normally recommended) to assist the winch pulled it out.

Once out
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e334/gazzz21/22072010001.jpg

I had no steering in the slippery stuff and just kept on moving to a bigger, deeper slippery hole so had to use the winch to pull the front around and pull the 101 over some large fallen trees to get to dryer ground. From there I was able to drive out.

This place was an absolute mess but I did not have much option but to go through it - some bike riders said that last weekend 4wd Action Mag had been there and chewed it all up - if true it is a sad reflection on that mag. The bike riders who came in from the good side decided not to try and indicated that would have needed a "bike winch" to get through.

I am looking to do some more challenging local trips but will only do them with others in case something happens. The 101 is good going up hill but if a front wheel drops into a deep hole going down hill it has a propensity like most forward controls to tip over - so a bit of weight or help might be needed.

An example if lifting a wheel
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e334/gazzz21/Gary5.jpg

Cheers

Garry

[95disco1]

a few more pics from the LRC outing
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/3986-2/156.jpg


in the water at Vanity's Crossing
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/4004-2/187.jpg

and out the other side :p (yes it is on EAS high mode... I didn't want to get my bumpers too wet)
http://paulp38a.com/gallery/d/4025-2/194.jpg

were do i get one of them lift kits? :D

[Remy]

were do i get one of them lift kits? :D

??????:angel:

[PaulP38a]

were do i get one of them lift kits? :D

here Hard Range 2" Lift + Extended Travel Kit (ON HOLD) | Hard Range Australia (http://hardrange.com/node/18)
... but only for P38's ;)
Kit is on hold until the next batch of Gen III's arrive. Other than that, pretty right to go again.

Cheers, Paul.

[PaulP38a]

Paul,

Had a day with not much happening so took the 101 up into the Brindabella NP looking for the area you did your hill climb - I think I found it just off Two Sticks Road. Is a bit steep so as I was by myself I did not give it a go. The main easy trail goes around the hill to up near the top on the other side. Went down the other side but was a big bog all chewed up by a zillion 4wds trying to drive through it. Unfortunately it is not mud but clay and this is how I ended up


Don't remember that mud/clay hole. Looks like fun though as long as someone has a winch.



I am looking to do some more challenging local trips but will only do them with others in case something happens. The 101 is good going up hill but if a front wheel drops into a deep hole going down hill it has a propensity like most forward controls to tip over - so a bit of weight or help might be needed.


Count me in mate. Local day trips are my preference to overnight camping in sub-zero temperatures.

Cheers
Paul.