Thread: Obstaclly Challenged Alternate Route

My aim at the end of the day is to have a good day out bush and to get home again safely.
If I cop a bagging for not being Hard Core, so be it.

well i have been on a few trips where i have needed the 'alternate' route, in fact i probably have asked for it, as i don't have a vehicle as capable as some others on the trip.
i don't get offended by someone calling an alternate route a 'chicken track' as i do not believe that i am a 'chicken' by taking a route that is more suited to my capabilities and will afford me the least inconvience in travelling the track, i call it smarter- less damage or inconvienence for me, i win.
for those that think the term 'chicken track' is some sort of insult to them when they may actually need an alternate route i feel sorry if it insults you.
to those that are in some way upset that an alternate route may be called a 'chicken track' and think that in some way this may be insulting to them if they have to use that track, i can only feel disappointed that they have not grown up in a more 'responsible for your own actions' era.
if i need to take the 'chicken track' and pass the obstacle without inconvience, i win - that ain't being a chicken' thats smart.

I'd rather take the "Chicken Track" than the "Boneheaded, moronic, genitally challenged, stupid idiot" track any day.

I only have one Landrover and I plan to keep it for a while.

I have no problem with the term. My P38A isn't hardcore and it's my daily driver. I'm not interested in damaging my car.

I use it to go places I can't go in a car. I'm not a mud-plugger or rock climber.

I use the chicken tracks.

Ron

A chicken is what most refer to as the female of this species.
The opposite of the female is male

A male of the species is a rooster or a cock

So if the easy track or "chicken track" is taken by chickens

What do we call the people taking the hard tracks?

But a Chicken is a juvenile bird. The masculine/feminine is rooster and hen.

Since chickens bred for food or eggs generally only have a lifespan of 6 weeks to 10 months (unless they are pets in which case they can live to 12 years) then using the logic that an older chicken is probably a dead chicken we can apply this to the non-"Chicken" track.

Hi Guys,

As well as vehicle damage (always a factor, its quick way to ruin a nice day out for everyone) I tend to look at the condition of the track.

There are two questions I tend to ask first up:
1) Can I get there without damaging the vehicle
2) Can I get there without damaging the track significantly.

If the answer to both is yes, then its all go. Theres still the change of human error cocking things up, but thats the case everywhere. A day without me making at least one mistake is... buggered if I know what it is actually, as its never happened.

If the answer to 1 is maybe, I'll look closer.
If the answer to 2 is maybe, I'll generally try and find another way.

Theres enough idiots out there destroying tracks and providing people with reasons to close areas off without me adding to it.

A weekends 4wding recently provided an example of this. We were a small group of 3 cars (all running MT's, not boggers, 2 landies, 1 zook) and we - after airing down - were happily following a track with minimal impact. A little slipping here and there, but that was it. Slow as possible, fast as necessary.

We pulled over at one point to let 3 cruisers/patrols past us (not sure which they were, overgrown camrys all look the same to me). These idiots had 34" or larger boggers and so on, and absolutely ripped the crap out of the tracks we had barely left a mark on. Big right foot, very small brain.

Results?
- 1 further trashed track. Hope no-one takes photos of that.
- 2 damaged cruisers/patrols.
- More people convinced all 4wders are dangerous hoons, who should be locked out of everything.

The landies went everywhere this lot went, with less damage to track and our vehicles.

Lets be clear about this; I have no problem with big tyres, lockers, 4wd competitions or other hardcore offroading. Heck, its only the budget that stops me getting lockers (damn needing to eat and all) :-). Anything we do has some sort of impact on our environment... even walking.

I'm also aware that sometimes momentum and the right foot is required, no argument.

What annoys me is when idiots selfishly do completely unnecessary damage to tracks. At worst, it results in tracks getting closed so no-one can use them, at best it just makes it harder for people without similarly equiped vehicles to use the tracks without damaging them further.

Sorry to turn this into a rant, but I'm still more than a little annoyed about the damage this lot did. I'm also really annoyed about them tailgating my gf in her zook through one of the sections. She started through that section before we could even see them behind us (and we looked). Idiot roared up behind her, and sat less than a meter behind her all the way through.

So, no, I've no problem with taking the chicken track when appropriate, especially if it means that I may one day have the chance to take my kids 4wding in my Landy, rather than just showing them videos of the places we used to be able to go.

Thanks guys, hope to see you out there some time...

Dave

Well said Dave. Now we've had a bit of rain over here many tracks like the powerlines are going to get damaged and this will aid the Water Corp (for one) who want to close all tracks in the hills because the catchment water may get dirty from mud washed into it.
If drivers want to wreck their vehicles so be it, but please think of the future and go somewhere not being watched by those who want to stop all our fun.
Although I'm buggered if I know where those places are!
Enjoy yourselves in a safe and hopefully ongoing way.
Alan.