Thread: Weekend in the snow

Originally Posted by chuck

We have done a few trips over the Jamieson Licola Road during the snow season.
You can apply for a permit thru Parks Victoria or whatever they are called this week.
They will usually ask how many vehicles are involved & what recovery precautions you have in place.
Every time we have been we have not used chains but this is in deep snow over gravel roads & airing down to sand like conditions.
In fact we went sailing past vehicles with chains as the chains tend to cut up the crust allowing your vehicle to sink down to the chassis.
Chains in Alpine areas are usually effective while driving over snow covered bitumen roads as the chains break thru to the bitumen allowing grip.
Snow mode is not good in deep snow believe it or not - I found this out the hard way - rock crawl or mud n ruts are the modes to use.
Snow mode is designed for light snow over bitumen or gravel.
I found over the years that my D2 albeit quite well modified was better in the snow than my D3 or D4 however this is further qualified as in deep snow.
The D2 with its big aired down tyres can get up on top of the snow!!

Ice in areas you would not consider dangerous is the real reason for chains on the front of your 4X4 and trying to predict ice will always make you undone.

Chops

The LROCV does an annual camping in the snow, I think they even have a heated tent