Although I have driven many thousands of miles off road in 'Red', the Series 2A Land Rover, much of it doesn't have the same condensed challenges of a dedicated off-road site. I wanted to broaden my experience in a Series without the risk of being stranded in the middle of nowhere (a familiar theme) so I fancied booking in at the local off road site.
Which led me to realise that it is not common for me to see classic Landies at my local off-road site, so let's create an event predominantly for that genre of vehicle (and their owners of course). Selfishly I wanted to create a visual feast. So I combined the two, a load of classic Landies together and give Red a shakedown. Another good excuse for taking Red was that we'd just purchased some new tyres and needed to see how they performed. In reality it's because my need to splash around in muddy puddles and going over bumps remains as my inner child coming to the surface.
After coffee and snacks from the booked van we gathered everyone together and split into two groups. Tudor leading one and myself the other. The intention was made clear that I'd be attempting the routes marked as colour red (more challenging) and Tudor predominantly the green.
The two groups started at different sections as to avoid clashing. The forest section was very much a challenge in a Series Land Rover due to the turning circle restriction. It must have been quite interesting in the long wheelbase versions and plenty to test both driver and car with mud, ruts and obstacles.
Next was the 'field', ideal for observing Land Rovers in their wild habitat, as an ornithologist would watch birds. Big water filled dips, twists, turns and, of course, mud! Even exiting this stage was a challenge for some! We met up again at this point for a break and a catchup and then headed to the quarry sections which had some challenging inclines and descents and slippery slopes performed at interesting angles.
Highlights for me included glancing over the 'field' seeing such an eclectic mix of Series Land Rovers at differing angles and upon asking drivers how they are finding the challenges getting massive smiles and thumbs-up in return. It was also nice to hear from those that had never tried off-road driving before and how much they gained from it. It was also interesting to witness how well the Series Land Rovers faired up, and in some respects, surpassed more modern counterparts. I gained further respect for Series Land Rovers, including my own.
Mud is still falling off Red months later. Oh, and the BFG Mud Terrain tyres are excellent, perhaps we'll not get stuck in bogs as frequently on our next trip.
