Last Trail Ride of the Season Recap

[whitehumh2]

So yesterday was a Totally Awesome Day exploring in a new Area!
 
We had a small efficient group of 3 trucks.
 
My Mighty H2
 
A Classic 1975 Range Rover
 
A Land Rover Discovery on Volvo Portal Axles
 
So we had an awesome crew.
 
In the morning we just did a quick loop trail with some cool obstacles but an overall easy trail for the group we had.
 

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After Lunch we headed to the big stuff and the Winch Fest Began!
 

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The Disco attacked the hill first and after several pucker factor moments managed to almost make it to the top where he was hopelessly wedged in between large rocks at a not so good angle and then the front hydraulic winch pump said it didn't feel like helping today...so it didn't!
 

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My H2, attacked the hill with tires a spinning and engine revving  but while I almost managed to get to the top of the lower section, the combo of soupy mud and large rocks with a very steep grade made it impassable...winch time! But now I had another problem...trying to find a tree strong enough for the weight of my H2! It took a while and then once we got the rigging right I cleared this section and started on the bypass of the upper section since the disco was blocking the main trail section and my H2 would never fit between the large rocks that were guarding the entrance!
 
While I was working my way up, the Rover decided to come up bypass for the lower section...which got him hopelessly stuck at the top ledge and broke his passenger side front axle stub shaft. Then his WARN winch decided to not spool out during his recovery! And Yes...this was all on the bypass!! Goes to show just how hard the trail was! When you break on the bypass...this is extreme wheeling!
 
Once I finally cleared the upper bypass...on winch I had to re-rig my winch 5 times to make it to the top! YES, this was the Bypass!!! I was able to use my rear winch to recover the Disco that was locked in the JAWS of the two boulders...amazingly he just needed a short 4ft tug and he was out. Then I used my rear winch to pull the ROVER up the upper bypass since he had no chance of making it up that in 3 wheel drive and without a functioning winch! So we re-rigged with pulley blocks to get him up. We thought we had him safe at the top and ready to continue and when he tried to crest the section ended up rolling onto the drivers side when his drivers side rear tire slid of a large rock at the top of the hill...he was safe though...there was another large rock holding him up! LOL! I winched him back down and to safety and we were good to go!
 

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In the next section, my portly H2 couldn't make the 110 degree turn around a large rock on my passenger side and the tree on my driver's side and the 3 foot ledge in front of me all while climbing at about a 30degree angle...so I had to winch up! Oh well, that is what they are for! The Disco thanks to the portal axles and a skinny body danced in between the rock and tree and crested the top with the front wheels in the air and the engine revving...and when it came down the hydraulic pump for the ram steering blew the case seal...great! We winched the Rover up and then we had to decide to press on or turn around...we opted to turn around since it was now dark and we had over 3kms of trail left to do and only 0.5km to do if we headed back. So we turned around and headed back down what took us 5 hours to get up! Yes, a mere 0.5km of trail took us 5 hours!!! We nursed the Rovers back to camp and the day was done...A Totally Awesome and Amazing Last Trail Ride of the Season!
 
 
I will post other Pics and Videos soon...but they will never do the trail justice!!
 
 
Oh and I love the name of the Trail...The THUNDER DOME!!!!
 
LOVE IT!!!   I can't wait till next year so we can run the whole trail and not just the first 1/2km!!! I am already excited!!
 
 
Kev

[whitehumh2]

Just in case anyone was wondering what the trail rating of THE THUNDER DOME is;

I would say 10+ for 95% of trucks.

An 8 for a dedicated Rock Buggie!

An a 12+ for any truck on 33-35s...in other words an H3 would be in for the most brutal trail it could ever hope to survive! Not saying that an H3 with all the right gear and a skilled driver couldn't do it...just saying the lack of ground clearance would be the challenge! Any H3 owners ready to sign up to conquer it next year???


Remember our Quebec Trail Ratings only go from 1-10, with a 10 being, there will be breakages, you need front and rear lockers, front and rear winches and bigger that 37inch tires. And even with all that...damage will occur...not might!

A totally AWESOME Trail!!

[Archngel]

i guess im too soft for this kind of trail, 
 
not saying its not doable, because i probably can,  but im not that maso to specifically look for damage or breakage. 
 
Rock crawler/buggies are a very different breed as they are not versatile vehicle at all, they are not made for the road, they are specifically made for rock crawling and that's it. Our Hummers are ( versatile, daily drivers, they are good at ALMOST anything but not rock crawling.depending of the definition of rock crawling ( in Indiana, there was a rock crawling river bed with big boulders, that is fine, H1 was making it, H2 were making it, even me in the H3 made it ( pretty rough but doable )  ;) but not climbing 3-4 feet ledge in squeezy tight spaces where there are only microns not inches , microns , between rock, trees and body panel. In Indiana the rock bed was flat to travel. 
 
Another thing i saw on previous video of Chertsey is the playing in water and trying to go up creek, in rocks and stuff , for treading lightly i think they miss the point. 
 
I am all for off road, but not for vehicle breakage, destruction of nature, and surely not to leak oil, gas, and other mechanic parts in creek , and other water plan. Wasn't there a rule or law that we could not go into water, or was that rule only for Tremblant and Weir?
 
but i have to admit, ,it is impressive to watch them making those trails. But 8 to 12+ ill leave them to crawlers

[whitehumh2]

[quote="Archngel"]i guess im too soft for this kind of trail, 

 

not saying its not doable, because i probably can,  but im not that maso to specifically look for damage or breakage. 

 

Rock crawler/buggies are a very different breed as they are not versatile vehicle at all, they are not made for the road, they are specifically made for rock crawling and that's it. Our Hummers are ( versatile, daily drivers, they are good at ALMOST anything but not rock crawling.depending of the definition of rock crawling ( in Indiana, there was a rock crawling river bed with big boulders, that is fine, H1 was making it, H2 were making it, even me in the H3 made it ( pretty rough but doable )   but not climbing 3-4 feet ledge in squeezy tight spaces where there are only microns not inches , microns , between rock, trees and body panel. In Indiana the rock bed was flat to travel. 

 

Another thing i saw on previous video of Chertsey is the playing in water and trying to go up creek, in rocks and stuff , for treading lightly i think they miss the point. 

 

I am all for off road, but not for vehicle breakage, destruction of nature, and surely not to leak oil, gas, and other mechanic parts in creek , and other water plan. Wasn't there a rule or law that we could not go into water, or was that rule only for Tremblant and Weir?

 

but i have to admit, ,it is impressive to watch them making those trails. But 8 to 12+ ill leave them to crawlers[/quote]

Hi Marc,


Since it was only me...I took advantage of the opportunity and I went for one of the most difficult trails available. Can it be done without body damage and without breakage...it sure can! My H2 squeezed through each section without a mark, while the Disco and Rover got some new dents and broke a lot of stuff! Btw, as my H2 has gotten more and more built up over the years...I need to challenge man and machine! I can run most of the older trails easily so that is why I am loving the new stuff...a new challenge! I was not looking for damage or breakage just a serious challenge after a summer of withdrawal due to lack of off-road since Ardbeg! I need to make sure my repairs where strong and ready for a beating!


The videos I posted are from 2009, back then even we would cross rivers. The law is since 2013 and enforced since 2014 all across Quebec. So no harm or damage to the environment! No driving up or down or across rivers at all! But low ground will still produce puddles that can be long and deep but are not considered rivers or streams so they are legal to traverse! I found one that was good and deep on Saturday!


The trail was very rocky and sandy with a steep incline. But overall with enough time and patience I am sure we could get our regular group up and over and thru with even H3s on 33-35s...just need some good skid plates!


Btw, most of the trails we ran at the Rally this year and last year were 7-8+ for their ratings, excluding the Sunday trail this year. So we are able to do the harder stuff!


Next year you will have opportunity to try many of the new trails in Weir and across the province and they are from mild to wild. Truly something for everyone!


Later,


Kev

[Monk]

When I off-roaded a lot, the smaller wheeled trucks love went there was a (by-pass) around big holes or hard stuff.....

Looks like crazy yous had!!!!

[canadah1]

Awesome Kev. Looks like a great ride and challenge. Thought for sure you would have had some snow your way by now. Thanks for the pictures and commentary.

[whitehumh2]

[quote="canadah1"]
Awesome Kev. Looks like a great ride and challenge. Thought for sure you would have had some snow your way by now. Thanks for the pictures and commentary.
[/quote]
 
True normally we do have snow by now...Thanks God we didn't!! The trails where already hard enough! Hope you can make it at least once next year!!!

[whitehumh2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw_u-0j ... e=youtu.be

[citiboy]

Good job dude!

[Monk]

You know it's a good run when the video guy gasps,,exellent job!!