Do You Cheat ? - I did and I don't care !

White Springs Hill near Big Desert state forrest in Victoria has always been an issue for me.

The sand on this big sandhill always seemed just a little to soft and despite previous summer visits I never made it right to the top.

Big Red etc have always seemed easy by comparison.


So on our recent desert trip I had organized to spent 4 days in the area with mostly a group of kids (sub 25) and what an interesting trip it turned out to be.
We had motocross bikes as well as the 4 cars.

For the whole time over previous the weekend we did not see or hear a single other vehicle and the weather was cold but sunny
and fine, firewood was lying all around, you could shoot the rabbits and let the dog loose , whats the word Nirvana !

I tried hard not to be giving the kids advice all the time and watched to see how things were done with this group and by and large
I thought it a success.

Many would criticize the kids for burning about 50 cans in the fire but I praised them for checking that they were truly gone the next morning.

The first day at the hill I tried a slow approach and struggled up about 3/4 of the way.

Next day we came back with the bikes as well and our best bike went straight up , although all the others failed.

I decided that the Patrol couldn't be defeated by a mere 2 stroke and the tyres went straight to 14psi.
For the first time ever out here I was running my 33" ST-Maxx tyres and the sand was damp and heavy.

I had deliberately made this trip in winter to maximize our chances but it was the coldest morning I have ever experienced camping.
Not only was it -7c but it was 0c at 8pm the night before and the cold was locked it, freezing even water inside a plastic 20lt container.

The girls forever thanked me for the new toilet seat and tent !

Still this was a serious big hill and only total commitment would do , and so as we swung around for the attack I clicked in the lockers
set the auto transmission for 2nd low, switched the engine mode to snow, so as to limit any sudden loss of traction induced wheel spin
and let the power of the 4.8lt Patrol loose.

"Oh and I chucked out the passengers ".

Up we went , but the track was rough and ruts were deep and they tossed the car around but the power was there and she didn't even drop a gear.
A bit of locker induced understeer was ther but steering was ok in the sand.

At the top is a twist and it usually bogs you , she did hesitate but caught traction again and pushed through the last few meters.

We were there , and didn't it feel good , another off the bucket list !