almost lost it

G'day Terry, If you got out it with only a red face and learned your lesson, It was probably a good experiance.Nil Taurus Excretus

Terry,
Lucky lucky, I usually find that taking the wife and kids stops me getting into trouble. The "What are you doing dear?" is better than any snatch strap and shackles, or "I'll get out and take photo's, wait till I'm on top of that rock over there, that looks safe", yea right. All helps. Have you got the fourby back or is it still holding the te up? I'm off with our local club to Dwellingup in a few weeks, usually come back worse for the wear.Keep the shiny side up

Terry
Theres lots to be learned from this, I assume you were not totally familiar with the jacks capabilities or in reading the conditions???.

1st its good to know your vehicles limitations, had you had experience on similar steep inclines you may have made different decisions even wether or not to go in the 1st place. You may have confidently proceeded down and back again. (most 4wds will cope with fire trails unless wet or severly eroded)- dont forget they are designed for forestry vehicles and they exist because vehicles travesrse them if the track looks used - something has to get up and down them.

Chances are you could have gone to the bottom and returned up the hill fowards safely if you knew what your limits were.

Chances are you stopped at one of the worst spots and tried to start off with all your weight foward whereas if you stopped sooner or at the next level off you may have been able to get momentum.

Chances are you were not thinking clearly and rushed.

As you backed up the hill as soon as the vehicle slid an inch sideways in the wrong direction - thats time to stop and take stock.

If the vehicle is moving sideways take the time to anchor it (Id assume you had a snatch strap or a huge rope. (I use 32 mm rope I buy from ships chandlery outlets rated at 8 tonnes) cause those type of movements rarely get better.

Things still looking grim--

You could have dropped your tyres down to 15 psi

I dont want to sound patronising or critical that is not my intention but you have to get experience to make these situations good - not bad.

Next time you should go back to the same spot with another vehicle and conquer that track.
happy adventuring

kes

Don't feel too bad Terry, I went to get MILK in Anglesea, just down the street (we were staying in the township) just before lunch, just as the barbie was being started and decided that I should drive along a track the reverse way to what I had done that morning without incident, well to cut a stupid story short I decided that I could drive thru a short bog hole that I had skirted around in the morning.....you guessed it, got stuck, luckily the mobile worked so I called the RACV, no deal, all they had was a hilux and they werent going anywhere near me, finally got onto my brother in law who drove out from Geelong some 35 minutes away, found me in the bush and dragged me out pi$$ing himself laughing all the way, only needed to drag me 5 feet!

What a derp, no winch, noone to help, no brains, whatever! Ya get that in these damn 4x4'sLaterally Literal
Seriously Cerebral

Terry,

We all do silly things from time to time.
I was at a 4x4 day at our track in Darwin and having had a few beers I thought that I might be over the limit and decided to take the back track down along the powerline which would see me close to home. I could then leave the car and walk the rest of the way. It was just on dark when I bogged the Suzuki close to a transmission pole...but not close enough for my winch cable. I was about a metre short. Could not find my 30ft spare cable and then remembered that I had taken it out of the car for some reason. The ground around me was still wet as it was the end of the wet season. So I proceeded to winch off pandanus palms. Now these palms have spiky leaves and they are not a pleasant object to touch. After much stuffing around and getting covered in mud, I had winched 8 palms out of the ground and I was still in the same spot. I started to walk back to the road and arrived at the closest servo at 9.30pm. Only had one dollar coin on me and had to use the Gold phone for one call and do me dollar. No change. I rang a mate and he is still laughing about this episode today. Arrived home after 11pm, quite sober by now, to be met with a quizzical look from SWMBO and "It serves you right"!!! No sympathy :-(
Cheers
Willie

WillieNever a dull moment

Learn by your mistakes,Practice makes perfect,whatever you call it

A few weeks ago I went with a mate to mundaring and on top of hill he says to me "the only way I know to get down the hill is in the ruts".He went first in his 4runner.after he dissappeared down the hill it was my turn in Mq shorty.As I rounded a slight bend all I saw was me mate climbing out of his passenger window.He put it on side trying to climb out of ruts cauz he thought he was going to bottom out.
THANKS TO THE GUYS AT ARB FOR COMING TO THE RESCUE and putting the car back on all fours.Gregory Rock on the _Kalbarri.aspx.