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Just got stuck ...

Ah well .. it had to happen. Just got stuck at Thorpe Marsh, slurry, mud, sand and water up to the sills, and as we got reverse pulled out the water came well over the lights and bonnet as the front wheels dropped back into the trench that had been dug between when we came here last week and today. I just _knew_ I should have got out first and checked .. ;)

At least the Disco isn't harmed and looks the part with all the shit and mud all over it. We were lucky not to roll into the water, as we were climbing a bank when all traction went, front wheels simply slid around and dropped us into a 'trough' .. ah well, glad we were there with a friend and his Disco, who had to go for another friend and a serious Series Three with full recovery gear, chains etc etc .. ;)

Don't have any pics of it yet, but we do have an analogue video of the depth we got stuck in and the recovery - Using another Disco and a Series Three in tandem to get me out .. As soon as we can we'll get it onto a webpage, but we don't have a TV in card yet ..

Reply to
Paul - xxx
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A day well spent! I've kept my tirfor for a rainy day.

Reply to
David French

David French tried to scribble ...

Heheheh, yeah .. we got rid of the hi-lift jack and the tirfor when we had to sell the S3. Now we have a Disco and we're starting to use it more off-road we're gonna have to be a tad more self-reliant I think.

First thing is a set of pulling chains, strops and either a Hi-lift or a Tirfor, can't make my mind up yet .. Oh and a decent pair of ground anchors/stakes .. ;)

We would have been OK, I think, if I'd checked the route properly, I just relied on my 'remembering' since last week .. but it's rained since and there's been a trench dug at an angle across where we were trying to climb. If I _had_ checked, I would have seen or felt the trench (under water and mud) and I think we probably wouldn't have tried it in the conditions. Or at least tried it differently .. ;)

It's taught me a couple of really valuable lessons though .. Always off-road with a mate and a full cell-phone account, and double check any 'tough' routes before trying them. Check the water levels are the same as you remember them, and that the ground hasn't changed .. ;)

Reply to
Paul - xxx

On or around Sun, 9 Nov 2003 16:58:16 -0000, "Paul - xxx" enlightened us thusly:

hehe. I learnt that lesson the hard way too. Had to walk about 2 miles to get a local bod with a tractor to extricate it... years ago, with the SII.

If I'd done a proper recce of the ground, I'd have got through easily - it was only deep mud (at least 3') on one side, if I'd kept further over it's not have been a problem.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

That was the exact same cause as my biggest mistake - dunked the Disco because although the water was no deeper than I expected, I couldn't get traction on algae-coated rocks and slithered off into the deep end. High water mark was above the spare wheel at the back, and a couple of inches above the door mirrors at the front. It was a little sphincter-tightening at the time, but thank goodness I'd properly waterproofed the snorkel and air hoses.

D
Reply to
David French

Austin Shackles tried to scribble ...

We considered calling at my sisters farm for the Manitou .. but didn't need it in the end .. ;)

Yeah, the water where I got stuck was only an inch or so deep, and looked

*exactly* the same as last week. Apparently someone, so a local quad-biker told us, had dug a drainage trench around the base of the slope we were starting to climb .. The water was 1" deep, and about 10' across, nothing at all to worry about .. the problem was the slurry base, the trench and mud about 18" deep. The Disco got across, but as soon as we went up the upslope the rear wheels couldn't get traction, the front tyres had so much mud stuck they simply slipped around and stuck us into the trench, with the chassis crossbeam caught across the only hard ground. Only sand, water, slurry and mud beneath the tyres, with the chassis grounded on the hard ridge was not my idea of a great day .. ;)

The other Disco and S3 towing us out couldn't get any grip on the dry sand around the 'pool', and took about an hour of snatching to pull me round to where I could get any grip on my tyres as well, until suddenly, the 'stiction' of the mud gave with a really strange sucking sound, and we shot out backwards ... I was quite a happy bunny .. ;)

As with yourself, if I'd just checked the depth of water AND mud, I'd have found the crossing point .. about a foot to the left of where I was ..

Ah well. It all ended well.

Reply to
Paul - xxx

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