Trip Report: Cobaw 4wd day 09AUG08

[El_Freddo]

As you know and may have already seen some pics of the "Big day out" - which it was, here's my story about the day...

My day started out a very cold one, this is the ice formation on the roof of baz, my sister's L series:



I got my oil change done before heading off to meet everyone at Carlsruhe:




As usual, it was foggy in Carlsruhe and sunny back where I live, its 10 minutes from eachother yet are in different climate zones...

Mick didn't have time to straighten out his cruiser, so he employed Heath's mighty subi




Before entering the forest we checked out the map on the new display board, AlpineRaven gave us a neat pose, keep up the good work AP




I didn't know where to start, so we headed to the lower end of stumpy's track:



^Suberman




^Heath




^ Ruby Scoo having some fun

[El_Freddo]

^Alpine Raven

I didn't realise that it was Suberman's first time out 4wding. He decided to save his Liberty for another time and checked out what the rest of us do.


Heath moving down the track:







Alpine Raven coming down the end of stumpy's track

[El_Freddo]

^ at this point the rear of AP's lib decided to take its own path with the help of gravity...




^Heath on the same part of the track

We missed out on some stills of Mick's beast on this and the next track, but this is a subi forum so we'd have to put this part of the post in the "off topic" section anyway...

The next track we looked at was a bit smooth but had a little side track to it that Mick and Heath had a go at. Here's Heath's efforts:













Heath's subi matched that of the Landcruser's.

And another shot at it - "ding, ding!" Round two:






It was a good shot at it but the ruts kept directing where the wheels were to go. Both car's got stuck in the same spot...

[El_Freddo]

On Heath's way down he got some directions from a cruiser driver, mick... This was pretty good:




But here's the reason why you don't get directions from a cruiser driver:




After some playing around, the subi not able to get off the rock under its own steam, mick got his beast out - I think he did this for his own bragging rights against heath:



Lucky for us - and especially heath - the rock came off second best.

The "subi bunch" after the rock incident:




After that track we cruised around "the block" to get Suberman's car and head up to the other side of the range to go to lunch. While Dave was trying to get his car Heath had a go at the upper part of Stumpy's track:









This section of track was no worries for Heath to get up - I didn't get around to the track, I was a little wary about doing it on roadies with no lift...

After a tow by the cruiser we got Suberman's lib out from the lower end of stumpy's track and on way to the BBQ. I cut some trees off the road to make an easier path, here's the boys lining up in wait:

[El_Freddo]

Here's the subi line up at lunch, sunnie and Gail joined us for a feed:




And typical Victorian weather, it started raining on and off as we had lunch so we got this setup happening:




And the entire scene:




After lunch we went for a hill climb, again having to move a tree at the top of the track that was down.
This is Mick near the top of the hill climb, through the burnt trees you can see the surrounding area:




And Heath in the same area:




Here's the Vic crew that made the journey up here and around the area:




After this section we headed out for a bit of a hill climb, the longest one I know of in the forest - the rain was coming down harder. I was first cab off the rank. Ruby Scoo went well, loosing traction and momentum early on, the rear "hunted" around, grabbed and off we went again. It was a really good climb!

Then we found some puddles to play in, I wasn't game on this one first up and had thought of letting Mick through first, Heath ploughed on in with confidence til his nose suddenly dropped into the water and he stopped, here's the tow out:



And the engine bay with a classic quote from Mick at this site "Geez she's a bit damp mate!" A bit of WD40 or "start ya b*****d" and the MY was off again.

[El_Freddo]

We cruised around the area having a go at a bit of everything before having a go at a track Heath and I were eyeing off before lunch. At this point I was really getting into it and wanted more...




Sunnie arrived for a squiz while everyone gathered around to talk about "stuff":




I'd like to thank everyone who turned up for the day and I'm confident that everyone enjoyed themselves. It was great to meet some more vic members too. I'd especially like to thank Heath for asking to organise this, if that hadn't have happened, we'd still be sitting around doing nothing about a Vic 4wd session.

I'm keen to go out again soon if I can squeeze it in, there are still plenty of tracks in that forest to check out. Who's free when?

I'd also like to acknowledge that these photos were taken by everyone on the day, I've borrowed a few from Suberman's Big Day Out thread to fill the gaps in my collection...

I'm looking forward to the next meet. I'll be working on a video between uni work too, you'll know when that's out.

Cheers

Bennie

[heath]

i had i ball thanks for organising it and thank your olds for the use of there property for lunch. and as mick an i said you just tell us the date for the next trip an well be there. but i think noojee would be the go i no my way around there

[Suberman]

I didn't realise that it was Suberman's first time out 4wding. He decided to save his Liberty for another time and checked out what the rest of us do.

Yeah, after Mick towing me out twice from Stumpies track, I thought I'd leave a bit of clutch for the trip home:oops: I should have switched to petrol as the gas seemed to rev much higher trying to get power. A bit more clearance, a bash plate and diff cover will help too. I had a great day though, meeting everyone, and thanks for organising so well El Freddo.

This footage is me checking out the options trying to get up Stumpies before I got stuck again and radioed for Mick.

[El_Freddo]

i had i ball thanks for organising it and thank your olds for the use of there property for lunch. and as mick an i said you just tell us the date for the next trip an well be there.

No worries about organising it, I'm glad a few more rocked up this time!

I shall thank my pero's for you next time I see them.

The next trip I'm organising will be on the weekend of 27-28 September, a two day, 1 night with camp on the back hill

Suberman, do you think you'd have the lib with a bash plate at the very least by then?

Cheers

Bennie

[Suberman]

No worries about organising it, I'm glad a few more rocked up this time!...
Suberman, do you think you'd have the lib with a bash plate at the very least by then?

Cheers

Bennie

Yeah, and I'm trying to arrange with Alpine Raven to have struts and shockers put in soon. Problem is, I'm likely to be halfway to Cape York by then. I'm off prospecting in about a month.












Stumpies Track effort. The wheels were spinning, the rear swinging. I still don't know how fast the tree was going when it ran into me.

[El_Freddo]

Thanks Dave, the one time I've actually got the chainsaw bar wedged you get it on film! Cutting trees that have weight on them like that makes me nervous for that exact reason...

If everyone could burn their video footage of the day onto a dvd in a format that can be played on quick time or something of the like and direct it my way I can get started on the video clip.

Cheers

Bennie

[Suberman]

Hehe, sorry man, it wasn't done to show you up. Just a record of the day.
Would you like me to edit/ put a 'censored' sticker across those bits

I"ll put the vids onto dvd in the original avi. Pm me your postal address.

[Alex]

Thanks Dave, the one time I've actually got the chainsaw bar wedged you get it on film! Cutting trees that have weight on them like that makes me nervous for that exact reason...

If everyone could burn their video footage of the day onto a dvd in a format that can be played on quick time or something of the like and direct it my way I can get started on the video clip.

Cheers

Bennie

haha...looks like you fellas had fun!

good work with the chainsaw Bennie LOL

alex

[D3V1L]

bahahhahahahhaahha bennie bennie the chainsaw man!!


lol

dave

[GTlegs]

All you need now is a hokey mask Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Hehe, sorry man, it wasn't done to show you up. Just a record of the day.
Would you like me to edit/ put a 'censored' sticker across those bits

Nah she's right... Its murphy's law... I got it out so was happy with that - I didn't want to go looking for an axe or "snatching" the tree with only the bar left in place hoping that the tree would let go.

Alex, you're spot on the money there mate, I want more now. I was really getting into it at the end of the day - probabily cos we'd picked a few tracks and discussed them at lunch but didn't get to them before the bright thing went down...

Cheers

Bennie

[GTlegs]

I need a 4wd basher

[El_Freddo]

I need a 4wd basher

You could borrow the sherpa for now - although its only 2wd its a 2 cylinder beast

[El_Freddo]

And FINALLY, the much awaited video!

It only took 5 attempts to upload it And only footage from the video tape camera has been used on this clip.

Enjoy!

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sIxYWPWEk

Cheers

Bennie

PS - there's heaps of videos in the cobaw forest! I've never thought to look it up...

[Phizinza]

We missed out on some stills of Mick's beast on this and the next track, but this is a subi forum so we'd have to put this part of the post in the "off topic" section anyway...

See, I don't understand why people have problems with that. I mean we're victims of this behavior in over groups, so why do we get all stupid about it. Subaru's aren't the only thing out there.

Nice tracks, One day I'll make it over to Vic in a 4wd...