Side B & TTORC Run: Mt Harris - Pics and Vids here
Posted: November 13th, 2011, 6:55 pm
Phew, now reach home and I real tired!
What a run!
Not necessarily the hardest run we've had yet, but still more physically taxing than most. I dunno why I feel so tired, but it was a great run and we all made it in and out with little to no damage (except my Navara).
Basic summarized report:
- met at airport gas station, we all filled up and left a bit late (8:45am)
- decent turnout, approx 15 trucks + 3 TTORC vehicles
- made our way to Wallerfield, and turned into Cumuto, then onto Little Cora Road.
- Went towards Biche heading south, then stopped to check out the "Growing Stone" at Mt Harris
- Entered the trail and things got hopping from there.
- First to stick was the grey Mazda on highway tyres in a small slush pit, he got pulled out by Stingray & The Blu FLu
- Second to get stuck and sustained some damage was Chiney in the red Grand Vitara. He got stuck basically in the same soft spot as the grey Mazda. His front differential was slipping a lot in 4WD, and it eventually failed when he made it up the hill only to get hung up on another rut, there was a loud "BANG" and a puff of smoke as the differential failed and what seemed to be a burnt out front vaccum pump.
- Third to get stuck surprisingly was Jeremy in the Baby Blue ranger. His rear differential got hung up on a hidden rock in the tall-grass along the trail. We got him out by pulling using JonOne's BT-50 on KL71's.
- After the stickage, the next exciting hurdle was a 1 1/2 foot tall tree that had falled across the trail, we all had to cross it by climbing over one-by-one. Lots of guys grated their undersides on the treetrunk, and one or two got hung up but were pulled/lifted out.
- Last part of the trail ended in some very high bush and small trees, meaning that stock vehicles couldn't pass through without risking heavy body damage. Raised vehicles & those with mud tyres could go, but we didn't want to break our group up and leave some behind.
- Decision was made - turn around and then just head to the beach. So we turned around, some of us almost stepped on a hidden Mapipire snake, and we successfully got the Red Grand Vitara out of the trail up a hill in 4x2 mode.
- Last part of the run: we went to Manzanilla to the River Mouth to sit and eat lunch. Unfortunately the tide was a highest point so the entire beach and rivermouth was covered in water, hence we couldn't lime on the sand and drive around. We left soon after eating and split into the two respective groups - one headed to Sangre Grande and the other headed to Mayaro/Rio Claro and eventually south.
Here are the pics, or at least the ones I had time to take.
All-in-all, a good run.
Couple minor stuck vehicles at first, but took care of that easily enough.
Shame that the trail ended and we couldn't go all the way through. Was too overgrown and we'd end up damaging our trucks.
Glad that everyone made it out safe and sound, relatively little damage (I ripped out my stone shield in the Navara under the engine, kept bottoming out in the deep ruts and dragging the front chassis cross-member.)
Saw some guys who we haven't seen in a while, good to run with allyuh again.
Special Thanks goes out to the TTORC guys who came out and took us on this run. Was a real honor to have you guys show us the trail and had y'all guiding most of us through.
Let's hope maybe next time we'll make it all the way!
Keep On Truckin'
What a run!
Not necessarily the hardest run we've had yet, but still more physically taxing than most. I dunno why I feel so tired, but it was a great run and we all made it in and out with little to no damage (except my Navara).
Basic summarized report:
- met at airport gas station, we all filled up and left a bit late (8:45am)
- decent turnout, approx 15 trucks + 3 TTORC vehicles
- made our way to Wallerfield, and turned into Cumuto, then onto Little Cora Road.
- Went towards Biche heading south, then stopped to check out the "Growing Stone" at Mt Harris
- Entered the trail and things got hopping from there.
- First to stick was the grey Mazda on highway tyres in a small slush pit, he got pulled out by Stingray & The Blu FLu
- Second to get stuck and sustained some damage was Chiney in the red Grand Vitara. He got stuck basically in the same soft spot as the grey Mazda. His front differential was slipping a lot in 4WD, and it eventually failed when he made it up the hill only to get hung up on another rut, there was a loud "BANG" and a puff of smoke as the differential failed and what seemed to be a burnt out front vaccum pump.
- Third to get stuck surprisingly was Jeremy in the Baby Blue ranger. His rear differential got hung up on a hidden rock in the tall-grass along the trail. We got him out by pulling using JonOne's BT-50 on KL71's.
- After the stickage, the next exciting hurdle was a 1 1/2 foot tall tree that had falled across the trail, we all had to cross it by climbing over one-by-one. Lots of guys grated their undersides on the treetrunk, and one or two got hung up but were pulled/lifted out.
- Last part of the trail ended in some very high bush and small trees, meaning that stock vehicles couldn't pass through without risking heavy body damage. Raised vehicles & those with mud tyres could go, but we didn't want to break our group up and leave some behind.
- Decision was made - turn around and then just head to the beach. So we turned around, some of us almost stepped on a hidden Mapipire snake, and we successfully got the Red Grand Vitara out of the trail up a hill in 4x2 mode.
- Last part of the run: we went to Manzanilla to the River Mouth to sit and eat lunch. Unfortunately the tide was a highest point so the entire beach and rivermouth was covered in water, hence we couldn't lime on the sand and drive around. We left soon after eating and split into the two respective groups - one headed to Sangre Grande and the other headed to Mayaro/Rio Claro and eventually south.
Here are the pics, or at least the ones I had time to take.
All-in-all, a good run.
Couple minor stuck vehicles at first, but took care of that easily enough.
Shame that the trail ended and we couldn't go all the way through. Was too overgrown and we'd end up damaging our trucks.
Glad that everyone made it out safe and sound, relatively little damage (I ripped out my stone shield in the Navara under the engine, kept bottoming out in the deep ruts and dragging the front chassis cross-member.)
Saw some guys who we haven't seen in a while, good to run with allyuh again.
Special Thanks goes out to the TTORC guys who came out and took us on this run. Was a real honor to have you guys show us the trail and had y'all guiding most of us through.
Let's hope maybe next time we'll make it all the way!
Keep On Truckin'
