My last words on the recent CR-V incident.

Hindsight is as they say “20/20 vision”, so with the benefit of hindsight I’ll try to look at a few mistakes.
First, as many have said there was the poor information provided by the person requesting assistance, There’s a great deal of difference between the first message of “I’m stuck near Swansea” or the next indications saying that he had a Honda CR-V and he had dropped off a track and a 4x4 should be able to pull him out and what transpired as his vehicle was not just off-road but off-piste and at the bottom of a 45 degree drop, not just a slight incline. As the requester had said.

Which brings me to the first couple of mistakes:-
  • Taking the requester’s version of events as the truth
  • Assuming that the requester had already walked the route when he first left his vehicle and informed me that it was OK for my Disco, this included such “advice” as “It’s just over this little dip”.
  • Assuming that anywhere that a CR-V could go, a Discovery could go. As it happened, getting there was the easy bit.
That brings me to the subject of preparation.

First off, everybody is going to think that this is about the vehicle, and yes, primarily it is but not just the health of the vehicle and the state of the available equipment, but also the health of the driver. Like so many people, I still refuse to grow old, but as the events showed, I’m not as fit as I used to be, being totally honest, I probably wouldn’t have been able to walk the entire route, or keep my feet had I tried. So before I attempt anything like that in the future would somebody please slap me across the chops and remind me of this incident.
Another mistake by me was to assume it would be a quick in and out, and based on the available information, that’s how it looked so I wasn’t prepared with wet weather gear, just a pair of trainers and jogging trousers, which did get wet resulting in me having to sit in the vehicle for longer than I have ever done before with my legs just feeling more and more uncomfortable from the cold. So when you’re considering your preparedness for an incident, consider whether you are physically able to handle the job, obviously I was not.
I have turned out in the past to Disco owners stuck for a fault which could be cleared with a Nanocom, and I will continue to do so if ever I’m asked, likewise I’d turn out to help convey people to a warm and safe environment while the recovery of the vehicle is handled by others. I might even turn out should a member requiring assistance with a "vehicle anchor" for winching, but considering what my Discovery is equipped for and what it’s capable of, I don’t think I’ll ever think of turning out as the number 1 vehicle on a recovery again.
Well done Brian for your honest review of the situation. Many lessons for all to learn there...
 
My last words on the recent CR-V incident.

Hindsight is as they say “20/20 vision”, so with the benefit of hindsight I’ll try to look at a few mistakes.
First, as many have said there was the poor information provided by the person requesting assistance, There’s a great deal of difference between the first message of “I’m stuck near Swansea” or the next indications saying that he had a Honda CR-V and he had dropped off a track and a 4x4 should be able to pull him out and what transpired as his vehicle was not just off-road but off-piste and at the bottom of a 45 degree drop, not just a slight incline. As the requester had said.

Which brings me to the first couple of mistakes:-
  • Taking the requester’s version of events as the truth
  • Assuming that the requester had already walked the route when he first left his vehicle and informed me that it was OK for my Disco, this included such “advice” as “It’s just over this little dip”.
  • Assuming that anywhere that a CR-V could go, a Discovery could go. As it happened, getting there was the easy bit.
That brings me to the subject of preparation.

First off, everybody is going to think that this is about the vehicle, and yes, primarily it is but not just the health of the vehicle and the state of the available equipment, but also the health of the driver. Like so many people, I still refuse to grow old, but as the events showed, I’m not as fit as I used to be, being totally honest, I probably wouldn’t have been able to walk the entire route, or keep my feet had I tried. So before I attempt anything like that in the future would somebody please slap me across the chops and remind me of this incident.
Another mistake by me was to assume it would be a quick in and out, and based on the available information, that’s how it looked so I wasn’t prepared with wet weather gear, just a pair of trainers and jogging trousers, which did get wet resulting in me having to sit in the vehicle for longer than I have ever done before with my legs just feeling more and more uncomfortable from the cold. So when you’re considering your preparedness for an incident, consider whether you are physically able to handle the job, obviously I was not.
I have turned out in the past to Disco owners stuck for a fault which could be cleared with a Nanocom, and I will continue to do so if ever I’m asked, likewise I’d turn out to help convey people to a warm and safe environment while the recovery of the vehicle is handled by others. I might even turn out should a member requiring assistance with a "vehicle anchor" for winching, but considering what my Discovery is equipped for and what it’s capable of, I don’t think I’ll ever think of turning out as the number 1 vehicle on a recovery again.
This was one if the more extreme situations. You both did well to do what you did. A request for help on here can be i need a nanacom in suburbia in me drive, i will provide tea and biccies right up to im off piste in an unsuitable uninsured vehicle up a mountain in Wales in the middle of december. Don't be dismayed. And appling hindsight means it becomes foresight. Worth its weight in gold.
 
This was one if the more extreme situations. You both did well to do what you did. A request for help on here can be i need a nanacom in suburbia in me drive, i will provide tea and biccies right up to im off piste in an unsuitable uninsured vehicle up a mountain in Wales in the middle of december. Don't be dismayed. And appling hindsight means it becomes foresight. Worth its weight in gold.

If the request that had come in had actually said "I'm off piste in an unsuitable uninsured vehicle up a mountain in Wales in the middle of december" then there wouldnt have been any problems ;)
 
If the request that had come in had actually said "I'm off piste in an unsuitable uninsured vehicle up a mountain in Wales in the middle of december" then there wouldnt have been any problems ;)

That is unlikely. But the chap could have said something like.

" Hello LZIR. I have got my Honda CRV stuck in a difficult situation, on a steep and slippery private road in South Wales.
However, the vehicle has been stuck for a few days, and is of very low value, I do not need it urgently.
And the track has probably not been used ,except by sheep, for months.
So if any kind members, with very able vehicles, and recovery equipment, fancy a jolly, I would be grateful if they could come out on the next nice day, and try and extract the vehicle for me."

That would have been a bit more honest, but still produced the same result, and without much risk to anyone.
 
That is unlikely. But the chap could have said something like.

" Hello LZIR. I have got my Honda CRV stuck in a difficult situation, on a steep and slippery private road in South Wales.
However, the vehicle has been stuck for a few days, and is of very low value, I do not need it urgently.
And the track has probably not been used ,except by sheep, for months.
So if any kind members, with very able vehicles, and recovery equipment, fancy a jolly, I would be grateful if they could come out on the next nice day, and try and extract the vehicle for me."

That would have been a bit more honest, but still produced the same result, and without much risk to anyone.

if something like that had been written here or on FB , then I expect a few people would have been able to make a group rescue / training day from it.

Cheers
 
brian fairplay you done great ,never put yourself down .the thing was it must have been very slippy boggy on that slope because ive got quaife diffs and new a t bf tyres and in low range diff lock and hight i tried lots of different angles to get back and it wasn,t havin any of it .myself included would of never gone 30 foot down that slope if i had another couple of recovery ropes ive got 4 but just bought another 3 and a ground anchor just incase :)) .. well done brian 47 im like 45 but bieng like 70 and going up there awsome fairplay ;)
 
brian fairplay you done great ,never put yourself down .the thing was it must have been very slippy boggy on that slope because ive got quaife diffs and new a t bf tyres and in low range diff lock and hight i tried lots of different angles to get back and it wasn,t havin any of it .myself included would of never gone 30 foot down that slope if i had another couple of recovery ropes ive got 4 but just bought another 3 and a ground anchor just incase :)) .. well done brian 47 im like 45 but bieng like 70 and going up there awsome fairplay ;)

Thin soil, and wet grass, over rock, is like a skating rink. I was pretty impressed that either of you got up there. I would have been crawling, and had a spotter out ahead to guide me.
 
yeah i know what you mean buy that guy was in the passenger seat of my landy saying its only just down by there you can go down further its ok and i stopped saying i dont think so i could feel it so stopped , but when i got out and realised how far down the other vehicles were it was then i had a doubt , if you seen the well not even track up to it you would not belive it i used low range to get up to the top ,but hay ho ive learned for future reference .thing is my mate and i used to go green lane ing and always walked it first ,but this guy was not a spring chicken he seemed about 50 odd so i did think well hes walked it a few times like lol
 
Come on it can't of been that bad... the crv got there... ;)
I think it fell oft the "track" when he reversed after a failed hill climb. Probably reversed oft the track.
Would be nice to know how they get it out but I think crv man will be put oft from posting on ere again due to what's been said.
 
Come on it can't of been that bad... the crv got there... ;)
I think it fell oft the "track" when he reversed after a failed hill climb. Probably reversed oft the track.
Would be nice to know how they get it out but I think crv man will be put oft from posting on ere again due to what's been said.

A Crv aint as useless as a Freelander! :rolleyes:

No idea how it got there, but on that track, once you got a bit of wheelspin, you could get a bit of sideslip too. And with only a foot or so either side of the wheels, it is a very fine margin of error.
The tyres are totally unsuitable for that terrain as well. Road tyres, and balding at that.
 
Come on it can't of been that bad... the crv got there... ;)
I think it fell oft the "track" when he reversed after a failed hill climb. Probably reversed oft the track.
Would be nice to know how they get it out but I think crv man will be put oft from posting on ere again due to what's been said.
Does/did anyone every expect him to post again?
 
if something like that had been written here or on FB , then I expect a few people would have been able to make a group rescue / training day from it.

Cheers

Damn right ... ;) Like I said earlier, it's a pity it's a private track ...
 

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