My day playing...

[Alterastro]

Because we had to cancel the safari this morning, I was bored and suffering from mud withdrawal. I thought I'd do a reccy of the local lanes in and around Reigate. They are mostly tarmac lanes and not very long, but you don't know unless you try  . The last one I tried was Byway 479 - Buckland Lane. I'd never heard of it before and all was ok and pretty normal until I got to where it narrows and drops down a hill. I had my Daughter Beth with me and she said 'Cor are we going down there?" So I did the sensible thing and parked up and started walking it. It was a bit muddy but seemed ok. We got about half way down and I said yeah lets got and get the Paj...

Back at the car we met two cyclists who were very friendly and asked if we were going down. I said yes, but after you. They smirked and said no, they wanted to see me go down. Anyway, all was going swimmingly until I got about 1km down, to where a fence starts. There is a slight camber there and then a slope down to trees. I went very slowly, but needless to say, because of the wet weather, she started sliding  . Clean underwear number one. So I slowly reversed, but she was still sliding down the camber heading for the slope. I had two choices... Floor it forward and hope to get onto the flat path further on or try to reverse back the way I had come. The trouble with the first option was the slope, a large tree in the general direction I needed to go and the fact that I didn't know where the lane went and I might have to come back and do it all agin the other way. So I decided on option two... With some very slow manoevering I managed to get off the open slope and back to the safety of a row of trees. however, the row of trees were still on the camber and no matter what I tried I couldn't get away from them! By this time it was getting dark and I was trying to think what the hell I could do.

I thought of ringing TT, who lives not far away, but didn't think he'd be too keen on following me down in an Evo!

So I kept at it and evetually managed to break away from the trees. I then had to reverse all the way up!

So there you have it! I really didn't know we had any lanes like that around here. Aparently, Tim told me at the bottom there is a causeway with a 30ft drop each side  . Flipping glad I didn't go on!

Moral of the story:
1. There can be some great lanes just around the corner.
2. Don't go out alone if you don't know where you are going
3. Take spare underwear
4. Don't rely on local friends with Evo's 

Seems like a good lane in the dry tho! No sign of the cyclists when I got back to the top though. I guess they buggered off! I did get the whole thing on video though - one for the library 

Anyway rant over - underwear changed and car in one piece thankfully!

Cheers

Nick

[TinyTim]

And let that be a lesson to you ! 

Actually you were on the good bit there - there is worse at the bottom!

I would have driven to the bottom and walked up to you 

Best done going uphill and in company in case you need to rope to something quickly.

[m3ncl]

glad to here you survived your adventure.....and kept ya y,s fronts clean pmsl

[ANDREW]

sounds good m8

[TinyTim]

There is another moral to this story I forgot to pass on that might help others avoid this in future.

Look at the contours on the OS map.
Notice that the lane runs along the contours for a good distance.
This means there is very likely a side slope.

Then consider the weather and check just how slippery things are.

Put these facts together and you have a recipe for trouble. 

[cowboy]

Helped to pass the time

[LePaj]

   well well well! 

Consider the  "what if's" and what you have in place to deal with them? simple things like an alternator failure at night, or puncture and your on your own and stuck? even on an easy lane can be challenging?

Recce, yes but never alone

I think you just learnt a few things there could have gone horribly wrong but glad you got out OK.

[dj-phatphunker]

mmm i think we can say nick has learnt a valuble leson on this one !"!

[Alterastro]

Yeah, lesson learned and wrists slapped 

Just goes to show, even innoculous looking lanes can turn

evil

 

[TinyTim]

Good on ya for coming clean about it though 

[Chastiser]

Good on ya for coming clean about it though 

indeed, that way others can learn and perhaps not end up in a worse situation. its also worth remembering that even a lane you know well can change since the last time you drove it, due to weather etc. so care still needs to be taken.

Mike

[ANDREW]

true  pools can get deeper

[joker777]

tune in next weekend for another installment of 'When lanes go bad' 

[ANDREW]

 

[TinyTim]

Same channel as "When alternators go south"