The Bush bites Hard if you don't respect it

I've been lucky enough to have 2 long weekends in a row. First one up in the Vic High Country with @AB @MB @Rossco @matfew and have to say it was as good as it gets.

Last weekend I headed down into the bottom of the Otways with my 11yo boy Zach and my nephew Matt and his mate Tom for a Deer Hunting and Stalking weekend.

All went well and Zach and I got out for our first stalk together on Saturday night. Not much about but the walk was great. Zach enjoyed the walk too.

Hung about Sunday then did another big walk Sunday evening. Not much about unfortunately. All good. By dinner time Sunday I was Knackered! I'm a big bloke and I'd walked about 10kms Sunday with half of that up hill! Bloody Otways! Love that place.

So here's the story.

My nephew Matt has recently bought a GU patrol and has not had it out 4wding really yet and his mate Tom has done a little off-roading.

Sunday night I hit the swag around 9:30 with Zach for an early rise. It had been a big day. 2:30am my phone wakes me.........

"Matt!"
"Yeah hi, .......um we went for a drive.."
"Yeah right! Your stuck yeah?"
"We got bogged"
"Yeah right"
"We will come back and get the car tomorrow, don't worry about that, can you come and get us? It's a long walk!"

So I left Zach sleeping and took my GU out to where they'd told me they were which was only 4kms or so away. Here they are on the side of the track, both with rifles and gear waiting for a ride!

"You idiot!"
"Yeah"
"Where's the car?"
"It's down that track but we should come back tomorrow, we can't go down there now! You will get stuck! "
"Wtf! Where is it" "I need to see it so I know what we are coming back too"
"But but but"
"Show me where the bloody thing is"

Down we drive, along a track for another km. Get to a T intersection and they tell me to turn right.

"Yeah it's down there. The track is not on the map but we thought it looked ok"

Read that again!!!

" The track is not on the map but we thought it looked ok" at 2am in the middle of Winter in the Otways!! Seriously!!

"Right! Well let's go have a look"

So I drove into the track as far as I could without any obstacles and stopped at the top of a decent. They told me the car was "Just down there"

Head torch on we headed down the hill on foot. The boys had mentioned they'd come back Monday with Tom's Rodeo and a snatch block and get the car.... About 100m down the hill and I'm struggling to stand

"You guys are in some big trouble! This ain't good gents, you are not getting this car out with anything we have got!" " this is rough country guys, we are gunna need a bigger car!!"

The further I went in the worse I felt about where we were headed. The young fellas had no idea how much shit they were in. Anything coming to get them had to be able self recover cause nothing was driving out. It was a oneway hill. The last thing I wanted to do was put my GU down there too and have 2 car needing recovery! Damn!

"Where's the car gents?"
"Just down here"
2 hills crests later...
"Where's the bloody car gents! Seriously didn't you know by the time you got to this point that you where fucked???" "Jesus!"

Down down down! Finally we get to a crest and I look down maybe a 30d wet muddy hill and here is the GU, 45 degrees across the track in a World of hurt!

"We Are Fucked gents!!!" Is all I could say!

I live for this stuff and clearly understood how deep in the hole we were! The young fellas were getting a little nervous seeing how concerned I was! Don't get me wrong, this is where I play in the GQ, live for it! But the GQ is in bits and it's 3am 2 hours from Geelong on a Sunday night. This is Not Tractor country. This is Tracked Vehicles (bull Dozers) kind of mud. Comp truck country, 37s big power, 24v twin motor Himount kind of country! Big trouble for the unprepared. My name here MudRunner is all about hills like this. But today we are in a GU with an alloy bull bar, no lift, no winch, and a first time driver who has never participated in a recovery at any level before.

RESPECT THE BUSH! It will Bite Hard if you pay it Lip Service gents.

Damn! So we walk out and back up the hill which nearlly killed me after the previous day's stalking. I get to my GU about 3am. While I had good phone service I started a small group on Facebook and added 5 blokes i knew with race cars that where capable and asked for help. At about 7am I got a couple of Sorry can't help messages but one of the blokes new someone who might have his car ready. Added him to the group and he messaged me.

I'd never met Brett but without hesitation he loaded up his Racecar onto a car trailer 2 weeks before the next Patrolapart Winch Challenge event and towed it 2 hours behind his 4.8 into the bottom of the Otways to give me a hand. Great bloke.

We went down in daylight, the comptruck slid the second half of the hill!! It was going to be a long day!!

This is what we found

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...017/06/116.jpg

Was not great.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...017/06/117.jpg

From down below the car looking back up

He was lucky to stop where he did! Lucky lucky lucky.

So the recovery saw the winch truck get stuck quite a few times too and he recovered himself 6 or 7 times at least!

We had to winch up and use a snatch block to pull it sideways to clear a stump. The winch had a short rope so straps and heaps of shackles where needed. Each time we had to reset we tethered the car to a tree to reset. It was hard work. Technical and challenging, but I had a blast!!!

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...017/06/118.jpg

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...017/06/119.jpg

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It was a tough day.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...017/06/125.jpg

My navi got skills!!


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New screen saver

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4 hours later and no less that 15 winch pulls and we got the GU turned around and into a spot where we could tether it to the GQ. We joined the cars with an 11t snatch strap.

The Comp truck gave it everything. Neither car could get any traction. At one point the GQ was winching up the hill with the GU getting dragged up too!!

Twin motor Himount on 24v is where it's at!!!!!!

Once we got both cars to a mid section that was drivable I got in the drivers seat of the GU. Tethered to the GQ we went for it. Full noise. No prisoners! We drove the last hill! The GQ covered me in mud, I had 10% vision out the windscreen and just kept a saying on the radio keep going I'm still here!! Go go go!! All I could see was a tail light!! Mad!! Was an awesome run up the hill!

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...017/06/127.jpg

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At the top Zach was offered the Navi seat in the Comp Trick for the trip back to the Trailer! Lucky Little bugger!!

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...017/06/130.jpg

Think he had a good weekend

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...017/06/131.jpg

Respect the bush gents, it is unforgiving. Fortunately my network was able to help me but damn it would have been a whole other story if it was anyone else! Matt got Lucky!

Big thanks to Brett and Jason who came down and helps us out! Epic it was!



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That's gold Daz & Zachy, muddy team bloody effort all :-)
How old and rich is your nephew mate, I drove shitboxes till late 30's, that's a too nice of a truck for that 'leave it' overnight :-) !

Yeah it was going nowhere and no one was going down there. I think he was embarrassed to make such a mess of it and didn't want to show me till the morning hoping it would all get better then! Lol. I didn't get angry or really give him any crap. No point. He got Plenty of perspective on Monday when it became hard work. His job was to sit in his car and ride it out. He was pretty stressed most of the day. Lol.

He learn a lot! He humbly acknowledges how badly he got it wrong.

Good man he'd be joining you now :-) !
On a side note, do truly now see your passion for 24v powering HM's in that slippery crud down there mate. Give us rocks & shail anyday hey @AB @Rossco ;-)

Wow that's epic daz, so lucky to get away without a scratch or dent it's sitting inches from that tree, crazy.

Guess a lesson well learnt but i reckon most of us have been somewhere similar in the past, know I sure have a couple of times. As long as no one gets hurt definatly a lesson that stays with you for a long while.

Despite the debacle looks like heaps of fun, guess it would have made up for our lack of winching the other weekend. . .

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Thanks for sharing the story, it was a great read and reminds my why I hate mud :)

Mudrunner that was a brilliant Family Team building excercise one that will be laughed ,ribbed and joked about for the annuals of time ,because Zack will no doubt like to remind you lot of everything he did and how good he was at it .Top shite boys !!

What a great story and pics to prove it :)
I got enough from your story to never have to try that myself...

Great story Daz and a great experience for all those involved, Zach will never forget it.
Do you think you could have got it out with your GQ? I have yet to see this mythical GQ. ;)

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Originally Posted by TPC

I have yet to see this mythical GQ. ;)

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It exists.......... I've seen it!

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Originally Posted by Rossco

Wow that's epic daz, so lucky to get away without a scratch or dent it's sitting inches from that tree, crazy.

Guess a lesson well learnt but i reckon most of us have been somewhere similar in the past, know I sure have a couple of times. As long as no one gets hurt definatly a lesson that stays with you for a long while.

Despite the debacle looks like heaps of fun, guess it would have made up for our lack of winching the other weekend. . .

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I actually enjoyed every minute of it to be honest, was a tough day but there no real stress and no arrogant or demanding people on the hill. We just got it done and everyone went home safe.

I don't think Matt got why I was not angry with him, truth be told your on the money Rossco, every one of us has been there, I certainly have and will remember those lessons for ever. He grew a little on that hill and that's a good thing.

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Originally Posted by dads tractor

Mudrunner that was a brilliant Family Team building excercise one that will be laughed ,ribbed and joked about for the annuals of time ,because Zack will no doubt like to remind you lot of everything he did and how good he was at it .Top shite boys !!

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Hahaha! Matty said I can't believe your not angry. I'm like " mate! You know you can't undo this! It's forever! I own you!! Hehehe!"

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Originally Posted by TPC

Great story Daz and a great experience for all those involved, Zach will never forget it.
Do you think you could have got it out with your GQ? I have yet to see this mythical GQ. ;)

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Yeah was frustrating because I would have just gone home and swapped cars. Would have had no trouble sorting it out with the GQ. Might go back for a look when it's going :p A few mates are already asking whether it's worth another look. Hehehehe.

Yeah Zach fair dinkum had a Rippa weekend. 200 rounds out of the .22 for fun, a few stalking walks, a big muddy recovery, he hasn't really seen one before and he was actively participating which was fantastic, and then a fast run in the comp truck wearing full race harnesses and hanging on to the Roll Cage! He might have taken a couple of pics to school ;) :p

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Originally Posted by MudRunnerTD

I actually enjoyed every minute of it to be honest, was a tough day but there no real stress and no arrogant or demanding people on the hill. We just got it done and everyone went home safe.

I don't think Matt got why I was not angry with him, truth be told your on the money Rossco, every one of us has been there, I certainly have and will remember those lessons for ever. He grew a little on that hill and that's a good thing.

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Agree, your nephew will grow and learn immensely from this and he'll be an infinitely better offroad driver because of it. I know I had my "awakening" from my police rescue incident, but that's a campfire story with trusted companions, not for here! Similar in so many ways: new to 4x4, inexperienced, under-prepared, under-equipped, the long hike out, etc etc! Ahh the memories!