The Highland Enduro

Note: To increase performance, this story has been paginated and all images rendered into thumbnail links. Each image with a colored border can be clicked upon to call up a larger full size image, complete with a full caption regarding that picture.

After about half an hour Tony, Andy and myself decided to go for hill No. 2. We watched Team "Thunderbex" trying very hard to bring their IBEXES up that hill. It looked like hard work from the distance. On the way down, we came across the Landrovers, to find them still playing in more or less the same mudhole were we left them. We offered them our help with the result that I had to bring out my winch- cable for the first time that day, because I drove in a nice little hole, as one can see on the picture. Out came my Pul-Pal and after the second try, out came my car. I must say, even in peat, this ground anchor made quite an impression on me. - Don't leave home without it. - and don't forget the metaldetector, because they can dig in deep.

On the way to hill No. 2 we had to pass a nice little spot were we watched the Redcoats spending quite some time (hours) to get through. After a good inspection Tony, Andy and I decided that bypassing the whole thing, would make the way up to No. 2 much easier and therefore we went for that option.. So pretty soon we reached an other plateau were we came for the first time to talk to some of the famous Team "Thunderbex". The tyres fitted to most of their Ibexes were quite impressiv and I must say I haven't seen anything like that before here in the U.K. They called them Terra-tyres and looked very American (U.S.) to me. The ones fitted to my Jeep® are 33 x 12,50 so theirs must have been something like 33 x 18 !!!??? After a brief chat we learned that they were on No. 2 and wonted to go on to No. 3. Because of the limited time left with daylight they changed their mind and headed for No. 1. Before I reached the next little plateau I got stuck and Tony had to pull me out. Now we caught up with the Redcoats and they gave me a good opportunity to play my favourite game: " Rescue Landrovers ". First Larry, then Brian and then Keith.

The next stage was a short little hillclimb but sort of slippery. Larry was already bussy winching. Again after carefully looking at the possibilities, I chose a different way and overtook Larry by simply driving around the hill. Tony and Keith followed my route and so we gathered to look at the next step. Now this was a climb, I was sure I had to winch and wanted to get my groundanchor from my car without even trying to drive it first. But I forgot the Landrover lads. " Don't you want to drive it ? "... " I'm sure you can make it."..." Come on, show us how to do it." I'm sure deep down they wanted to see me fail. - Did I have something to proof ??!! . . . . No. - - or yes ??? - - Eh, guys the "Legend is back" !!! . . . Off I went in 2nd low and just before I came to the steep bit, I changed in 3rd. The car flew up the bank and just before we reached the top, it hit a nice little bump. It seemed for a moment that all 4 wheels were up in the air. When back down I thought that's it and I have to reverse back down, when suddenly the tyres found traction somewhere, somehow and my Jeep® crept slowly over the edge to safety. All the lads were cheering and clapping and I must say, I was even more surprised that I did it, then they. Larry meant: " A bit cheeky changing in 3rd ..."
- - Remember: " The Legend is back!!! " - - ( The car, not the driver )
After that " With a little help from a friend "( in a black Wrangler ), we all made it to the top of No. 2. By now it was about 1640 hours and the daylight was fading rapidly and it was snowing quite a bit. We enjoyed our success for a view moments, had a good look at No. 3 , exercised how to recover a Wrangler from a rock and made us on the way down. On the spot were we rescued all the Landies, Tony, Andy and I decided to make our camp and waved good by to the Redcoats. Sleeping in the snow, in a tent was even for me (Austrian) a new experience but all in all it was fun.