Ecoman
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2010
- Messages
- 1,896
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I have joined the local 4x4 Response group called COTAG (Community Off-road Transport Action Group). I'm not an official member as yet as I am waiting for the Police to finish the vetting process. Also before I can go into active duty I need to complete 20 hours of induction courses and training and then pass a pretty stringent assesment. Plus I need my VHF radio licence and IAM training. So got a while to go yet.
Sunday was my first full day of training and I got back home in the evening after a full days off roading in the Landcruiser. I was surrounded by Land Rovers all day and when I turned up in the 80 I got a bit of ribbing and told to go and get a propper 4x4. They even went as far as telling me they would convert me to a Landy in no time! The cheek!!
After a morning of induction I went out with the rest of the group for a tour of the site which is a 350 acre corner of a huuuuuge farm just north of Alford. Its basically at the top of a hill and the views were stunning. Anyway, I could see the lads doing a section and then stopping to hopefully watch me fail miserably. When I continued to keep up they started to make things a bit more difficult and as the day went on the sections got harder and harder. By the end of the day the lads were pretty impressed with the capabilities of the LC and I even managed to beat a discovery and a 90 into submission on both a rocky accent and a boggy track.
I was having so much fun I forgot to get my camera out but there was a chap taking pictures so I will get copies off him and post them up on here. Incidentally he was the only one there that drove a non Land Rover and he was looking to get a replacment for his Isuzu Trooper. I know there are gonna be plenty of the LC as he was my passenger/ trainer and admitted that he has been after a 80 for a while and every time I looked over he was pointing the camera at the truck.
All in all it was a great day out and I gained some valuable experience. Roll on the next one
Sunday was my first full day of training and I got back home in the evening after a full days off roading in the Landcruiser. I was surrounded by Land Rovers all day and when I turned up in the 80 I got a bit of ribbing and told to go and get a propper 4x4. They even went as far as telling me they would convert me to a Landy in no time! The cheek!!
After a morning of induction I went out with the rest of the group for a tour of the site which is a 350 acre corner of a huuuuuge farm just north of Alford. Its basically at the top of a hill and the views were stunning. Anyway, I could see the lads doing a section and then stopping to hopefully watch me fail miserably. When I continued to keep up they started to make things a bit more difficult and as the day went on the sections got harder and harder. By the end of the day the lads were pretty impressed with the capabilities of the LC and I even managed to beat a discovery and a 90 into submission on both a rocky accent and a boggy track.
I was having so much fun I forgot to get my camera out but there was a chap taking pictures so I will get copies off him and post them up on here. Incidentally he was the only one there that drove a non Land Rover and he was looking to get a replacment for his Isuzu Trooper. I know there are gonna be plenty of the LC as he was my passenger/ trainer and admitted that he has been after a 80 for a while and every time I looked over he was pointing the camera at the truck.
All in all it was a great day out and I gained some valuable experience. Roll on the next one