Team members Dave Healey & Iain Peel attend the Landrover Experience Level 1 Off Road Driver Training course at their Off Road Centre in Skipton, North Yorkshire. A early start saw the intrepid duo arrive bright and breezy, thanks to the MacDonalds breakfast en route. The day was spent with some classroom theory on how a Landrover uses 4WD and the benefits of High & Low ratio gears & Diff Lock. Then it was outside to look at the Defender to get an understanding of what is under the bonnet, a quick road trip to explain Diff Lock windup and how to utilise the Diff Lock for added breaking effect whilst on the road. After this is was playtime with Dave getting behind the wheel first.

’Its a Landrover, it’ll go anywhere’ says the instructor.

Lunch was provided and then Iain took over for some more exercises. Both, were shown how to climb up inclines of varying steepness and slippyness, how to use the brakes to get up an incline !!, stalled and failed recovery techniques whilst driving up an incline and how to stop the vehicle whilst going down the other side, with out lossing control and sliding.

’Oh, I think I’m stuck’ thinks Iain.

The later part of the afternoon was spent in the play pit demonstrating to Steve, the instructor, that we had understood what he had told us. Then a little obstacle course to put it all into affect, the look on the car passengers as they drive past the centre and your coming down a steep hill, is one sight that will stay with them for a long time. Our thanks are expressed to Adrian, Georgina & Robina for making us feel very welcome, the instructor Steve who was an absolute pleasure to be taught by and he didn’t mind you swearing when things went wrong. Also to Williams Landrover for getting us there in the first place, Thank You all. As Arnie says ’we’ll be back’

A 30 degree slope is nothing for a Landrover.