Feature: Rough Riders
04/01/2004
A Land Rover AdventureWhen jeep invited me to Lake Tahoe a few years ago for the introduction of its Rubicon—essentially a Wrangler kitted out for the country’s toughest off-road trails—I considered the proposed two-day journey somewhat daunting. Like most of my colleagues on the trip, I had never driven off-road, let alone tackled a course as challenging as the Rubicon Trail, for which the Jeep was named. But piloting superbly capable vehicles supported by a team of expert off-roaders who guided us each step of the way, we spent two days successfully creeping up rock-strewn waterfalls, straddling boulders, and negotiating tight switchbacks. It did not matter that most of us were complete novices—we had one hell of a good time.
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The author demonstrates that a Range Rover can handle much more
than potholes on Sunset Boulevard. (Click image to enlarge)Thus, I enthusiastically accepted an offer to spend an October
weekend in Moab, Utah, for a Land Rover Adventure. Held at various locations
around the world, these Adventures are open to anyone who would like to try
driving off-road. No experience necessary. That isn’t to say the trails Land
Rover chooses are lightweight—we simply navigated them at a slightly slower pace
than a seasoned off-roader would. Land Rover never expects Adventure
participants to rough it for accommodations, however. The Sorrel River Ranch
Resort and Spa—situated alongside a river that wends its way through a broad,
impossibly beautiful canyon of red rock cliffs—served as our base camp and
offered a posh après-4x4 denouement to long days spent on trails with colorfully
descriptive appellations like Hell’s Revenge. ; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
After breakfast each morning,
we gathered in front of the hotel where a bevy of brand-new Discoveries and
Range Rovers—all finished in brilliant silver—awaited. Our instructors gave us a
rundown of the day and a reminder of dos and don’ts on the trail. The first rule
of driving off-road in an event like this is to follow your instructor’s
directions to the letter, even if they run counter to your ideas on how to
surmount that irregular formation of boulders or cross that ravine. In less severe
topography, an instructor riding shotgun will talk you through a maneuver; in
more challenging instances, he or she will get out and direct you using a simple
set of hand signals. Sometimes, this entails adjusting the steering wheel,
moving forward an inch or two, and repeating as needed. The nearly universal
dictum is slow and controlled movement, and we were encouraged to keep our feet
on the gas and brake pedals simultaneously to carefully modulate our movement.
(Going slowly decreases lurching, bouncing, and the chances of damaging the
vehicle and/or becoming stuck.) Although it might sound tedious, it is in
practice exhilarating. (Click image to enlarge); function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The Moab landscape gave Land Rover a chance to show
off the Hill Descent Control (HDC) fitted to both the Range Rover and the
Discovery. HDC makes short work of steep slopes by applying the brakes
automatically during a descent. It was a bit unnerving to keep my feet off of
all the pedals as I prepared to drop over the edge of a precipice, but the
technology maintained a controlled—if somewhat jerky—forward motion without any
input from me. I simply steered and waited to reach the bottom. Once I had
steeled my nerves, descent became the easiest part of the journey. (Click image to enlarge); function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Land Rover
displayed remarkable intestinal fortitude in handing the keys to $75,000 cars to
a group composed primarily of off-road neophytes, but its faith was rewarded
when—despite relatively intense 4x4 activity—each car returned without so much
as a scratch. My compatriots who owned Land Rovers were suitably impressed with
just what their cars were capable of, and the rest of us were highly tempted to
visit our local dealer. (Click image to enlarge); function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The Adventure will reconvene at Moab this
October and updates on ongoing, worldwide programs are available at Land Rover’s
web site. If you would like to get a jump start on off-road training, consider
Land Rover’s year-round driving school at the Greenbrier resort in West
Virginia. (Click image to enlarge)
Land Rover
800.FIND.4WD
www.landroverusa.com
Sorrel River Ranch
Resort and Spa
877.359.2715
www.sorrelriver.com
Greenbrier
800.453.4858
www.greenbrier.com
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
A Real Humdinger
As I spent an early Sunday morning driving an H2 down to Orange County,
Calif., for a Hummer Happening, I figured the dealer-sponsored off-road
experience would draw 10 or 15 Hummer owners at most. But as I approached the
Irvine Lake location, I noticed a disproportionate number of H2s (and a few H1s)
heading toward the same spot. Upon arrival I was directed into a queue of at
least 50 Hummers. Some were customized, most were stock. The lion’s share of the
participants fell into the predictable 30-to-50-year-old male demographic, but
many had brought their families—and even their dogs—along. And this was just one
of four sessions that weekend. A Happening, indeed. (Click image to enlarge)
After a briefing from
off-road experts, we were off. The natural terrain was not quite up to snuff and
so Hummer re-created obstacles that gave the vehicles a chance to flex their 4x4
muscle. We spent a couple of hours experiencing almost every challenge driving
off-road has to offer in easily digestible portions, and I acquired some measure
of credibility by driving a mud-coated Hummer back into Beverly Hills. I didn’t
wash it until a few days later when it was time to give the H2 back to GM.
Hummer Happenings are designed for owners, but anyone can splash through the
mud at Hummer’s Driving Academy in South Bend, Ind.
Hummer
800.REAL.4WD
www.hummer.com
Hummer Driving Academy
866.831.9547