NSW: Saturday April 14th Yalwal recce

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

We're heading down to Yalwal for a recce. I'd like to see the camp sights available (both at the dam and the offroad ones), as well as drive up the popular and Monkey Gum Fire Trail. Tracks will be anything from easy to DIFFICULT, and hopefully we'll even find "Six Stager" for a peak at what is probably an extreme competition grade track. Creek and river crossings are also expected, but depth is unknown!

REQUIREMENTS: Lift, upgraded AT/MT tyres, snorkel and preferribly one aid: a locker, traction control or winch.

Please read the following disclaimer if you wish to participate on this trip. If you choose not to accept the terms & conditions therein, you are requested not to attend.
http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...claimer-Notice

Meeting at: With current attendees, our meeting location is M7/M4 junction at 7 AM. If there are any further attendees, and they'd like to consider a different location, please contact me to discuss.

Finishing time is; probably quite late, because it's a fair drive down there.

Bring: 4WD, morning tea, lunch, water/drinks, camera, air compressor, recovery gear and a dash of insanity.

UHF channel 28

Attendees:
glen_ep (90)
wiliade (80)
mastermanoj (90)

[williade Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close williade]

REQUIREMENTS: Lift, upgraded AT/MT tyres, snorkel and preferribly one aid: a locker, traction control or winch.

See sig. Am I still OK to come

Bring: 4WD, morning tea, lunch, water/drinks, camera, air compressor, recovery gear and a dash of insanity.

I remember when a Prado was in the check list. Now its any 4by

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Nah you better sit this one out Declan.. ;-)

I've heard of a stock Prado completing Monkey Gum but I don't know the driver, nor the track, so I'm just covering my arse. I can bring a tarp in case of deep crossings but I doubt we'll require it.

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Camp sites are crap, but 4x4 wise, that was a freaking AWESOME DAY!!

More later...

[williade Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close williade]

It was good to finally see the infamous monkey gum track, if that is indeed the track we were on? The 80 got stuck, resting on both diffs, but I wasn't driving, so it doesn't bother me





On a side note, having measured a mere 1.5" difference in transfer case clearance between my stock 80 and Glen's modded 90, I figure the suspension lift can wait and a set of 35s and a front locker will be sufficient to annoy Glen

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

We drove down via Kangaroo Valley:


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[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Through Nowra, and over to Yalwal valley:




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[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Here's Yalwal camp ground.. I'm very dissapointed in this place. Hard ground, sloped, small area, thick bush surrounds, no tracks.. boring.




* Click here for high definition version of above photo

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Then we made our way over to Monkey Gum Fire Trail (yes Declan, that was definitely the track). There's HEAPS of ruts on this track, I didn't pull the camera out until about a third of the way up, after some seriously deep ruts... anyway... here's Declan's 80 on it's belly:



More rutty sections:

a

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

One of the tricky rock sections:

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Me avoiding brown water:



Declan loving the brown water:



Rock step flex shots!!

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Another tricky rock section (almost at the top of the mountain):


* Click here for high definition version of above photo

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Same place; Declan's 80 can't quite squeeze through this :-(

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Max showing off his new found skills:

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Last section before the top of Monkey Gum.. I came very close to the rocks on the right (a draw back of the extra body height):





This is how you don't do it:



Perfect!! (hugging wall and keeping horizontal)