Laning Life

by Lauren Eaton

Read about green laning as seen through Lauren ‘Sunshine’ Eaton's windscreen at The Green Lane Association, and find out what’s hot, or not, in the laning world each month. Enjoy!

Fun in 4WD

It doesn’t need explaining that the Green Lane Association is focused on laning, but there are many alternative pass times we can enjoy in our vehicles, and some may be more suitable alternatives to what some drivers are looking for when they head out on the lanes.

There have been numerous unfortunate stories on social media about ‘mud plugging’, the act of using green lanes in a manner that is either not legal or not suitable for their intended use, or future sustainability for that matter.

These are usually followed with comments akin to, “but there’s so few alternatives”, “if they didn’t stop closing them there would be more places to drive!”, or “GLASS is just the fun police!”, yet the irony is so many lanes face calls for closure due to this very behaviour and attitude.

So, what’s the real situation? Are there so few lanes around nowadays? What is ‘acceptable green laning behaviour’? What are the consequences of using lanes as a playground? And what are the alternatives?

What is green laning?

It is simply the act of driving unsurfaced public roads. These roads are governed by the same laws as any other in the country, the only difference being that they escaped the tarmac man. Therefore you require a road legal vehicle to use them, and all the same penalties apply for speeding, dangerous driving, wearing seat belts, and the rest.

Because the Road Traffic Act applies there is no excuse in law for flouting it, we all know what is expected of us on tarmac, so therefore we also understand what is expected of us on an unsurfaced road. Although terrain may require different driving styles, it does not permit us to use them irresponsibly.

What happens if I don’t drive according to the law?

For a first offence under section 59 of the act you will be fined and your record marked. For a second offence your vehicle can be seized and even crushed. But if like most you lane to get to enjoy getting away from it all, to take in some stunning scenery, drive where there is no traffic, take a picnic, and enjoy spending time with friends in the great outdoors while driving over a variety of terrains, there is nothing to worry about.

How many lanes are there?

There are approximately 20,000 green lanes in England and Wales (Scotland’s laws differ), so that is plenty to go around. Ok NERC lost us around the same amount, but that was 15 years ago and it still cannot be said that there are so few left that we have ‘nowhere to drive off tarmac’. More importantly the fact we’ve lost so many in the past means that we should be cautious and respectful of what we have left!

We don’t lose many now, organisations like GLASS see to that, but that doesn’t mean that many are not threatened with closure year in year out.

What is ‘appropriate usage’?

Every user group – walkers, cyclists, horse riders, and drivers, use legal rights of way for different reasons. Some may want a wheelchair accessible route, along a canal for example where a path is flat and easy-going, others may want to spend the afternoon strolling, cycling, or riding with the family somewhere that is easy for all involved, but others choose to take on more extreme challenges such as scaling a mountain. Laning is no different and lanes vary from a simple gravel track that any vehicle could navigate, to far more challenging routes that require passing over far rougher natural terrain such as bed rock or driving at extreme heights.

While lanes do vary from the mundane to the difficult, and enjoying either end of the spectrum is perfectly acceptable, they shouldn’t be ‘made’ to be difficult through misuse. Just as any other RoW they should reflect the natural terrain of the area and be maintained as such, and those who use them should head for appropriate locations for the type of difficulty they wish to partake in. No one should be navigating off a legal route to make a RoW more ‘interesting’ or challenging, and if you find laning ‘boring’ entering into a whole different hobby may well be more suitable.

If you don’t like having to adhere to the law of the land the alternatives are few! All 4x4 events insist that rules are followed even when on private land where the Road Traffic Act does not apply, lets take a look at some.

The alternatives…

There are plenty of alternatives if you wish to test your vehicle and skills out on more extreme terrain or in a manner unbefitting the natural terrain of a public unsurfaced road. For many years I’ve been heavily involved in overlanding, club events and 4x4 motorsport, far from being a ‘boring old fuddy duddy GLASS type’ I’ve spent a lot of time at some of the most extreme off road events in Europe, and would tour comp safaris, trials, and rallies every weekend of the year.

In fact it was my involvement in these events, coupled with leading responsible laning trips and putting antis in their place when I wasn’t at these events, that drew GLASS’s attention to my work. I knew the difference between these events and was happy to stand up and promote and campaign for each one where appropriate, and just because I enjoyed a challenge never meant I’d dream of disrespecting public roads and putting them at risk of closure.

So as I know a thing or two about 4x4 driving events, and as these events run year round (when Covid allows) I’m going to share them with you, and explain how you can get involved. Maybe some may realise that it isn’t the Green Lane Association being ‘funny’ when it asks users to drive appropriately for the terrain, it’s just some drivers choose the wrong hobby, or the wrong lanes, for what they want to do in a 4x4! And that wrong choice can and does cause lanes to be closed!

Overlanding

This isn’t a weekend event, but it can and I suppose should (to some, although there’s nothing to say it should take place off tarmac at all) involve lanes.

It’s not necessarily a direct alternative to laning, as most people lane for the day or a short term trip, whereas overlanding usually takes place over weeks, months, or even years, and of course not everyone has time for that. But using unsurfaced roads to travel from A to B is what laning is all about, overlanding just involves using a lot more of them over a much longer period of time, therefore it deserves a mention here.

I was brought up overlanding from a very young age, I wasn’t one year old before I’d been packed into a Landy and experienced life on the road. Overlanding is about exploring, experiencing, and often (always in my opinion) the journey more than the destination. This is why laning and overlanding go hand in hand, where better to explore the lesser known places than by lanes that take you off the beaten track?

Of course as overlanding requires travelling long distances and your vehicle being your home for a significant period of time, therefore few who partake in this hobby would risk using terrain that could be problematic for the sake of it! There are overland clubs or communities you can join, take a look at these examples:

- Overland Explorers UK (GLASS affiliated)

- Overland Bound (International)

Pay and Play

These are areas of private land that the owners are legally allowed to run as an off road business. You pay them and they let you play on the land that they’ve set up to provide a fun and challenging day out in your 4x4.

The rules may vary – some sites ask that all vehicles are road legal, others do not, some have specific events for certain types of vehicle. Terrain will vary across the site from basic easily navigable trails to steep inclines and side tilts, deep water to wade through, mud, hard surfaces, and rocks.

Marshals will be present to help out if you get stuck, but as long as you’re not causing any disturbance to other users and are driving safely, you’ll be able to play to your heart’s content all day. To find out more check out the list of pay and plays in this issue!

4x4 Experience centres

These are centres that may look similar to a pay and play, or even take place at the same site, but they provide professional training for drivers rather than a looser ‘free for all’ day driving the obstacles.

Land Rover have their own centres, but there are many others around the country that can teach you off road driving skills, or even help you become certified in various driving skills. These sites are often used by Mountain Rescue and others whose drivers require significant skill and experience in their essential roles, but the vast majority are open to the public too.

Costs will be significantly higher than that of a pay and play of course! But you will receive recognised certification and training from professional qualified drivers.

Trials – TYRO, RTV and CCV

Clubs are a fabulous way to cheaply test your vehicle and spend social time with others who as are passionate about their vehicles as you are. Events differ from club to club, but most run some sort of trial.

Held on private land with permission from the land owner and marshalled by other club members, trials are a great way to get to grips with off road driving skills safely. You’ll be surrounded by others who’s knowledge and experience can teach you a lot, or help recover you if need be! These events are social occasions as well as driving challenges, they’re great fun!

For newbies and soft roaders/shinies why not try TYRO trials? Short for ‘Try Your Rover (or ride if you’re not in a Landy club!) Off road’ the trial involves navigating a set course. The idea is to get through each of the 12 gates on each course without touching the bamboo canes (gates), or asking for more than the allowable number of ‘shunts’ (second attempts). Points are awarded depending on how far you get, the driver with the least points wins the day and usually wins a trophy!

For those more experienced the same principles are applied to RTV (road taxed vehicles). While the idea is the same the course tends to be more difficult to navigate and more challenging, although still designed for road legal vehicles to be able to complete without damage to their trucks.

For those who want a significant challenge there is CCV (cross country vehicles). Again based on the same principle but this time open to non-road legal vehicles too, and driven on more extreme terrain. Vehicles are usually modified, require safety features and are scrutinised for safety at these trials, and damage to vehicles may occur. All the rules must be followed though to ensure the safety of drivers and marshals, and drivers should be competent before they even consider taking part.

If you’re interested in trialling the Association of Land Rover Clubs is a good place to start. Here’s a list of all their UK clubs: www.alrc.co.uk A list of all Green Lane Association affiliated clubs can be found here at glass-uk.org

Comp Safari

Do you like speed? Well lanes are not the place to enjoy that! But comp safaris are.

These events provide the cheapest way to get into competitive motor racing and are (without being too picky on the absolute rules) basically similar to an off road rally.

Cars drive in different classes, you can enter in a relatively stock motor as long as you have the relevant safety equipment fitted, and compete to be the fastest around the course in your class. Courses usually range from on average 5-6 miles upwards and the number of laps depends on the location and length of track.

If you’ve always fancied competing in motorsport but don’t know where to start, comp safari is the perfect place. Entrance fees are as cheap as they get, you’ll be surrounded by others who can and will help you get to grips with the sport, and they’re a lot of fun too!

Many ALRC clubs run comp safaris and the events are free to spectate if you fancy taking a look at what they involve.

Winch Trials

The point of laning is to get from A to B using unsurfaced roads, getting stuck shouldn’t be part of the plan! But if you enjoy recovery and winching then why not get involved in winch trialling?

It is exactly what it sounds like – participants drive a pre-determined course that will inevitably require the assistance of your co-driver and a winch in order to complete the course.

These events are marshalled and take place on private land. If you fancy a day where you don’t drive very far but get to flex your recovery skills for all to see then these events are far more appropriate than doing so on a lane!

Ultra4/The Welsh Xtrem/The Welsh One50

If you think you’re up for some of the most challenging off road driving then turn away from our public roads and head over to these guys. These extreme events are unsurpassed for the challenge they present to both driver and vehicle!

These events don’t take place on a typical race track, or in a typical 4x4! You’ll often find them taking place at purpose built locations like Walters Arena or KORC, and they mostly take place over several days. You’ll come up against all sorts of obstacles on route and need every skill you’ve learned to get you, your co-driver, and your purpose built comp truck around that course. It’s gruelling, it’s challenging, and it’s in my opinion the best legal fun you can have in a 4x4.

www.thewelshxtrem.co.uk

thewelshone50.co.uk

www.ultra4europe.com

So, as you can see there are many recreational and competitive activities available to you and your 4x4! If you want a particular challenge then there is a place for you to find one legally whatever your interest or budget.

Response and emergency services

You may wish to use your vehicle for something other than recreation, luckily there are several ways you can get involved in voluntary services that utilise your 4x4 and require driving in challenging weather or off tarmac that enable you to give something back to the community.

4x4 Response

There are 4x4 Response services UK wide and their remit is to assist in various activities that require help from experienced, knowledgeable and competent 4x4 drivers. From marshalling road events such as cycle races, to ferrying doctors and nurses to work or on their rounds in the snow, assisting at rescues, to couriering essential supplies to flood victims, prescriptions and food parcels for local residents, or equipment for the NHS during Covid, every call will be different and require you and your vehicle to be ready to assist.

You don’t need a tricked up truck to help out either, I used Harry hippo when I was a member of my local response team. There are many skills that are useful to the service that don’t involve driving too; fundraising, working as part of the management or control team, and co-drivers are always needed.

If you’re interested in becoming part of a national community of 4x4 Responders you can find out more about groups in your area here: https://www.4x4response.info/?pid=groupregister

Mountain Rescue

If you’re a confident outdoors person with considerable knowledge of the mountains, rope work, first aid, navigation, and working in demanding terrains, then this may well be your calling! Even if you’re not willing or able to scale a mountain your skills may come in handy in other ways. Teams are always looking for help with PR, event organisation, fundraising, even keeping the teams fed and watered or cleaning vehicles after a shout.

To find out more about how to volunteer go to: www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/how-to-volunteer/

Green Lane Association

Volunteering with us at the Green Lane Association can involve a lot more than laning; repair work, clearances, ferrying materials, winching obstructions, removing fly tipping, signage runs, lane inspections, are only some of the physical jobs we need our 4x4s for.

There are plenty of behind the scenes activities too! From creating, maintaining and improving IT systems, websites and social media accounts, to negotiating/working with authorities, landowners, and the police, lobbying government, opposing closures, submitting DMMOs, PR, event organisation, team management, admin, communications and public speaking, there are many ways our volunteers assist with the day to day running of a national organisation.

If you’re a member already why not fill in our skills survey at https://membermojo.co.uk/glass-uk/yourmembership and let us know how you could help out?

If you’re not a member why not take a look at what we do and how we give back to the community and hobby we are so passionate about? www.glass-uk.org

That’s all for this month folks! Hopefully I’ve inspired you to get more out of your 4x4 when lockdown eases! There is light at the end of the tunnel now and we’re all chomping at the bit ready to get out and enjoy some much needed freedom, so why not support a club, business, or organisation while you enjoy yourselves? They’re going to need our support post-lockdown just as much as we all need some fresh air and freedom after so many restrictions.

Stay safe!

Lauren x