MOOCH - OUT ON THE RANGE

Last month Ford kindly lent me a Ranger Wildtrak to attend an event they’d organised down in the Brecon Beacons, and part of the day was spent exploring some of the local green lanes.

After breakfast and a safety briefing by Adam Hearne of 4x4 Wales, myself and other motoring writers gathered in the carpark and awaited our instructions.

The rain hadn’t stopped from the night before, so it was a bit damp, and I wondered what condition the lanes would be in. After being separated into two smaller groups, we set off in our Rangers 20 minutes apart.

Remembering that not all the motoring writers invited to the day have green laning experience, the lanes chosen were therefore relatively easy, and a few miles down the road from our hotel was the start of our first lane, and for some reason, Bob from All Terrain Services who was leading our group, asked me to be tail-end Charlie.

Lane 1

Trailwise ref SN8441-02 took us first on a wide forestry track, then a narrow single track that weaved its way through the Crychan Forest, and at times under fallen trees. Annoyingly there were signs of offpiste activity, but that seems to be the norm these days.

From the drivers seat, negotiating the deep puddles and rock steps always seemed easier than they first appeared, and in front of me was the answer. Driven by Theo from the Black Panthaa Youtube channel, it was almost poetic watching just how the suspension on his Ranger worked as it flexed its way over and through every obstacle. Comfortable and capable pickups these Rangers are.

With the exception of the east side of the lane that was a bit axle twisty, I’d say that SN8441-02 is easily managed in a Dacia Duster with decent tyres. With all the trees and shrubbery that loom over the lane, I’d also consider investing in a decent saw.

Lane 2

Heading down to Llandovery our next lane was SN7732-02, and there isn’t much to talk about apart from the odd deep puddle, but it lead us directly to our final lane - SN8131-02 and SN8230-01, or Roman Road as it’s also known as.

Lane 3

Driving from west to east it begins with a short axle-twisters that was deep enough for even a Raptor with its trick suspension to lift a wheel. When it was my turn in the Wildtrak I engage the rear locker for the first time to counter any wheel spin. I could’ve probably managed without it but it was muddy and I didn’t want to cause any damage to the track.

Our next challenge was a rocky incline with a few deep ruts added for good measure.

With Bob at the top directing the novices, when it was my turn I engaged the rear locker again and aimed at keeping the wheels on top of the ruts as much as possible minimising the chance of becoming cross-axled. I needn’t of worried, the Wildtrak found traction pretty much everywhere. If you’re in a smaller 4x4 then you’ll need to be extra watchful with your wheel placement whilst carefully picking your line.

By this time the rain had passed, the clouds dispersed, and the stunning views appeared across to the Usk Reservoir and Pen Y Fan. Nearing the highest point before it changes to SN823001 there’s a water section, though not necessarily deep, or long, it does have quite an uneven and rocky base that would give you quite a surprise if you decided to ‘go for it’!

From there on Roman Road lives up to its moniker, and is a fairly straight and easy single lane track with even more epic views. From there on we headed in convoy to the next part of the day that would see me tackling a sodden off-road course and taking a Raptor around a motocross circuit.