MOOCH - TO THE MAX

I can’t remember who suggested it, or when, but a plan was hatched to drive 3 Isuzu D-Maxs along a couple of gnarly lanes in and around the Lake District for the purpose of having a bloody good laugh - sorry, I mean serious evaluation. The main focus was to video and photograph the whole escapade.

Rocking up at Andy’s usual meeting spot just off junction 36 on the M6 in the rather stunning Valencia Orange AT35, I was greeted by Annabelle and Ben from Planet Auto MoochTo the MAX!in a gleaming white D-Max V-Cross, and Andy from the Yorkshire Times in a red D-Max V-Cross.

I had a route planned, one that would involve some fun, fast and twisty B roads as well as some non-damaging but equally fun green lanes. Now, regular readers will probably be aware of this route as it’s a favourite of mine on which to test ‘proper’ 4x4s. From the M6 we follow the A590, A5092 and A595 heading towards Bootle, it’s full of twists, turns, ups and downs, so in the right vehicle can be quite fun. However, it was a busy morning and annoyingly we got stuck behind pretty much every vehicle on the road.

Despite that inconvenience the AT35 didn’t let me down. The steering was direct, and the ride was good for a vehicle of its size, and as we arrived into Bootle we took a left and headed to the beach for a natter and a few posing photos. We are professional motoring journalists after all. Oi, stop sniggering at the back!

After the photos and quick video two things happened; Andy and I swapped keys, so he had the AT35 and I had the red V-Cross, and Ben dropped Annabelle off at a nearby pub due to her suffering an unmanageable bout of migraine. Oh yeah, and the heavens opened.

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, this lane is really quite challenging, especially if you’re travelling upwards, that’s west to east. It isn’t necessarily damaging, but the storms that we’ve had over the years have created some incredibly deep channels.

After Ben attached his cameras to the pickups we began our ascent, stopping occasionally for photos.

Due to all the rain we’d had in recent weeks the vegetation on the first part of the lane was a tad overgrown, thankfully it’s soft leaves so we were safe from designer scratches down the sides of each D-Max. Still, it was a bit unnerving.

Once past the tree-line you’re treated to a few small ruts, some can be avoided, others not so much as they cross the lane.

Around halfway along we reached the start of the technical sections - huge channels that can quite easily swallow a car whole. I was first in the red V-Cross, , and as I dropped the off-side wheel into the rut I could hear the running boards scrape along the ground in protest.

The look on Andy’s face, who was watching the front bumper, said it all, it was going to make contact with the ground, so I’d better reverse out of the rut and find another way around.

Next was Andy’s turn in the AT35, and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that it would simply walk it. But still, with the words; ‘Please be careful, it’s the only AT35 we have.’ echoing through my mind, I thought it best to guide Andy through the rut, you know, just in case.

As Andy edged the front of the AT35 downwards into the rut and back out the other side, I noticed that the protective metal bar under the rear bumper would graze the dirt on exit, but that was fine, it was only dirt, and it’s a protective metal bar.

The next bit happened in slow motion.

As predicted, the protective metal bar under the rear bumper did indeed graze the dirt on exit, but as it did so, the bar also unearthed a very large rock and scooped it up catching the corner of the bumper, and ever so slowly unclipped it, and slightly bent the cross bar.

Again Brian's words echoed in my mind...

"Please be careful, it’s the only AT35 we have."

Ooops!

At this point I was mortified, in all the time I’ve driven press 4x4s I’ve never damaged a press car whilst green laning...... but hang on, it was Andy driving, not me, so I decided it was his fault.

There were a few more interesting sections that involved traversing deep ruts, but none were as dramatic as the last.

Upon reaching the end it was decided that because the next lane I’d planned would take us a good hour away from Bootle, Ben should go back and retrieve Annabelle whilst Andy and I carried on.

Back on the blacktop and we headed back down to the A590 and aimed for our next lane that’s just on the outskirts of Bouth.

If you’re tackling this cracker from the south, then straight away you’re faced with a steep climb. Although it has a solid base, it’s also scattered with loose stone and dirt, and the trickiest bit is the diagonal trench that spans across the lane not far from the top. With a good approach angle and long wheel base, both D-Maxs straddled it without any concern.

From here on the lane is straight forward and twists its way through the trees until we arrive at the first gate.

There’s a homemade sign on gate requesting that folks stick to the track, which is fair enough, and it must do the trick as there was no evidence of off piste activity.

Through the gate, which was a bit of a squeeze for the AT35 and there’s a 90º right hand turn made up of loose stone that gently rises to above the tree line with more lovely views.

I was really quite looking forward to our next lane which is known as as Rusland Pool as it includes a fun river crossing. The last time I drove it I was in Deux Smurf and even though the water level was fairly low, it was still at bumper height.

Sadly, after walking the first section of the lane (west to east), Andy and I had to make an executive decision, and decided not to attempt to drive it.

The overgrown vegetation on either side of the lane were definitely of the scratchy variety, and I already had to write a sincere apology email to Brian, for the rear bumper of the AT35, and I didn't want to compound it with trashed paintwork.

So that was it, a cracking day out with great company, great lanes, and of course great vehicles. The D-Max remains a splendid pickup and I’ll hopefully focus on the AT35 in next month’s issue.