Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13541
AndyButch wrote:
I have to agree with Kenny, Strata isn't to be underestimated when the weather turns bad. I did it in August with a great guide/spotter in my MY16 D4 without any problems whatsoever including up and down the bomb hole. BUT, I do run 19" duratrac 55's, have rock sliders, underbody protection, a winch (just in case) and have a fair bit of experience.
May advice is to wait till the summer, all the rain will just make gravity's job to pull you downslope even easier
I think someone with little experience would be best served going on an organised trip such as linked earlier in the thread. That way you have some experience on hand, some help on hand, and someone who hopefully won't fall prey to "yeah, of course it'll get through that!"-ism.
In good conditions it's fine for a standard vehicle. In bad conditions it's touch-and-go in a fully prepared vehicle if the water levels are high.
I wouldn't take any form of D3/D4/RRS through this, for example:
I think the L494 RRS / D5 / L405 FFRR could physically do it because they have the clever engine inlet system but there's still the risk of filling the cabin air inlet with water and thus getting wet footwells.Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
That's why some of them rope together before they cross! Apart from nearly tipping it over ( ) one of the worst feelings is the rear end starting to float and the suspension going into extended mode. Things got eye-wateringly deep crossing the ford by one of the Welsh dams, after which it was pointed out that my car didn't have the improved axle-breather.
2015 Volvo V40
2014 D4 HSE
2006 RRS - C'est mort. Fin... ...It's alive! Oh no, it's not - scrapped.
2019 Suzuki Kingquad 400
2017 RamRod Taskmaster 1150
1977 John Deere 2130
1st Nov 2021 4:48 pm
Kenny57
Member Since: 12 Apr 2020
Location: Essex
Posts: 173
Interesting mix of advice with me saying its very difficult and some saying its easy. To be fair this seems to be very weather dependent. We went during a stormy weekend in March which probably affected my advice!
2nd Nov 2021 6:23 am
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13541
I think that's the key message - check the weather conditions both at the proposed time of your trip and in the preceding couple of weeks before. A period of dry weather will mean it's likely to be relatively straight forward. A period of wet weather means "go somewhere else".
That advice applies to all off road routes, of course, and if followed would reduce a lot of the damage done to sensitive landscapes - the damage that has led to routes being permanently closed to vehicles, sadly.Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
2nd Nov 2021 8:10 am
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13541
HWN wrote:
Things got eye-wateringly deep crossing the ford by one of the Welsh dams, after which it was pointed out that my car didn't have the improved axle-breather.
Well if you will go showing your breathers to strangers, what do you expect?
Seriously, which breather? The front diff? And how did they know?Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
This came through on my YT feed so suspect Tom's done a SF trip:
2015 Volvo V40
2014 D4 HSE
2006 RRS - C'est mort. Fin... ...It's alive! Oh no, it's not - scrapped.
2019 Suzuki Kingquad 400
2017 RamRod Taskmaster 1150
1977 John Deere 2130
8th Nov 2021 12:52 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23824
RRSTDV8 wrote:
AndyButch wrote:
I have to agree with Kenny, Strata isn't to be underestimated when the weather turns bad. I did it in August with a great guide/spotter in my MY16 D4 without any problems whatsoever including up and down the bomb hole. BUT, I do run 19" duratrac 55's, have rock sliders, underbody protection, a winch (just in case) and have a fair bit of experience.
May advice is to wait till the summer, all the rain will just make gravity's job to pull you downslope even easier
I think someone with little experience would be best served going on an organised trip such as linked earlier in the thread. That way you have some experience on hand, some help on hand, and someone who hopefully won't fall prey to "yeah, of course it'll get through that!"-ism.
In good conditions it's fine for a standard vehicle. In bad conditions it's touch-and-go in a fully prepared vehicle if the water levels are high.
I wouldn't take any form of D3/D4/RRS through this, for example:
I think the L494 RRS / D5 / L405 FFRR could physically do it because they have the clever engine inlet system but there's still the risk of filling the cabin air inlet with water and thus getting wet footwells.
My D3, standard aside from 19” ATR’s and a Mantec sump guard, survived unscathed. Luckily!
2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
8th Nov 2021 3:59 pm
KevinD3
Member Since: 05 Aug 2020
Location: Sutton Coldfield
Posts: 1277
I don’t fancy doing strata on my own but I do have a few days I December where I’m planning to head to North Wales for a bit of camping, walking and maybe some Greenlaning. Anyone know of any gentler routes? Would be good to get some forest tracks or similar in2008 HSE Stornoway Grey
My Wife thinks the D3 is a hobby, The D3 thinks the wife is 💕
8th Nov 2021 4:46 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23824
I definitely wouldn’t have done it alone. I was with friends, a 110 with winches, 90 & tricked up Wrangler.
The D3, did it all with noticeable less drama than the other vehicles.2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
8th Nov 2021 4:54 pm
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13541
HWN wrote:
This came through on my YT feed so suspect Tom's done a SF trip:
Exactly like the RRSs on our trip except that I was a bit quicker at the top and had a bit of a bounce - luckily didn't hit the underside on the rocks. Climbing the bomb hole in such conditions is easy as you like for a modern vehicle - clearances allowing, of course. None of the revving and the tyre scrabbling of old Defenders and D1s on huge knobbly tyres. Obviously going to be more tricky in more adverse conditions as mentioned by others hereabouts.Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
8th Nov 2021 5:06 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23824
In my limited experience, aggressive MTR’s are inferior to more road biased tyres on rocks/stone. The later having more of a contact patch on the rock/stone.2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
8th Nov 2021 5:19 pm
mse
Member Since: 27 Jun 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 2704
I’ve only rescued someone from it, always wanted to drive the full length.
The rescue was river level dependent sadly.
Defender after it’s rebuild is going strongMike
8th Nov 2021 10:09 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23824
It’s a lovely drive. Not really that challenging in a D3/4 though, not that that’s the point. I’m glad the river wasn’t a few inches higher though.2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
) one of the worst feelings is the rear end starting to float and the suspension going into extended mode. Things got eye-wateringly deep crossing the ford by one of the Welsh dams, after which it was pointed out that my car didn't have the improved axle-breather. 
