Laning in the Snow - Llangollen Steps

I’m mid-way through moving house at the moment and having lived with the in-laws for a month I was desperate to get out this weekend.

We planned to head into mid Wales and do some of the trickier lanes and it never once occurred to me that the snow would still be on the ground up there. It was surprisingly bad in places and made even the simple lanes difficult to negotiate. Here and there we ran into monster snow drifts and we got lots of practice digging ourselves through them. Picked up a few new techniques for doing that and discovered that a chainsaw might be useful equipment for one car to carry in future!

Green Laning in Land rovers in the Snow in Mid Wales Near Llangollen with the Lowrangers 4x4 club - YouTube

We were the group who met you as you reversed down the steps.we had same amount of trouble on the wayfearer to.we gave up in end couldnt believe the snow up there

Yep, was out 2 weeks ago, snow was crazy, digging the gates open man.

Was epic

Bloody benders! Could you not have got through that tree with a bow saw?! And turning round on the wayfarer, pah, it wasnt even dark!!

Deep snow at 1am is when its time to consider going home!!

Yeah as you can see from the vid we had a look at the tree but it had fallen between two others on the other side and was still attached by quite a meaty root. There was no way we were winching it out of the way without lopping the top off and all I had was a serrated machete. Would have taken hours!

My theory was we shouldn't waste the time doing it and move on to something else but as it turned out everywhere was the same!

I'm always surprised by how little snow it takes to make a lane impossible. We walked a good 500 yards stretch of the Wayfarer from where we decide to call it a day and there had only be quad bikes who had gone further!

Small world eh? We went up there the other way and it was just as bad, we took the decision to quit where there was a massive drop one side of the track and a big gully the other. Was a good laugh though a few pics of the other side:


The section that took an hour to get through:

Something spat me sideways and it all got a bit close to the edge!


We were a good 500 - 600mm above the lane at this point floating on snow!

We saw the quad tracks too, they must have got through it all

Yeah its a fine line isn't it between pushing on because you don't like to get beat and keeping safe. One of the Manchester clubs got it very wrong before Xmas and smashed a load of cars up in the Peaks.

Took us a while to suss it was Quads. We couldn't work out why they hadn't sunk through the top layer of snow and to start with we took it as sign we should be able to make it!

Just after you saw us the old 90 at the back ate its own prop shaft and he had to get recovered!

As Haigy Says we we the guys behind you, we had a couple of goes to get up on the wayfarer from different routes, but proved dam impossable.
So we had to call it a day.
Felt a bit sorry for Haigy as he had just travelled up from crewe for a days
lanning and had to go back early.
But we hope to get back up there in a couple of weeks once most of the snow has gone.
A mate of mine who lives up by the Wayfarer tried again yesterday and tells me its still pretty bad.

The snow only cleared from Connah's Quay at the weekend so a few more weeks would be advisable.
Can't wait to get out there again, the Wife enjoyed the day so she will love a proper green lane day.
If we team up we could have a few up there!

ellebarto said:

I’m mid-way through moving house at the moment and having lived with the in-laws for a month I was desperate to get out this weekend.

We planned to head into mid Wales and do some of the trickier lanes and it never once occurred to me that the snow would still be on the ground up there. It was surprisingly bad in places and made even the simple lanes difficult to negotiate. Here and there we ran into monster snow drifts and we got lots of practice digging ourselves through them. Picked up a few new techniques for doing that and discovered that a chainsaw might be useful equipment for one car to carry in future!

Green Laning in Land rovers in the Snow in Mid Wales Near Llangollen with the Lowrangers 4x4 club - YouTube

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Anybody care to share some grid references for the start and finish of this lane? I *think* I've driven it in the past, but I'm buggered if I can remember the route..

PeteE said:

Anybody care to share some grid references for the start and finish of this lane? I *think* I've driven it in the past, but I'm buggered if I can remember the route..

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No one in there right mind is going to give you grid references to lanes buddy.

Who's to say your not going to thrash them and get them closed?

BIG_GINGA_BEARD said:

No one in there right mind is going to give you grid references to lanes buddy.

Who's to say your not going to thrash them and get them closed?

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Fair enough..not quite the helpful response I expected, but thanks anyway!

(PS: currently drive a stock Jimny...hoodies on skateboards have more chance of tearing something up! )

Jimny??

JIMNY :flame:

PeteE said:

Fair enough..not quite the helpful response I expected, but thanks anyway!

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Your not the first and you wont be the last!

Its not about helping you, its about helping us all to continue to enjoy the pastime and hobby.

Its nothing personal fella.

You have to appreciate that there are some people that simply only care about themselves and the lane that they are currently on. Where as most of us(yourself included im sure) want to keep lanes sustainable and open, un fortunately the only way to do that is to not hand the information to anyone you dont know and trust.

The Mad Hat Man said:

Jimny??

JIMNY :flame:

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There is always one hey. :lol:

BIG_GINGA_BEARD said:

You have to appreciate that there are some people that simply only care about themselves and the lane that they are currently on. Where as most of us(yourself included im sure) want to keep lanes sustainable and open, un fortunately the only way to do that is to not hand the information to anyone you dont know and trust.

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I fully appreciate that and no offense taken..

I'm not a serious off-roader at the moment, and mostly use my Jimny for shooting and so get my dose of off-roading that way..

I live in Chirk and several years back (when I had a Trooper) I went out a few times with an informal group/club that was organised by a guy from Deeside way..

We met up in Corwen and drove several lanes in the area, but I'm buggered if I can remember some of them.. There was a short lane on the hill just above Llan (on the Pontfadog side) that I'm particularly trying to find. It was almost like driving a through a farmers field with a rough track across it..

I was up in the same general area the other evening, and went to look at a lane that used to drop down into Pandy, but sadly it was blocked by fly tipping..

Regards,

Peter

PeteE said:

I fully appreciate that and no offense taken..

I'm not a serious off-roader at the moment, and mostly use my Jimny for shooting and so get my dose of off-roading that way..

I live in Chirk and several years back (when I had a Trooper) I went out a few times with an informal group/club that was organised by a guy from Deeside way..

We met up in Corwen and drove several lanes in the area, but I'm buggered if I can remember some of them.. There was a short lane on the hill just above Llan (on the Pontfadog side) that I'm particularly trying to find. It was almost like driving a through a farmers field with a rough track across it..

I was up in the same general area the other evening, and went to look at a lane that used to drop down into Pandy, but sadly it was blocked by fly tipping..

Regards,

Peter

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Yeah un fortunately fly tipping is one of the biggest problems other than "off piste" driving. I once drove down a lane near me and there was a burnt out car still warm from the night before!

If you want to get back into laning, the best way is to join a trip advertised on here or start a thread asking for people to run a trip. Wales is popular so there is always someone there.

I will be at the end of the month, just not in north wales.

I'm going down to Somerset at the end of next month and need the Jimny in good order for that, but once that is out of the way, I'd be happy to tag along on any of the easier lanes around north Wales..

Apart from not wrecking my car, my only real concern is holding a group up..Hope to be getting a replacement for the Jimny after Christmas and I will be feeling a bit more adventurous then!

Urm, this might be obvious, but this is Landyzone.

You don't actually go on Landyzone laning trips unless you have a Land Rover.

My apologies if this has been mentioned already but alarm bells were sounding!

I.E. if you replace the Jimny...