Almost don't need to write a report on this one. Could just say "read the title". It was Tallarook. It was HARD.
Trundled up the highway feeling pretty anxious with passengers/spotters/filming crew Alex and Meg who did their best to keep me calm. Met up with Antony, Ben and Donald and passenger Trent. All experienced drivers we wasted no time discussing the trip and headed in via my usual route of Davis road to air down before the creek. Across and up the very familiar Jenkins 1 which is getting more and more rutted and rocky with the rain we've had, up to the top corner where the link track - that has beckoned on so many previous trips - stood waiting for me. To be honest it was a bit of a let down considering Rooftops mark it as "V. Steep". Yeah it's a bit of a climb but it's just an easy crawl up in the dry. A stock 4wd could do it, couple of wheel lifts but that's it. We cruised through that and the down Rocky Tk, onto Horans and down Tehans 4. All highway stuff. Got held up for a while waiting for a group of 21 bikes. 21. Spaced about 15 mins apart from front to rear. Whoever organises these groups really needs some lessons about planning. Not happy. We finally got moving again across to Tehans 2, and then onto the link I'm going to call Brat Track (named after my wife screamed at me "you're a f***ing brat!!" for attempting it at night, in the wet, having told the others in the convoy not to come and attempt it). This was the first of our challenges and proved fun. I gave it several attempts with slightly different approaches, some big lifts, and eventually made it up. Much horn honking. Did a bit more track building with big stones and then Ben came next in the Prado with new crawler gearing and did just that, crawl up beautifully. Donald was next in the 80 series. Valiant attempts, but was getting hung up on his diff so we went to pull out the winch and that's when his foot went to the floor on his brake pedal and we discovered he'd split the line. After 2 hours of bush mechanics from Antony and 6 Jeeps up our arse from another group we parted ways with Donald and Antony, agreeing to meet Ant at Steep. Ben and our carload cruised up around Corner Tk and Army Tk only to get stopped by a massive fallen trees, backtracked to East Falls and up to Bridge where we got to the bottom of Steep Track. Had some lunch whilst being deafened by cicadas - painfully loud - then had a walk up the track for a look while waiting for Antony. Yep, challenging for sure. Finally got radio contact from Ant who had gone around the top side and was coming down the meet us half way. Asked how the top looked - very chewed up but doable. So I punched it, up the right side at the bottom then straight up the guts through the middle section and then eased my way to the top. Hell yeah, much honking, drove Steep. Walked back down just in time to watch Ben lifting wheels right at the start and following my line with the same success. Next up Antony. Took the left line in the middle section. F***. Closest I've ever seen to a roll. Video to come soon. Still he got through it and got to the top. The man has as much balls as his vehicle.
Next up, Phone. It has a well earned reputation. Sucks you in with easy stuff then just gets harder and harder. About 1/3 of the way up it was still wet with a big rock (a foot high, 3 foot high... all looks huge at that point) that Ben and I had winches out for. Not Antony. He just floored the v8 grunt and bounced over it on the 3rd or 4th attempt. We kept climbing, had to do some quick tyre maintenance and Jack up the Prado to get some timber out of the tyre bead which was losing air fast, after which he managed to rip of his rear arch flare on a tree, then made the final smash and dash through the hard section. I managed to get the FJ up on just one real wheel as I climbed the rutted top section, Antony was next and had a crack at the top rocky section (not smiley face, further up), then opted for the ruts as well. Ben followed suit nearly making it all the way up, spinning wheels just before the top but having a second grab at it and getting through fine. Funniest moment of the day was as his wheels started spinning he yelled out "I just f***ing want to go home!!!" Had us in stitches.
Finally we were at the top of Mt Hickey. Down Mountain Track. Air up on Ennis. Exhausted. It's a mentally draining day doing tracks like that but damn it's fun.
Big props to everyone, thanks to Alex for his spotting, Meg for filming, Antony for bush mechanics, and to Ben and Donald for joining us. Words can express how amazing the feeling is when you achieve your goals with trips like this. I am still on a high.
Video to come soon
