Training at Parkwood 4x4 centre

I'm not going to suggest that training is a bad idea for a moment but £200 for a day! That's a lot of money.

We joined our local club with a standard SJ on standard sized Colway MT's and asked experienced members where we could/should drive and built up the severity of the routes with our experience and skill level.

Common sense along with asking for and listening to advice from experienced people got me to where I am now.

I now have a heavily modified Jimny capable of the most severe routes any off road site can offer and the ability to drive/winch it round safely.

I find that if I'm on my own and unsure, even after walking a route, there is no shame in not doing it. Then with a spotter who is experienced and I trust I cross the obstacle.

I have also watched and learnt. Often watching others making their mistakes and learning from them.

I watch many winch challenges and have seen rounds of the Howling Wolf and Challenger 4x4 rounds along with the Mission challenges and can now predict these high class competitors moves. I'm not saying I am a winch bitch or driver of their skill but I clearly now have a fair idea what I'm doing.

I paid nothing for this and caused no real damage and those who advised me in my club are now good friends.

That's what clubs are all about and I now will happily take a newbie out in my Jimny to show them the ropes and sit alongside them in theirs. For free!

So join a club, drain members of their knowledge. Your interest will please them and you will gain good new mates, for a membership fee and pay and pay fees only.

Kirkynut

winch bitch

:lol: :lol: :lol:
£200 :sick: not for me ......... £70 maybe
Jimny's in the bad books at the moment, the shimmy is becoming more of a death wobble, better start saving :pinch:

I would echo kirkynuts points too.
I had driven off road before but it had been over 10 years and not in my own truck. I had a standard sj for a spell but it wasn't until i got my jimny that i had a real crack at proper off road driving. I went to a club organised day and even though i wasn't a member of the club someone came round with me a couple of times, lent me a strap when i got stuck and gave me some great advice and pointers.
I went out with them a couple of times but now go to an open pay and play day locally, i've got to know loads of people there and there are varying levels of experience. If i'm not sure of something i will stop for a while and watch how others tackle it.

My view on it generally is its about your attitude. Nobody takes the p!ss if you turn up in a bog standard truck, if you get stuck or you don't tackle a section. People are prepared to help.
Have the right attitude, be safe, drive sensibly in a well maintained truck and you will get on well and fit in with the "scene" - rigger boots, combats and wooly hats optional!

mcjimny wrote: rigger boots, combats and wooly hats optional!

I don't know, it gets a bit nippy without the wooly hat sometimes!

Kirkynut

Really glad you enjoyed it and having the choice of doing lessons is great. These little Jimnys suprise everytime! :woohoo:

Its £40 an hour at parkwood not £200!!
£80 for a couple of hours to find your feet seems pretty reasonable to me.

Not everyone will be keen on joining a local club and just giving it a go, it can be quite intimidating turning up at a pay & play day and not knowing what you are doing and driving a standard car.

I don't agree that everyone will happily chip in and help you out. The first pay and play day I went on, although not exactly hostile, no body was interested in helping out the plonker in a shiny Jimny with silly tyres on (apart from the guy on the gate). I still had a great day as I just went for it, but I would have been much more comfortable if I had spent an hour or 2 before hand with an instructor.

Maybe I just got unlucky. (and I'm not trying to put newbies off)

Took the wife as well. She wasn't keen on me taking the car, I need to go to work in, off road. So expert tuition helped to smooth over that as well as making sure she came along and had a go!