Should your engine stall - probably because you picked too high a gear and insufficient speed in the beginning - do things slightly differently.

As the engine stalls, depress the footbrake pedal immediately, to momentarily hold you on the hill while the vehicle's dead engine is in gear.

Only after then, depress the clutch pedal, move the gear lever into reverse, then take your foot right off the clutch.

Reach for the ignition key and flick the starter a split second after taking your foot off the footbrake. The weight of the vehicle will ensure the engine fires nicely, allowing you to come back under engine braking, again with both feet well clear of the pedals. By coming off the footbrake just before firing the engine, it immediately confirms that you are in gear. If you failed to find reverse quickly, brake and get into gear!

In either case, do not use the handbrake, as it could jam on and possibly swing you sideways on the hill.

For automatics, if the engine is still running when you stop, use the footbrake to hold you momentarily on the hill, while you select reverse gear. Should the engine stall, again hold yourself on the slope with the footbrake, select either 'N' or 'P', start the engine, then select reverse gear, taking your foot off the footbrake. Practise this in a safe, mild situation.

Assuming you were steering generally straight ahead when climbing the hill, look over your shoulder when descending to make sure you way back is clear. Place one hand on the top of the steering wheel to ensure that you don't over-steer one way or the other. It is easy to totally lose track of where the front wheels are pointing when descending backwards down a rutted track.

You will stay in the ruts whichever way your front wheels are pointing, but what should happen if the front wheels bounce out of the ruts, or they suddenly become shallower while you are on full or part lock? You will come off the hill at an angle, frightening both yourself and passengers, and risking a possible sideways rollover.

Having looked over your shoulder to make sure the way is clear, you may find it easier to use the door mirrors to guide you backwards using the sides of the vehicle and ruts in the distance like gun sights. For this reason, I only fold in my door mirrors when there is a real danger of catching them.

Should you be tobogganing backwards, i.e. the vehicle is sliding down the hill faster than the wheels are turning, pick up the engine revs on the throttle to turn the road wheels faster and match the vehicle speed. Having regained traction, come back off the throttle.

Dealing with a failed hill climb is the most important off road technique to practise. You must not dip the clutch when coming backwards or you will career out of control. If you should brake, you run a real risk of skidding off sideways due to the weight transference to the back axle, leaving the front axle very light.

Make sure you steer squarely back off the hill, taking the shortest, most direct route to the bottom, especially if you don't have ruts or a track to follow. This is known as the fall line.

It is important to make sure that if you are using a Series I, II or III Land Rover with selectable 'part time' transmission fitted with front wheel hubs, that they are both fully engaged. It has been known for one hub to be turned back into the free position through being trapped against a bank.

Should you be using a vehicle using permanent four wheel drive - 'full time transmission' - fitted with a manually operated lockable centre differential, be sure to have it engaged before attempting any off-road situation. The only exception to the rule is easy going on level farm tracks.

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