Learn to drive off-road at the country's No 1 Centre
OFF-ROAD driving has gone from strength to strength in the past few years. But, despite the increased sophistication of four-wheel-drive vehicles, owners soon realise off-road driving involves more than slipping the transfer lever into 4WD. Driving off-road requires particular skills to ensure safety for driver and passengers, and to limit damage to the vehicle.
David Bowyer's Off-Road Driving Centre was the first of its kind when it opened in 1986. And since then, Davis and his team of experienced instructors have taught more than 9,000 drivers, including the police and other emergency services. The course is around one and a half miles in length, laid out on 10 acres and carefully designed to include rocky hillside, muddy hollows and deep water. This allows for instruction on steep ascents and descents, side slopes, deep water and mud, rocky terrain, ditches, gullies, rutted areas and so on.
Clients, however, do not take to the hills without first learning the theory.
Map of the course and facilities
Classroom instruction covers off-road driving techniques; vehicle maintenance and preparation; safety and reliability; towing, jacking and winching; and specialist techniques including trailer handling. The basics can be learned on a one and a half day course, including many hours of practical work out on the course. Those wanting more training can attend a three day course, which also gives clients the chance to put all the theory into practice out on nearby Exmoor. If, by then, the bug has really bitten, the Centre also organises trips to Wales, exploring hundreds of miles of lanes and racks - all carefully checked to ensure they can be legally driven.
Courses are usually made up of a maximum of five or six pupils using four vehicles, which allows for doubling up - courses often include wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, daughters and sons.
Land Rovers, Defenders, Range Rovers and Freelanders are probably the most common visitors, but everything else has been along, including Suzukis, Fiat Pandas and Unimogs! And if you don't yet have a 4 x 4, you can hire one at the centre.
DAY ONE
The day starts at 9am, with signing in and coffee. Following introductions, an instructor will cover the theory of off-road driving in the classroom using the whiteboard and varuious items of equipment, this 90 minute session will cover every aspect of off-road driving techniques. The talk's content and presentation ensure even the absolute beginner will understand and questions are invited. We place a great deal of emphasis on this theory because it is important that drivers learn the fundamentals BEFORE going into the rough. The pupils are then invited outside to check over the vehicles and prepare them for off road use. This involves fitting wading plugs, checking fluid levels, lowering tyre pressures (if necessary), waterproofing electrics, securing batteries, and so on.
The vehicles are then led with an instructor sitting beside the pupil to advise on gear selection, speed, and angle of approach and departure, at each of the obstacles on the course. One of the centre's golden rules is that no driver will face a new obstacle without an instructor present to ensure maximum safety.
After lunch, included in the price of the course, the driving continues throughout the afternoon, the drivers perfecting their skills they learnt in the morning. At random, throughout this session, the clients are accompanied through special sections, for example; deep wading (there are four separate areas of deep water), crossing deep ditches, gullies, steep hill climbs etc. The pupils are also taught how to safely retreat from a steep hill if an attempted climb fails - a skill which is essential in the art of off-road driving.
Later in the afternoon, the course is driven in the reverse direction, presenting the pupils with a different set of hazards - just when they are getting used to it! To round-off the day, the group return to the classroom for a cup of tea while viewing a video, made at the centre, which covers the day's lessons. Then its back to the hotel or B & B for a well deserved hot bath and evening meal.
DAY TWO
The following morning's session starts with coffee at 9am.
Then its back into the classroom, this time to learn about the safe use of recovery equipment. Ropes, strops, hand, electric and mechanical winches, ground anchors, towing points and high-lift jacks are all covered in detail. Then it's outside for a practical, hands-on session, using the rescue equipment. The group then go back out onto the course for a practical demonstration of kinetic energy recovery. At this point, a vehicle rescue is set up, so the pupils can use the equipment in a practical, but safe, situation.
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The rest of the morning is spent driving the course. Over lunch, we award certificates of competence in off-road driving and related skills. Pupils also receive other useful information, including the all important code of conduct for using green lanes. Its then time to clean the vehicles.
Before leaving, the pupils also remove wading plugs, check their vehicles and inflate tyres etc.
There's MOOR to do on a three day course!
On the second afternoon of the three day course, the instructor sets the pupils a number of winching exercises. Then there's a short trial over rough terrain before returning to the hotel - to rest ready for day three! As an alternative, the groups are guides along tracks on the edge of Dartmoor.
The third day consists of a drive across Exmoor, covering many miles of green lanes, tracks and narrow roads - all perfectly legal to drive. The terrain varies, but mostly are rocky, which means its impossible to damage them. There are steep hills to climb and rivers to cross, putting your new skills into practice. It is also breath-takingly beautiful - 350 meters above sea level at one stage and right down to sea level at another, so a camera is vital! The group isnormally back at the Centre around 6pm, and those with a long journey stay for a fourth night.
The last track is completed around 5pm, midway between the Centre and Bristol, so it is easy for most people to leave at this point for home.
(c) Goodwinch Limited 2006