Mental weather!!!

It's taken me 2.5 hours to get home. Snow on top of black ice, a lethal combination, but the worst thing was where people were actually driving too slowly down hills. There's only so slow you can make a car go downhill without braking, and as soon as you touch your brakes on that you lose control. It's only due to some skill on my part and a huge miracle that Sky is still the same shape today.

I had to negotiate a moderately steep hill in a village (Blidworth) and the road isn't very wide, plus it's windy. Just as I approached the steeper part, I saw a couple of cars stuck halfway up, hazards on (seemed to be a lot of new Corsas stuck today...). So the traffic had to wait while a couple of cars came the other way. A 4x4 going too slow caused the Fourtrak behind it to brake; I nearly pooed myself seeing a huge 4x4 sliding towards me! An Audi A8 tried to pass the stuck car, gave up, and turned round. The Punto in front of me made it OK, I waited for another couple of cars before setting off myself. Second gear, gently spinning wheels and slipping the clutch plus a few prayers got me to the top of the hill and I set off down in first gear. Unfortunately the Punto was now doing the too-slow bit down the hill. Even in first, there's only so slowly you can crawl and my grip gave way. Out of control now, I knew there was little I could do, but steered around the Punto - towards the opposite side of the road, with a stationary car coming up the hill looming ever larger!!!!

Then the miracle happened. I bounced off the kerb and swung across in the opposite direction, somehow managing to miss both cars, succeeded in straightening up, and regained control down the hill! I guess both of them must have called me some names, but the truth is I had no intention of doing that, and it was minor skill and sheer luck that brought me and Skye through unscathed. Phew, new underpants please!

When I got home I couldn't even get the car into the drive. 10 inches of snow blocked my way, and I had to dig the car into the drive, fetch some grit from the nearby grit bin, and get a push from Linzie just to get me off the path which I was straddling, unable to move forward or back! I haven't seen snow like this for 20 years - well not in this country.



Here's Skye stranded in the driveway, and below, Nemo in the back yard - the snow is over the sills!



I've already phoned my line manager to say I won't be able to get to work tomorrow - and he knows I'm no wimp!

Wow, well done you, that sounds far too scary. Very pleased to hear you and Skye both made it home safely.

WOW!

well done for escaping that one!

that snow looks scary!

and i thought cycling in half inch was bad!

A Diesel engine really does win out in this weather, with the increased engine braking and torque it makes driving a much more controlled affair. I'm surprised the Fourtrak struggled to maintain a nice slow pace down the hill but then there's far too many people with 4x4's that have no ideas of their cars capability. Luckily, and I think all drivers should, I have offroad driving experience which has helped me on many occasions. This weather does make me wish I still had my 110

Zef wrote:A Diesel engine really does win out in this weather, with the increased engine braking and torque it makes driving a much more controlled affair. I'm surprised the Fourtrak struggled to maintain a nice slow pace down the hill but then there's far too many people with 4x4's that have no ideas of their cars capability. Luckily, and I think all drivers should, I have offroad driving experience which has helped me on many occasions. This weather does make me wish I still had my 110

I think the Fourtrak was OK, but for the softroader in front of him. Like I say, there's only so slow you can crawl.
I do know what you mean, right now I'm wishing I had never sold my first HJ60 LandCruiser (actually I wished that about 3 months after I traded it for a Discovery!) which, with a 4 litre straight 6 diesel, actually needed some throttle to go down a 45 degree off-road incline! The usual advice for that is "all feet off", but that made it crawl too slow so I had to give it a little gas!

Most modern cars have little engine braking - down to electronic management systems I guess - and they no longer teach engine braking to learners. Which is why so many drivers get in trouble in this sort of weather I suppose.


Well we've had another 7-8 inches overnight here, the snow is now up to the top of Nemo's wheels!

With last night's and today's snow we have about 18 inches now. I've put a gallery up, but here's a couple of updates on the pictures above:






Forecast isn't too hopeful for tonight either. Jane is on her way back from Liverpool but National Express aren't coming into Mansfield today, so she's got to get a train from Nottingham.

Brrrrrrrrrrh ! I'll think I'll stay in Chester between the River Dee and River Mersey. something to be said about salt in the air. nothing sticks here for long.only had a max of One inch so far

My parents live in Newark, and being in the Trent basin they rarely get any significant snow either. But even they've got 7-8 inches now!

asahartz wrote:

Zef wrote:A Diesel engine really does win out in this weather, with the increased engine braking and torque it makes driving a much more controlled affair. I'm surprised the Fourtrak struggled to maintain a nice slow pace down the hill but then there's far too many people with 4x4's that have no ideas of their cars capability. Luckily, and I think all drivers should, I have offroad driving experience which has helped me on many occasions. This weather does make me wish I still had my 110

I think the Fourtrak was OK, but for the softroader in front of him. Like I say, there's only so slow you can crawl.
I do know what you mean, right now I'm wishing I had never sold my first HJ60 LandCruiser (actually I wished that about 3 months after I traded it for a Discovery!) which, with a 4 litre straight 6 diesel, actually needed some throttle to go down a 45 degree off-road incline! The usual advice for that is "all feet off", but that made it crawl too slow so I had to give it a little gas!

Most modern cars have little engine braking - down to electronic management systems I guess - and they no longer teach engine braking to learners. Which is why so many drivers get in trouble in this sort of weather I suppose.


Well we've had another 7-8 inches overnight here, the snow is now up to the top of Nemo's wheels!

I had a Disco once, never again, it rotted into nothing. I robbed the 200tdi engine for the Defender before weighing it in. To be honest the only things I'd keep on a Disco are the axles, engine and box and maybe the chassis, the rest is scrap. I'm on the look out for another 110 csw or maybe a Series 109 sw that I can convert to coils and a 200tdi engine and box. I've got my eye on one....will have to wait to see if it comes up for sale.

MiniWorld are asking for pictures of Mini's in snow! You should send them these! If you're on Facebook, join the group for MiniWorld and you can send them easily that way

Zef wrote:

I had a Disco once, never again, it rotted into nothing.

Exactly. I traded a good '84 LandCruiser for a '93 Disco. At 5 years old the Disco was beginning to rust under the boot carpet, the steering shook over bumps, and the TDi rattle really wears you down after a bit. I traded it for a Previa (have had two more of those since) and later bought a Shogun then another HJ60 LandCruiser (not as good as the first one) then a Hilux Surf. If you ask me Toyota wins hands down in the 4x4 stakes. My first HJ60 towed out many a stuck Disco, and on one occasion, a Patrol and a Defender simultaneously!

I agree that all drivers should be given some off road / bad weather instruction. I ventured out yesterday and my Toyota Auris did me proud with only one minor bottom wiggle from it! Four wheel drives are great but unless people know what to do with them they can be lethal. You only need to hit black ice with your diff lock on to have a totally out of control experience! I did have a RAV 4 a few years back and loved it but have never had a problem with front wheel drive in winter as long as you respect the conditions. I live up a steep hill 2 miles from a main road and the last part is up a farm track that gets cleared occasionally by a tractor but is never gritted as its a private road. My dad has a little Corsa Y reg that has been amazing in this weather too. I remember even Henry my Elf wasn't too bad in the snow although i once had to get someone to sit on the bonnet to help give him traction on the hill! Having said that I've had enough of the snow now so would be quite happy if the weather decided to warm up a little!

not so bad here compared to you but bad enough for us...





peaked at 5 inches!

I've just put the cat out (midnight) ooops, we haven't got a cat, now where'e the wifes fur hat?
anyway it's only 1/2" here in Chester