Bike and Diff

I've been busy over the last few weeks. I've been training hard to pass my Motorbike Test. Well on the 22nd of April I PASSED!!!!!!!!!! On the 23rd I went out and picked my new bike up.


A Honda Transalp 650cc I have been out on the good days since trying to get used to it. I spent an afternoon riding roads I know well and visiting a few friends. I really enjoyed learning something new and experiencing the roads I know in a different way. Here's hoping for a sunny summer to get out and play.

I have also finally got round to fitting my new locker into my rear diff. At the moment I still have to refit it into the axle but it is a bit more of a job than it sounds. I am replacing the whole axle and rear radius arms. This will give me more articulation and also 24 spline rear axle with disc brakes. All good. I have also entered into the Tay Forest Challenge which is run at the end of August. I am not guaranteed a place but here's hoping. It is an awesome event that I marshalled at last year. I have entered with Mike Robertson. I'll keep you posted if I get a place.

Lamancha Play Day

A few members of SORC had a little day out yesterday in Lamancha. It was not an official SORC event and there were others out but we kept ourselves busy. After my rubbish score at last weeks RTV I was keen for any practice I could get. Colin turned up with some canes and so we were going to get a chance to set up a couple of sections. Obviously we were going to get some good driving in as well.

Cross Axled.

With the start of British summertime and some good weather at the end of last week I was hoping for a sunny day out. How wrong I was. I woke to snow and when we got to Lamancha there was a good bit lying. It was great to start with as the ground was fairly solid. That didn't stop me from getting stuck early on. I was trying harder than everyone else. I think I earned this years TOW out award today. Bugger.

Not getting out backwards. Ended up winching out forwards.

Colin set up a section for us as the weather broke. It was great to drive a section more than once and try different routes and speeds. I did manage to get a clear even though it took a couple of trys. Not allowed in competion.

A Jimny winching a Land Cruiser..........?

Stuck again. But with the sun out by the end of the day it was like a different day all together. It was an awesome day out. Thanks to all the SORC team who came out.

Shandon RTV

I was out competing last weekend. Well if that is what you call coming last!!!! More like, I was out driving last weekend and getting stuck and hitting canes.
The weather was very unlike the west coast. We had a mix of rain but most of the day it was dry. Bob and Helen set up some great sections and everyone had a fun day.

Colin Rose in his recently built SJ one the event. Well done Colin.

Raft Guide Course.

I'm just back from a week running a raft guide course, with another SRA Trainer Joe Thompson. We had two rafts and 10 students on it and we managed to get a whole heap of rafting done over the last 6 days.
We cover everything you need to get started with raft guiding on these courses. Things like Commands, Guide Strokes, Rescue Skills and Signals when running rapids.



We used the River Garry in Perthshire for a day and ran a great rapid above Soldiers Leap in Killcrankie.

I'm the one in the White Helmet.

A Few Days Off

Jax and I took a few days off this week and luckily we had some amazing weather for the middle of February in Scotland. We had 2 days of sunshine up in Aviemore. We had a day visiting lots of wildlife. Ok most of it was in a wildlife park but we did get to go up the mountain to find the reindeer heard that lives up there. We even got to hand feed them. There was not much snow around but enough to ski on today. They have had such a good base this season that the runs were really well covered. I even got a chance to go and visit my dad. His ashes were scattered near the summit and I took the hike up from the highest lft to go and pay him a visit. It was an awesome view today and I was able to ski down towards Loch Ann.

Up Cairngorm.

The view my dad gets every day.

Sunset over Loch Morlich.

Jax feeding the reindeer.

Me being popular with the ladies. I had food, they were hungry.