Recovery!

Had a phone call from my computer-people last night - with a plea for help. Sam, the son, had recently bought himself a Defender, and decided to try one of the local (easy) off-road tracks. Unfortunately, he hadn't accounted for drifting snow, and had ended up sliding off the track into a snowdrift!

I didn't think recovery in the middle of the night was a good idea, so stalled until 10 this morning. He was convinced he'd need winching, and had endured a sleepless night worrying if the snow had melted and the car had rolled over.

Fortunately, car was right way up, but well stuck; more unfortunately, about 100 yards up to his car was sheet ice, and would have given me no purchase for towing or winching. I took a long look, and set them to work shovelling two gullies for the front wheels (I did help, but had to stop to take the pic). After 1/2 hours digging, I jumped into the drivers seat, engaged low-box, diff locks in and drove out.

Continuing forwards was not an option, as only 100 yards further was a deep drift right across the track, so we spent the next hour digging the snowdrift away - upslope - and behind the car, so he was able to reverse without dropping his car back into the same hole.

I think he was quite relieved ;)