When we first discussed the Lands End with experienced competitors; for some reason the impression we gained was one of a series of off and on road driving sections interspersed with meal stops – or was it the other way round? We like our food (the VW suspension is up-rated for good reasons) so it seemed a good idea to give it a go. Unfortunately at our first attempt the car ran out of energy (alternator failure) after only the third refreshment stop, so that was the end of it for 2004.
For 2005 we set off in good time for the start to allow plenty of time for our evening meal, plus signing on etc. Suitably fortified we set off on the first road section, taking advantage of the holding control to fine tune the headlights, and then into Catsash, which we climbed without event. Whilst pumping up the tyres, we remarked on how difficult even the simplest task becomes at night, what with fiddling about with torches and if you drop anything small it’s gone for ever.
On to Up Ewey and Grabhurst where it was noticeable how much more traction and control the new tyres gave over last year. What was more remarkable was how bright the moon had become; it was almost possible to drive without lights, although I suspect our navigator was not impressed by my practical demonstration of this.
We left the Culborne Inn (bacon sandwich) and drove down Countisbury and up Porlock Hill, these are challenging in a modern car so it’s hard to imagine what they must have been like on an early c20th motorcycle.
The restart on Barton Steep was the first serious challenge, as the larger wheels on the Golf have raised the gear ratio and it took a lot of clutch slipping and some burning smells to ensure a fool-proof getaway. We were promised more of the same at Upper Molland and the feeling of trepidation was heightened by the optical illusion, as you descend into the clearing at the start, that the hill is steeper than it actually is. A VW beetle looked remarkably like its namesake as it climbed the track opposite. In fact the restart on loose surface was a lot easier on the clutch (obvious when you think about it) and we climbed it with only some wheel twirling on the corner.
Beyond this we were further than 2004, but no mention was made of this at the time for fear of “Murray Walkering” our chances until we reached the services at Roundswell (coffee & chocolate bars). Wargery and Roly Poly passed without incident and we continued to the café (control point) at Wilsey Down – ham, egg and chips with a mug of tea – excellent – and a chance for a nap in the sunshine. At Petherwin it was nice to see our first spectators there, but there was a scary moment as we rounded the first corner by Ruses Mill, trying to build up speed for an unknown gradient ahead and just missing a large stone covered with about 400 years worth of scrape marks.
We arrived at the Lady Vale test to a pressure building combination of spectators and the distant sound of a car struggling up something like the North face of the Eiger. In fact this test had one huge advantage, it was not necessary to engage reverse gear (refer to previous March Hare articles for an explanation of this), and we completed the test in what seemed a reasonable time, although I haven’t seen the results when writing this so may have to eat those words. The subsequent Mays Hill was very enjoyable and we approached Adrian’s Way with mounting confidence.
The section was a bit slippery at the start, then a nice few yards to build up speed round the corner and a steepish climb to something I can’t tell you about because we never made it. There were two routes round the corner. I took the left hand one and avoided the rut, but unfortunately hit a large lump of earth on the inside which killed our momentum and we just did not have enough grip to make it to the top. At this point our navigator, quite out of character, suggested a more gung-ho approach which involved dropping a wheel into the rut (wall of death), thus firing the car round the corner and up the hill to certain success. At the time I was too surprised to challenge this view, but subsequently we concluded that you would have probably have either grounded with the wheel in free space or dented the (newly repaired) wing on the bank.
We opted to do only the first part of Bishops path, a wise decision looking at what followed and stopped for a few minutes (sorry) to watch a Skoda literally fly over the top of the rock slope on the way to a clean. We’ve got a digital film of this if anyone is would like a copy.
At Perranporth car park we could have spent the rest of the day explaining why we were driving around Cornwall in a car covered in mud, but had to move on the final section at Blue Hills. My apologies to all those who tried to encourage us to give the big one a go, but having spent the previous Saturday panel beating and with a good chance of making it home in one piece I didn’t want to take any chances and took the soft option. This took us safely to the finish control at the Crossroads Motel (yes that really is its name) where we relaxed and reflected on a very enjoyable event over a pasty and pint. It really is a pleasure to take part in an event on this scale and our thanks to the (literally) hundreds of organisers and marshals who make it possible. This particularly applies to those who cover the class O sections, where I imagine the smaller number of competitors makes it a bit quiet, but we really appreciate the chance to get used to these events in stages.
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