As in 2000, this year’s Exmoor Clouds started at the Ralegh’s Cross Inn high on the Brendon Hills. Unlike last year though the morning dawned bright and sunny and the 52 motorcycle and 66 car competitors enjoyed beautiful autumn sunshine all day. The hills were in prime condition after a wet week and although one or two of the old favourites were missing, due to foot and mouth precautions, the route was similar to that used in the last couple of years.
After a gentle opener in the form of Steep Lane, the trial moved on to Port Lane where considerable delays built up as the motorcyclists tackled (with varying degrees of success) this long classic section. Five saloons saw the section ends board although only four cleaned the hill. The fifth, driven by William Rosen, was judged to have stopped lower down and then got moving again – a pity as it is some achievement to get an Imp over the rock steps at the top on tiny 12″ wheels.
The next three hills were to prove decisive. The first, Northmoor, was very muddy at the bottom with a deviation off the main track to the restart line, which stopped three quarters of Class 8. The usual suspects went clear and were joined by Paul Bartleman in what was listed as a Ford Special but what everyone else seems to call the ‘Cream Cracker’ Troll.
Following on from Northmoor was the first Special test of the day where Bill Foreshew threw the GVS II round in style to set FTD. Ski Slope was next and with the sun warming the grass, we had hopes of getting off the steep and slippery restart. These were soon dashed as the hill proved to be in fine form with a sticky patch lower down which stopped all the saloons bar one – David Turner’s BMW. He was joined at the top by Tommy Kalber in his Dutton and just three Class 8 specials – eventual winner Adrian Marfell, Dudley Sterry (after some determined bouncing) and local man David Dyer in a Canon who made it look easy, despite having shifted his rear axle on Port Lane. Falcon’s Murray and Hazel Mac were marshalling on the hill and Murray described how one special had almost rolled when attempting to climb the bank up to the restart – apparently only the fact that the spare wheel carrier had dug into the ground stopped it from flipping over backwards.
Pin Quarry followed and in contrast to Ski Slope, where the whole hill can be seen from the bottom, the start was out of sight. Not many cars saw the top either, most being stopped by a muddy bank or the hollow that followed immediately after. Following the route thereafter was also something of a challenge as it twisted and turned PCT-style up to the top of the old section. We met a Dellow driver at the top who arrived from a completely different direction but was convinced he’d cleaned the hill!
Allercott also had something of the PCT about it starting downhill and after climbing slightly descending further before the steep rutted grassy slope at the finish. Having made a mess of this last year, I was determined to blast straight up the final slope. All went well until the 5 marker landed on the bonnet, followed shortly by the 4 marker! I suppose the marshal gamely jumping into our path to vainly try and direct us up the left hand side should have given the game away but we weren’t the only ones to be caught out by the subtle route-marking and the penalties incurred for striking marker posts.
On to Middlecombe Woods where the first of two sections featured another downhill start to a wide left hand bend and then a long roller coaster climb with a choice of routes at the six marker – either a tight squeeze between two stout trees or round to the left. Although fairly straightforward for class 8, no car cleared the section from Classes 1-7 and delays again built up. The situation wasn’t helped when the recovery vehicle got into difficulty trying to reach the Hazelden Golf and took a full half-hour to get mobile again.
The second Middlecombe section proved less challenging, much to the relief of most of the field who had cleared only two or three sections by this stage – two thirds of the way through the trial! Land’s End section Hindon also proved easy this year. The good relations Dick Hutchins and the team have with the locals were in evidence here as farmer and family was sat in the sunshine spectating. Apparently, the key to Dick’s success (he has something like 40 hills to chose from) is the invitation to the club’s annual dinner extended to the landowners of the sections used each year
Not far from Minehead, the slippery tree roots at the top of Avill Ball stopped all the saloons and most of the bikes although most in Class 8 managed to avoid the large stump at the top and clean the section.
On to Tarr Cot, which proved a real challenge for the saloons, only Clive Kalber in his Escort and Giles Greenslade going clear to secure their respective class wins. There appeared to be some communication problem here as some cars were sent off while others were coming back down having failed. Clearly not ideal, especially as you need to press on a bit to get across an adverse camber half way up… Those who made the top uninterrupted were treated to a glorious view over the Bristol Channel to South Wales.
Down through Roadwater and along the old mineral line to what looked like abandoned Iron ore workings for the final two stages – one for class 8 and one for everyone else. Getting to the start of these sections required climbing a track, which could serve as a section in itself. Unfortunately it proved too challenging for some of the saloons, especially as most arrived well after nightfall and their section was rightly cancelled – this area definitely not being somewhere to get stuck in the dark. Class 8 arrived earlier, however, and were able to tackle a long steep section with big drops to the right hand side and a slippery grassy finish which stopped most of the class. We gave it death and were pleased to get to the top only to see Adrian Marfell cruise up in second gear to complete the only clear round of the day and a well-deserved victory. Paul Bartleman finished a fine second, having dropped only 3 points, with Dudley Sterry a couple of seconds behind on special test times.
All in all a great day’s sport for us in class 8 – all the more so after an enforced close season of 8 months. For those in some of the other classes though it must have been a very long (and in places rough) day with the last competitor finishing at 8.30pm and then facing the drive home.
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