Wattagans Reccie Sat 4-8-18

There will very likely be a few posts like this, coming late in the week - as we reccie for Grease Monkey. Get involved where you can, though most reccies will have group small numbers due to the logistics involved when we are trying to works things out.

General: This reccie is Sean and Daphne looking to gear up for for Grease Monkey. Target is C+ Grade but possible B grade pinch points may be on the list. Reccie attendees will necessarily preference potential Grease Monkey trip leaders - though note that this one is not a D grade run and requires prepared jeeps.


Where: Watagans

When: Saturday 4th August 2018 day trip - to leave meet point at 9:30am

Meet: M1 Motorway services traveling North, just past Wyong. On Google it's called F3 Wyong North bound (Twin Servos). There is a Macca's and a healthy fast food as well.

Grade: Well it's a reccie so formally this is X grade - unknown; but the target is C+ Grade with B grade obstacles OK. We will probably be looking into some of these tracks:

a) CPT80 + Sawmill and "friends"
b) Green's Break + Creek Rd and Farrels

Requirements: Well prepared jeeps are needed for these initial reccies. Later trip leaders may ask for stock vehicles to test the trip, but first up we don't really know what we are up against. 2" lift, 33" off road tyres, recovery gear, tow points front and rear, first aid kit, radio. Fuel needs to be full leaving the meet point - we don't necessarily take the quickest route out to fill up, but target getting back closer to Sydney.

This run is limited to: Ideally 4 jeeps, 5 max for experienced club guys ready to push through on a reccie. Trips tend to be at a bit quicker pace between challenges.

Attending:
1. SeanC - Sean and Daphne, JK
2. dru - Dru'n'Kerry, JK (still in overlanding mode!)
3. richhenning - Rich, JKU
4.

I would like to join please Dru. Keen to start to consolidate my knowledge of the Watagans. Happy to be bumped if more deserving participants come to the fore. Also good for the Jeep to have an off road shakedown after the repairs recently completed.

Rich

Quote:

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Originally Posted by richhenning

I would like to join please Dru. Keen to start to consolidate my knowledge of the Watagans. Happy to be bumped if more deserving participants come to the fore. Also good for the Jeep to have an off road shakedown after the repairs recently completed.

Rich

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Rich - you are really welcome. :smile-new:

Treat all puddles on Sawpit and CPT80 as bottomless , and you'll be right

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nitrobrent

Treat all puddles on Sawpit and CPT80 as bottomless , and you'll be right

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Haha!

Sawpit on the exit bog we will try to avoid. Our mapped trail takes a different exit. All to be confirmed on the Weekend.

The bog on CPT80 can be better to take on rather than skirting it cross camber in the grease. The exit is steep though which is a different issue.

nitro - are the trails particularly wet at the moment? I know that the Watagans are fully capable of being greasy even in the middle of the drought, but I'd hope that the bogs are down a bit.

Not sure
In Thailand at the moment .
Was up there 2 weekends ago and was very dry.

Enjoy your time there. Will you be back for Grease Monkey? (Obviously leading question.)

Will be back , but busy until after Willowglen , then may not have a driveable Jeep.
Day I get back I have to put new ball joints in a HP housing I'm building.
Still have to plate the roof and get towbar with lifting lugs back on.

I would love to join if you’ll have me. Our TJ is only on 31” muddies, however I would like to think it makes up for it with the short wheelbase and 2” lift.

As I have not heard back, I won’t be joining you today. Just wanted to ensure you don’t wait for me thinking I am just going to show up. Best of luck out there today.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EasylyConfused

As I have not heard back, I won’t be joining you today. Just wanted to ensure you don’t wait for me thinking I am just going to show up. Best of luck out there today.

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Sorry to have missed you last night EasylyConfused. Stay in touch, there will be plenty of opportunity.

DRU'N'KERRY

Quick report back.

1. The Watagans are VERY dry. Normally mud-bogs galore there are few there at the moment.
2. Many of the trails have deteriorated in the dry. Some trail challenge gradings may need revisited.

We did a quick back at the show grounds and used that as our start point. Most trips will be using Mandalong Rd to access the Watagans from the camp ground.
CPT80's famous bog has been tamed by the drought and a bypass. BUT the climbs are C++ with plenty of options.
Sawpit remains much as remembered. We use an entry/exit that avoids the serial bogs which in this case are STILL there. Leaves this track as C+
Greens Break is totally changed. The log challenge is much as it always has been - advantage to the shorties. But the climb is now a B grade and requires plenty of articulation and clearance.
MacKenzie is as it always has been, fabulous interlude on a C or C+ trip

There was a motorbike comp on in the Farrells and we couldn't find a way around them, so we need to revisit them on another week.

Thanks to Rich, Sean and Daphne for making a great day out.

Everyone reading, keep an eye out for the reccies, join in, get ready for Grease Monkey!



Dru'n'Kerry

Thanks Dru & Kerry for guidance today, we had a great time. Looking forward to more recces.

Here’s a video from today.

https://www.facebook.com/621091295/p...5426356181296/


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