Laning Question

Hello. Coming down a local BOAT I came across a little ford. Much bigger 4x4s have been there earlier and dug up deep ruts on the approach and exit. My Jimny is standard on 215/75 R15 tyres and I have no chance to negotiate this obstacle without risk of grounding on diffs and probably loosing the rear bumper. Chances are it goes in but won't go out of the stream. I would have to a)drive in and probably use a spade to dig the car out of it, or recover by other means, b) use the spade to improve the road a little bit before I drive in, c)give up




Question: is it ok to take a spade (other digging tool), skim some dirt from between the ruts and fill them up a little. I have no intention to spoil the obstacle for others , just make it a little more passable for myself. All the reading I've done about greenlaning says: always have a shovel etc., but nobody says anything about limitations of using digging tools on public roads. Is it legal, moral, allowed etc.?

I don't know about the legality but I can't see anyone objecting to you making repairs to the surface but they mite if you started digging it out deeper to make more of a challenge

:laugh:
Just want to pass in my Jimny. The Landies will come back sooner or later and make it worse again, so challenge level will not be affected. On the other side ( not clear in the photo) there is a mark of a diff housing being dragged through the mud, and judging by the MTs tyre print in mud all over the place it was something quite big.

The photo doesn't do this ford justice. In fact there is only one line of approach with ruts deep enough to catch a modified Landrover. Its all dried up and hard, maybe I'll just wait for rain and come back when the mud goes soft :lol:

Get someone to go with you.... So at least you can be towed out

Also do you have a snorkel?

It's half wheel deep so no need for snorkel.
I have nobody to tow me out at the moment, that's why why I thought of preparing the crossing a little bit with the shovel/entrenching tool to make sure I will not get stuck. Just need to level the ruts a little bit to gain a couple of inches of clearance.

I just don't know and can't find info anywhere what the greenlanes code of conduct or law says about it.

Spoiling the obstacle for other offroaders was a joke, of course.

fshdck wrote: It's half wheel deep so no need for snorkel.
I have nobody to tow me out at the moment, that's why why I thought of preparing the crossing a little bit with the shovel/entrenching tool to make sure I will not get stuck. Just need to level the ruts a little bit to gain a couple of inches of clearance.

I just don't know and can't find info anywhere what the greenlanes code of conduct or law says about it.

Spoiling the obstacle for other offroaders was a joke, of course.

Save up for a winch