An unusual recovery

Here's something you don't often see, a vehicle stuck on a steep downhill slope (far steeper than the camera shows it) where gravity is usually a good aid to forward progress. But it happened this weekend to a Wrangler Unlimited in Waiuku Forest, southwest of Auckland. The Jeep was well and truly grounded, unable to go back or forward. Unable to be pulled backwards from the top, the FJ Cruiser is dispatched to see if the Jeep can be gently towed down.

But the Jeep is so stuck that the FJ is just a pendulum

on the end of the tight recovery strap, wheels spinning on the loose surface.

So a Nissan Safari with winch is positioned at the top, 90 degrees to the stuck Jeep, via a pulley block positioned high on a convenient tree truck. The Jeep has just started to pull back from the combination of tree stump and dip that had trapped it.

And back she comes, watched by the recovery controller. This was a well-oiled recovery with those involved knowing what they were doing and one person taking charge. A pleasure to see.