It was onto the Green Momba trail where the rocks got wet and the ledges a lot more challenging. It quickly became clear that Stephen Watson's K5 Blazer was just about the ideal setup for this terrain. His 42-inch tires, 120-inch wheelbase, and 16 inches of front suspension travel let him scale off-camber ledge climbs like this without hesitation.
Lunch and trail repairs on...
Lunch and trail repairs on Green Momba
Things were going almost too smoothly for us when BFGoodrich's Fred Perry and Gary Enterline tore the track-bar mount right off the axle of the yellow Wrangler. Ouch! Unfortunate for them, but perfect timing for the rest of us 'cause it was just about time for lunch. We rolled the Jeep back off the ledge and Chris Durham, Keith Bailey, Sam Gillis, and Tom Boyd went to work on it. An hour later the Jeep was back in business and the only casualty was Tom Boyd's leg - which now has a welding scar the size of a silver dollar to remind him of the trail repair.
The temperature and humidity kept creeping up and we could hear thundershowers rolling in towards us from the west. John Hughbanks wasn't about to get caught out in the open, so he lit up the 460 in his Bronco to literally leap up a couple of the waterfall climbs.
The toughest obstacle on Green Momba is this double ledge climb that's 4 feet high, slightly off-camber, and wet. If you get to the top you have to make a hard right-hand turn and drive across a rock razorback without rolling. Our trail leader Donnie Hargrove couldn't make the climb with his 44-inch tires, 1-ton axles, and 6.17 gears. When he saw Editor Rick Pw scale it (at times with both front tires off the ground) two thoughts must have been going through his head: one, we drove this truck from California and were wheeling places he couldn't; and two, he needs a set of BFGoodrich Krawlers!
Mike Cox of Sam's Offroad had to try a few different lines coming up the wall before pulling the winch cable out and coming straight up the middle. You'll have to watch the DVD to really appreciate how hairy an obstacle like this can be, as the right line for the first climb put the short wheelbase Jeeps in a horrible spot to try and make the second climb without rolling.
As narrow as a Jeep and longer than our Ultimate K10, invited reader Paul Chowanec went way left on the first climb and took advantage of his wheelbase. His extreme line also helped him make the turn at the top, but it still looked scary enough to keep us from standing in his fall line. Cameras just don't do this stuff justice.
Then came "Mr. Sideways" Tom Boyd. He's still the only guy that can roll his rig and have three wheels in contact with the ground. He didn't go over here, but he sure gave Caleb Krisher from Hobart Welders (riding shotgun) the thrill of his life on the Green Momba.
Coming out of Green Momba was one final obstacle that looks like it would be real bad after a storm. We felt a few raindrops, but nothing that made the trail any harder. Still it was a tight squeeze for the fullsize guys who had to plot a line through the rocks and vegetation. Invited reader Nate Marsh was already on the lookout for some new Wagoneer doors, so he didn't mind a little more of Mother Nature's pinstriping.