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BDASH
11-08-2008, 11:11 AM
I started doing this as a post to Neerim Nasty, but thought rather than burying it 6 pages into a specific trip thread, that it deserved a thread of its own.

Here is the trip ratings section on the MJOC website:

http://www.mjoc.org.au/level2.php?header=Trip%20Ratings&tab=trips&iframe=forms/trip_rating.html

...or you can reach this from the Trips..Trip Ratings menu on www.mjoc.org.au (http://www.mjoc.org.au).

All the reasons that a few have said above are the reasons we have trip ratings. There are so many different types of 4-wheelers (and Jeeps for that matter) that not everyone is willing (or able) to throw their truck at A-grade tracks.
As you will probably have seen, MJOC has our own Extreme level guys who love their A-grade tracks, but many people still have their Jeep as a daily driver (or simply don't want to "Just-Empty-Every-Pocket" ;-)) after a day on the trails.

Of our over 300 members, the most popular rating is C-grade (or Difficult). This allows you to test your Jeep, and your skills, across many different types of terrain with a low percentage of decent vehicle damage. Sure, everyone expects things like pin-striping and the odd-mechanical or driveline stuff up from dropping on a rock or whatever (the nature of a vehicle based past time), but the hope is that you don't have to get into situation where panel or major damage is a good possibility.
As you will see from the ratings guide, A-grade (or Extreme) are very difficult tracks (as per B grade) but the added bonus (if that's how people see it ;-)) is that "vehicle damage is a possibility".

You guys mentioned that you go out with mates, and that's great, because you get to a stage where you know exactly what you and your mates (and your Jeeps) are capable of and therefore drive and choose tracks appropriately. I'm sure you also know that a Moderate track can also become Very Difficult based on weather. But typically our trip leaders will have planned alternative routes for anything they think may become an issue like this if the weather turns.

Which I guess is also why we have a good 4WD Vic accredited training program in the club. An early comment in the Neerim Nasty thread asked about whether or not people "had to" do training with the club. The short answer is no, however before people go on a club trip, they have to have done some accredited training. This is part of our club responsibilities and insurance etc, but it's also about getting the most out if you and your truck. It always surprises me the number of people that come on training with years and years of experience who are shocked at the amount they learn from doing training (ours or someone else's). Of course we then do Advanced level training and for those that want to organise and run trips, we have Trip Leader training too.

I hope this helps non-MJOC'ers (and some MJOC members ;-)) understand a little more about how and why we grade our trips.