RECOVERY: WINCH REDIRECTION

THROUGH THE ART OF REDIRECTION, YOUR WINCH CAN BECOME AN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL TOOL.

THINGS can and do go wrong. It’s a fact of life in general, but something that’s an ever-present danger when heading off-road. A mis-step, incorrect wheel placement, or just slippery conditions can put your 4x4 in the line of danger within a split second.

It could be something as simple as the front wheels dropping down a ledge, through to a fully loaded camper trailer sliding off the side of the track and threatening to drag you with it. Either way, the results are basically the same: you’re in a bad situation and desperately need to do something pretty fancy to get yourself out of it. Enter the winch redirection. The concept is simple enough. A winch fitted to the front of your vehicle can pull you forwards but is next to useless in any other direction. But through the use of pulley blocks, it’s possible to redirect the winch line – much like a multiple line pull – to alter where the pulling power is directed. It’s a skill you may never need to use in your entire off-road career – but that one time, in that one bad situation, it could very well save your life.

The set-up is much the same as a doubleline pull, just with a little more planning.