The Pull-Pal Winch Anchor & Winch Techniques	Short Cuts
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Though pictures never do justice to the situation or the extreme angle, you can at least get a feel for the life-threatening situation from repeated rolls.	Well above the tree line, the two Texans resorted to pounding in stakes and attaching anchor straps to stabilize the vehicles while they developed a recovery strategy.

Page 3 - A Real World Example

Recently, multiple Pull-Pal anchors were used to rescue two stuck vehicles in Colorado. Two men from Texas were exploring in Colorado, one in a new stock Jeep and one in a stock Dodge 4x4 Truck. They were new to 4-wheeling and were unfamiliar with the area. The went down a trail that they probably should not have gone down, and found themselves getting into some very steep and treacherous terrain. The literally risked death several times on the loose rocky ground, and the slightest mistake would have sent them tumbling thousands of feet down a very steep mountain.

Eventually these two realized that they were in over their heads, and they made what may have proved to be one of the wisest decisions in their lives -- they stopped, left their vehicles, and walked out. What happened to the two Texans after that was a whopper sized tale of woe, one that I am sure their grand kids will be hearing for years to come.

The complex story involves the Texans spending a lot of money on equipment and winches, and engaging in a whole lot of carrying this stuff to their vehicles on foot just to stabilize them. It involves them incurring the wrath of the BLM and local residents, and sparking debates about touchy land use issues and politics.

After several days of wrangling with all of these factors, the two men from Texas were rescued by the valiant efforts of some good-hearted four-wheeling professionals who used a great deal of experience, skill, and luck, as well as the right equipment (including a few Pull-Pal anchors) to get these two vehicles safely back onto to pavement. Pat Gremillion (Premier Power Welder and Pull-Pal, maker of the Pull-Pal and a professional four-wheeler), Steve Rumore (Avalanche Engineering, inventor of the famous "Sniper" and also a competitive professional four-wheeler) and John Gilleland (Hummer Extreme Adventures and also a competitive professional four-wheeler) combined forces and were able to get the job done safely. Their basic technique used three Pull-Pal anchors to stabilize a Hummer which winched these vehicle back up to a point where they could be safely driven back to pavement. The Pull-Pal anchors were incredibly important here; without them, there would have been a very significant risk of the rescue vehicle being pulled down the loose rock hill towards the vehicle being rescued, and all of them tumbling thousands of feet down a mountain side. This is a perfect example of how, after getting in way over their heads, two folks eventually found the sense to stop, and even though it was a long hike (at a very high elevation), they decided that their feet were the safest way out. Then, even after buying lots of equipment, they analyzed the situation and realized they needed more help.... and finally some great people showed up who had the knowledge, the experience, and the equipment to evaluate the situation, make a good plan, and complete the vehicle recovery safely.

Lest you think that this rescue was routine, just a couple of weeks later in Colorado, an experienced four-wheeler, in a well-built 4x4 tragically lost his life while four-wheeling in these mountains. While attempting to climb a hill, his Jeep got just a little bit sideways and rolled hundreds of feet downhill before coming to rest. This is not a judgment of this man, his skill, or his equipment -- it is an acknowledgment that four-wheeling is a potentially dangerous activity and that things can go wrong and people can get hurt in the blink of an eye. Caution and wisdom will always provide the best protection for any four wheeler. If you are not comfortable doing something, don't do it. Don't be afraid to get out and walk; don't be afraid to stop and evaluate a situation and use tools like your winch and a Pull-Pal if you need them.

| Page 1 - The Pull-Pal | Page 2 - Some Winch Techniques | Page 3 - A Real World Example |