It’s not everyday you stumble on a YouTube video that gives you a legitimate “pucker moment” while sitting in your comfy cubicle setup. That’s why, when a video like that does come around, it must mean it’s something for the ages.
Such is the case with the video above, posted on March 2, 2014 by user rhauf1 titled “over the edge.” While the video thumbnail shows a white SUV going down a steep incline, it does not give the video any justice whatsoever. What we see here is a pre-1994 first-generation Ford Explorer, you know, the ones with the twin-traction-beam (I-beam) suspensions, going down an insanely steep hill. Featuring some oversized tires, an exo-cage, a shock hoop protruding through the hood, and two brave (or insane?) passengers, the Exploder proceeds to drive down the face of a remarkably steep hillside that has clearly not been touched before.
Taking place at the 2014 Tierra Del Sol, an event that brings off-roaders from around the Southwest to the Southern California deserts, the driver and passenger apparently decided to find the steepest dried mud-hill they could find and then attempt to drive down it. Watch the video – by our count they almost rolled over at least three times in the decent! The only thing we can compare this to is backcountry snowboarding – i.e. finding a never-been-touched hill, choosing your line, and then committing.
This video is a true do or die situation, because had they actually rolled over during one of the three close calls, they wouldn’t have stopped rolling for a long, long time. Thankfully, the driver and co-pilot were able to make it out clean, although you probably cannot say the same about their underwear.