The Sani Pass instantly became a trip highlight. At 1,332m of elevation gain and tight spaghetti switchbacks, the gravel road made for an exceptional driving experience ranked within the likes of the Duffey Lake Highway (prior to widening, straightening, paving…) and the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Three point turns were required at some corners and low range was needed to scale the steeper grades. 77 bhp proved to be sufficient firepower for a 50 something year old piece of machinery to tackle the pass.

Note that we’re no longer sure of the Yster Ratel’s birthdate. It was during a recent repair session that we discovered in an original Land Rover manual that our chassis number (serial number or VIN) was only produced between 1961 and 1964 not even close to 1969 as we previously believed. At 50-53 Land Rover years old, we’re driving a museum! More to come in future posts as we work to find out the exact model year.

Cheers, Tamaira & Michel