It was meant to be a day out driving some of the best lanes Cumbria has to offer in both the Isuzu D-Max and KGM’s (formerly Ssangyong) Musso, but unfortunately due to an emergency my good friend Andy, who had the press Musso, had to pull out at the last minute.  With a day pass from Muddy Madam clutched firmly in my hand I was not going to let it go to waste, so I threw my set of ActionTrax and other recovery gear, as well as a brew making kit in the back of the D-Max and headed up the M6 towards my first lane, Oxon Park, or The Rigg as it’s also known.

Before I get to the lanes, just a bit about the D-Max… 

Although there are no mechanical upgrades from the last D-Max I reviewed, the range has received some modifications. Notably there are a couple of new colours now available as well as a freshly styled front grille and new wheel designs. Inside the seats get a redesign, as well as more hardwearing fabric.  Oh, and a rear diff-lock is now available on all manual 4x4 Utility models.

Getting back to the lanes, The Rigg (SD3187-02 Trailwise reference) is a favourite lane of mine, and one that I’ve driven numerous times in a variety of 4x4s.

From south to north it starts with a narrow farm track and properly begins at a farm gate.  It’s a hard gravel track throughout that’s suitable for all 4x4s, and for the large part you don’t even need to engage 4WD.  That said, due to the inclement weather we’ve seen recently, some sections have been partly washed away, not excessively, but low-box was required for damage control.

Being relatively easy, this lane offers some wonderful low level views and never disappoints, and with five gates to open and close you’ll definitely get some fresh air.

As I mentioned, I’ve lost count how many times I’ve driven this lane, but this was the first time I’ve met other vehicles coming in the opposite direction.  Being a single track lane it was quite snug passing a Hilux and a rather smart classic Defender 90 with what appeared to be a camper-style pop-up roof.

Upon reaching the end, the next lane is within a matter of yards away.

SD3088-02 begins through a gate next to a farm house, with a 90º left hand turn up a steepish incline which never feels like it’s going to stop.  Just like the previous lane, the surface is hard but with plenty of loose stone, so low-box is recommended.

SD3088-02 is a nice and easy, undulating lane with a firm gravel base, and after a lot of rain there are quite a few puddles to negotiate, though nothing over 12-18” deep. There are also a few rocky bits that are worth being watchful of as they could easily cause a sidewall puncture if you’re not careful, and nobody wants one of those.

On a nice day it’s worth pulling over when you reach the top to enjoy the beautiful views and partake of a much needed brew. The only thing that spoiled the view were a few signs of trail riders going off-piste, which is a shame.

Further along there’s a twisty descent that leads to a small stream that crosses the lane, again it isn’t too deep, and if taken at around 15mph makes for a dramatic photo.

From here there’s another incline before you drop down towards a gate and, once through, it’s flat with plenty of the aforementioned puddles.

My next lane was Trailwise ref SD3394-05, which is also know as both Grizedale, or The Fox.

Heading south to north, lane three has three sections. The first, as you see below, is a narrow and rocky ascent that is, in places, strewn with overhanging branches. Both low box and a decent ground clearance are required here, and you really don’t want to meet other vehicles coming in the opposite direction, hence the voluntary one-way system.

This is where the D-Max felt at home, its gearing and intelligent traction control system made light work of the loose rocks and slippery steps.  I’m not going to lie, there was the occasional crunch from its nethers as we made contact with the ground, but the D-Max is built tough, so I ignored them and carried on.

When you reach the top you join a wide dirt track that you follow until you reach the next section, which was sadly graded a few years ago.

Another tight single track lane with barely any passing places, this final section has a surface made from broken rock, gravel and bedrock, and takes you over some gnarly looking rocky mounds that are actually quite easy to negotiate, if you have the clearance.

With the majority of the rock steps done, I figured it was time for a brew and a butty, so I found a clearing, dropped the tailgate and poured myself a coffee.

One of the many reasons why I believe the D-Max is the most practical and useful pickup on the UK market, is that there are circular holes (I can’t think of a better word to describe them), built into the tailgate in which my Klean Kanteen flask fits perfectly.

After around 15 minutes of peace and tranquility and not a soul around, I figured I should carry on towards my final lane, Breast High Road, which despite only being 26 miles away, would take the best part of an hour to arrive at.

Making sure I had left nothing behind I continued along the lane, focussing on the large steps whilst trying not to be distracted by the glorious views of Esthwaite Water in the distance.

Arriving at Breasthigh I was slightly relieved to see that water level at Crookdale Beck was fairly low with a few large rocks just visible hiding just beneath the surface.

In case you aren’t aware, a few years ago Breast High Road in Cumbria was in a pretty bad state of repair, so to avoid a total closure, LDNP (Lake District National Park) together with other user groups including TRF and GLASS contributed to a major repair which included complete restructuring of several parts of the route, plus reinstating and improving drainage. There are also two new bridges in areas that were considered unsafe and the gateway next to Borrow Beck has been set back toward the fell allowing for easier access, and dry feet.

Despite being a shadow of its former self it can still cause a headache for some user groups as the shale that was used to fill the massive holes wasn’t compressed, consequently it is quite easy to become bogged down on some of the steeper sections.

No need to worry, the D-Max in low box made light work of the ascent, be careful though, it’s very easy to become distracted by the fantastic views.

Upon reaching the top, and still blessed with a gorgeous blue sky, I couldn’t resist pulling over again to soak up the views and another quick brew.

Breast High Road crosses mainly open fell land and climbs steeply to 430m from either direction - it's only 2½ miles in length, but it’s definitely worth it.

On the way back down, heading toward Tebay, there is one gate that can be a tricky to negotiate, especially in a long wheel base vehicle.  As well as the gate itself being fairly narrow, access to it is from a very tight 90º angle. The D-Max slotted through with inches to spare on either side.

From here it’s quite a steep and twisty descent with more fantastic views to distract, and it wasn’t long before I reached the end and made my way towards Tebay services, then the M6 towards home.

I mentioned earlier that in my humble opinion the D-Max is probably the most practical and useful pickup on the UK market.  I say this because of the abundance of cup holders and cubby areas littered around the cabin for all your gubbins.  Add to that the rear seat base folds upwards allowing access to some useful additional storage spaces. Alternatively the seat backs fold down offering a nice flat area for more fragile items that you don’t want to chuck in the pickup bed. 

As I said, a well thought out and practical vehicle, and one that given the choice, and cash, I’d more than likely to spend my own money on.

Overall a cracking day was had driving some wonderful Cumbrian green-lanes in a comfortable and competent pickup, and thanks, as ever, goes to the wonderful Isuzu UK PR team for lending me the DL20, fully aware of my ‘off-road’ intentions!