What could go wrong when we attempt to climb the same mountain from two opposite sides in a thunderstorm? This is our next episode in the Montezuma Challenge off-road video series.
The machines we are using are a new Polaris Ranger XP 1000 Northstar Ultimate edition and a new Polaris General XP 1000 Factory Custom. The Ranger has a fully enclosed cab with windshield wipers and a heater. The General has Walker Evans adjustable shocks and about 20 horsepower advantage!
Nathan picks the Ranger, while I take the General. It all started out very innocently. This is not a full-on race. We are driving in a quick fashion to get to the top of the mountain, but we are observing safe off-road trail etiquette. We could see a cloud in the distance, but we did not think much of it. Once we started to get above the tree line, we started to hear thunder and see lightning.
Needless to say, being on top of a 13,000-foot mountain in a lightning storm is NOT advisable. This is a very dangerous proposition as lightning can strike our machines. I decide to stop before reaching the mountain ridge in order to wait out the storm. I get very cold and wet in the process.
Here is what happens! Check out the video below. There is a reason why Nathan has a giant grin in the featured image.
