A QUARRY would be one of the last places you would expect to find me on a Saturday morning at 9.30am.

Yet there I was, at Brockhill Quarry, near Stow, ready to drive a Range Rover through a series of three courses, with expert tuition from the Evesham-based Johnson's Off-road School.

Robert Johnson and his son, also called Robert, are professional off-road driving instructors and have been running the school since the start of this year.

For £90 or £120 a day, depending on whether you use your own vehicle, and providing you have a full driving license, the two Roberts will put you through your paces in a four-wheel drive vehicle at one of two venues.

For the morning, I was competing against two men from Worcester. One was an HGV driving instructor and the other an outside caterer. After a safety briefing, we walked the first course and were given advice on how to approach each gate, something which is done on all the courses before you get behind the wheel.

There are 10 gates on each course and the idea is to drive as smoothly and as controlled as possible, passing through all the gates, which are basically numbered cane poles, without hitting them.

Imagine slalom skiing, but in a four-wheel drive vehicle, and you get the idea.

As we walked to the first gate, which was probably wide enough to drive a bulldozer through, Robert junior said: "This is gate 10, if you hit this one we send you home."

Needless to say, none of us hit it.

Hitting a gate would lose you a point, stopping when not told to would also lose you a point and so would other misdemeanours.

Getting used to the vehicle was strange, changing gear was not exactly smooth and because of a low-range gearing system, you drive off in second.

The first rule of offroading is simple. Never use the brake, control the speed with the accelerator.

Once I'd steered my way round the first quarry course, scoring eight out of ten, I felt fairly confident and ready for the next one.

After a quick coffee break, we headed for course two, which was more demanding, with steeper slopes, narrower gaps to get through, and gate seven.

Gate seven was akin to a rollercoaster as it reaches the biggest drop on the circuit.

You steer your way to the top and then take your foot off the gas and let the vehicle drop down the sandy slope with no brakes, and it actually looks worse than it is.

The last course was on a flat, but very muddy field and looked comparatively easy compared with the sandy slopes of the quarry.

But this course was harder and keeping in the tyre tracks was almost essential to maintaining a steady course, even if I did misjudge one of the gates.

The latter part was thrilling, with the vehicle tilting over to the extent that if you put your hand out the window you would have touched the ground.

All in all, it was an experience I will never forget and I would recommend it to anyone.

For more information about the off-road days contact the school on 01386 761515 or visit their website at www.offroadschool.co.uk.