Most off-road vehicles eventually meet terrain that forces their drivers to turn around. For the Sherp, a bizarre amphibious machine riding on enormous low-pressure tires, finding that limit takes a lot more effort.
Shaun Walford, host of The Story Till Now YouTube channel, headed into northern Saskatchewan with Dave from Ostacruiser to discover what happens when a Sherp encounters terrain that barely qualifies as a trail. The route included submerged logs, tangled brush, deep swamps, and obstacles that could leave conventional 4x4s stranded.
Dave knew the terrain well, but years of unchecked vegetation had almost swallowed the old trails. This wasn’t a carefully prepared off-road course, and the obstacles waiting beneath the water were often impossible to see.
It turned into an increasingly ambitious adventure that started with a peaceful lake crossing. By the afternoon, the duo is confronting obstacles that make even their unusual machines look vulnerable.
From a Saskatchewan Lake to the Wilderness
The adventure begins at White Swan Lake, where the Sherps demonstrate their ability to move directly from dry land into water. Their oversized tires provide flotation and propulsion, allowing the vehicles to cross the lake before climbing onto a sandy beach.
It’s a relatively relaxing introduction to a machine designed for environments where ordinary tires and conventional four-wheel drive aren’t enough. The real challenge begins when Dave leads them toward an overgrown trail.
Dave warns that cut stumps and submerged logs present serious problems, especially when they catch underneath the vehicle. The Sherp’s enormous tires can climb obstacles that would stop many off-roaders, but its underbody isn’t immune to getting hung up. He recalls a previous outing when a submerged log trapped a Sherp against a root system, requiring a winch to escape.
The Swamp Puts Everyone to the Test
The most dramatic section takes the convoy into thick swamp vegetation, where water hides obstacles and the trail nearly disappears. One Sherp appears momentarily stuck, while the other pushes through floating vegetation, deep mud, and fallen timber.
The drivers repeatedly adjust their approach, sometimes backing up before attacking an obstacle again. Progress is anything but graceful, with the machines pitching and rocking as their tires find traction.
So, Did Anything Actually Stop It?
Despite several difficult moments, they make it through the route without a major recovery. The experience leaves Shaun with greater confidence in the Sherp’s ability to handle extreme angles and unpredictable terrain.
Reflecting on the experience, Dave describes looking at seemingly impassable terrain and thinking, “There’s no line there.” Then the Sherp pushes through anyway, leaving everyone wondering how it managed to get across.