I went green laning in Wales in an Ineos 4x4 - here's how to take the ultimate rural driving adventure

The world is moving at a frantic pace and for many, the great outdoors is an oasis away from all of it – a chance to breathe fresh air and be awed by unspoilt landscapes.

And for motorists, and in particular 4x4 enthusiasts like me, there's no better way to explore those great outdoors than to go green laning; driving on unsurfaced public byways known as 'green lanes' in some of the most rural parts of the UK.

Some people think the only adrenaline you can get in a car is driving around a track fast. But green laners are in on the secret that tackling almost inaccessible countryside in a 4x4 is a whole different kind of driving rush.

I was lucky enough to spend a day getting to grips with some of the most dramatic green lanes in the UK when I headed to West Wales with Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 4x4 brand Ineos to hit the legendary Strata Florida green lanes.

Motoring Reporter Freda Lewis-Stempel takes you along for a ride with Ineos to induct you into the countryside pursuit you've never heard about...

Before I get into the Strata Florida experience, it's best to explain what greenlaning is, and how it differs from off-roading.

Green laning is driving or riding on 'green roads' - unpaved roads, tracks and byways found in rural and remote areas. Some people drive 4x4s like I did, others ride motorbikes.

Green lanes can be anything from dirt roads to river crossings, smooth gravel to grassy tracks – and most of the time they are in some of the most beautiful parts of the country.

Green laning is often used interchangeably with off-roading as both are done in 4x4s – anything from old Land Cruisers to Series I Land Rovers. But while you are tackling some of the most challenging and exciting terrain in Britain, green laning is not technically off-roading.

Off-roading involves private land or organised events, and non-road legal vehicles are permitted, whereas greenlaning is legal driving with road-legal vehicles and has a code of conduct that emphasises responsible exploration of the countryside.

The Strata Florida in Wales is a place few people know about. Many people head to Snowdonia (now the Eryri National Park), but the Strata Florida in the folds of the Cambrian Mountains is a Meca for greenlaners.

Strata Florida (Ystrad Fflur), meaning Vale of Flowers in Latin, is famous for its Cistercian abbey that sits at the start of the green lanes - some of Wales' most popular and demanding byway routes.

The route includes 12 ford crossings, a bomb hole drop of 45 degrees, rock slabs, forest tracks and heather vistas.

Ceredigion had seen a fair amount of rain in mid-February, and weather conditions can drastically change the way the terrain behaves.

So, despite growing up in 4x4s in the Brecon Beacons, and being very au fait with the Ineo Grenadier's immense capabilities off-road, I was glad Green Lane Association rep Adam Hearne from 4x4 Wales led us long the 73-mile route which starts at Llandovery and ends at Rhayader.

In our groups of three Grenadiers we journeyed on a selection of small roads, single tracks over the hills and through forests to the official start.

The warm up miles got us used to following the slippery ruts, taking it slowly and consistently over rocky climbs, using the overhead 'cockpit' in the Grenadier to select Off-Road Mode and changing into low range (which allows the car to crawl at slow speeds with increased torque) by lifting the transfer case selector collar.

The green lane begins by deviating off the stone forestry track, instead swinging left along a thin elevated track over rocks and tree roots.

While not a cliff drop, the right-of-way is high enough and thin enough to give you pause for thought.

Then it was onto miles of rocky sections, many moments when the cars crossaxled (when the two diagonal wheels lose contact with the ground) and deep troughs.

The views across the valley, although bleak as it was a barren February, were still utterly breathtaking.

We were wading along stone roads with water up to the bonnet in some places, which is nothing when the Grenadier has a wading depth of 800m and 'Wading Mode' to kill off the radiator fan.

But we did have to hang back and make sure we didn't bunch up and get swept up in the car in front's bow waves.

The twist and turns were flagged up on our walkie-talkies, with Adam making sure everyone in the convoy knew when there's an jutting rock in the riverbed that could take out even a Grenadier's BFGoodrich tyre.

The single track continues until the main event: the legendary bomb hole. You can go around if needed, but not us. The Grenadier's Hill Descent could do the job for you, but where's the fun in that?

Even these photos don't do the bomb hole justice: approaching it is most akin to the moment when you're at the top of a rollercoaster and you can't see the drop below because the angle is so steep.

A 45 degree plunge of glossy rock, the approach has to be exact. Adam and the Ineos team got out to spot us with Adam merrily saying: 'Prepare to brake harder than you've ever braked in your life'.

He wasn't wrong – I was inching the Grenadier forwards, unable to see anything under the front of the car and just relying on my spotters while my foot was all but cemented to the brake pedal.

The bomb hole incline is so sharp that you can easily catch the back end when you get to the bottom and pull away. Many people catch their tow bars and rear bumpers here.

The bomb hole highlighted how track driving requires one kind of concentration, while green laning requires a whole different kind. But they're equal in that you can't lapse in focus for one second.

For green laning you need patience because its a slow and steady pursuit, you have to wait your turn, and it takes a while for all groups in the convoy to get past obstacles. But this all brings a great sense of comradery.

It's the antithesis to speed - and that keeps you connected to the countryside around you. There's no phone signal, it's just you and your friends in the middle of nowhere, watching the red kites and skylarks and the sheep grazing while you wait for everyone.

The moments of pause, while you wait your turn or for the cars behind you, are also a nice chance to stretch your legs - so hop out when you have the chance. Even in the ridiculously comfy Grenadier seven hours was a long time to be sat down.

The closing stretch was a mixture of pine tree-walled stretches of troughs, rocks and river crossings until a gravel track took us back to a tarmac road that rejoins civilisation.

One memory will last with me forever: The convoy had regrouped, the car was full of people as a few crew members had piled in for the ride home, and we drove the final stretch over the mountain ridge as I played Led Zepplin's Whole Lotta Love.

All you could see in the closing darkness of the Welsh sky was a line of Grenadier lights making their way down the valley. It was everyone together, it was the green and burnt orange of the valley, and the power of the Grenadier – and it was spectacular.

It was green laning at its best.

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It's hard to know the exact number of people who enjoy green laning in the UK.

The Green Lane Association – a national not-for-profit organisation founded in 1995 - has an active membership of 6,000 individuals, with another 20,000 affiliate members.

However, as people don't have to green lane with an association, and many go privately or via experience packages, it's difficult to ascertain how many are doing it at one time.

The modern term 'green laning' came in with recreational use and rose in popularity during the late 20th and early 21st Century when the publication of Ordnance Survey maps made the green-dotted routes more accessible to the public, and more people owned 4x4s and motorbikes.

For a complete A-Z guide to green laning - from everything to whether you can move obstructions to what kit to take - your best bet is to head to the Green Lane Association website. But we'll cover some basic information anyway.

When you're wanting to go to green laning, there are two route options: Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) and Unclassified Roads (UCRs) - look for these green routes on a map.

Your best friend will be an OS map - make sure you're fully clued up as to where you're going, where field boundaries are, and how to navigate yourself out of wrong turn.

We've all come up against a wrongly marked footpath, and it's the same for green lanes.

Some could have a Traffic Regulation order (TRO) on them, or it could just be impossible to pass through in a vehicle, so make sure you can map read!

This is why I'd fully recommend going green laning for the first time with an experienced rep from the Green Lane Association, or someone they recommend, because a rep will know the routes with their eyes closed and will warn you of any unseen obstacles or unsafe routes.

If you are still determined to go off your own back then, as well as diligently planning your routes, make sure you know your vehicle's capabilities - wading depth, ground clearance – these are vital.

You might be wondering how dangerous can green laning be if you're going as slow as 4mph - but deaths do happen, including in 2008 on this very route.

Navigating the rugged terrain, constantly being tested by the changing landscape leaves you with an immense sense of satisfaction and a high that will last for days.

And you're a better driver when you've spent seven hours behind the wheel crawling through the countryside appreciating the power and scope of a true off-roading car.

And at the same time, you've explored landscapes most people don't even know exist. And the slow pace allows you to look out the car window and properly absorb the way the wilderness changes as you go.

You can find out more about green laning on the Green Lane Association website, and its code of conduct.