1 Day Course Description:

A morning of training and then a trail drive up an old ore hauling route that is now a 4x4 trail to the historic silver mining town of Virginia City. This training is meant for the beginner, though even the well seasoned overlander may learn a thing or two! You'll learn the basics of 4x4 driving, how your vehicle works, how to negotiate standard trail obstacles, how to get yourself "unstuck", and other important things to know when you are in "the outback". Each vehicle is provided with a radio so we can keep in touch along the trail, and so that you can learn some basic radio functions and etiquette too. We'll finish the day in historic Virginia City.

 

3 Day Course Description:

I keep the classes small and I conduct them as a "team-in-training", meaning that we work together as a team to solve various issues. This comes from my years as a leader and trainer in Search and Rescue from -100ft to +10,000ft, (and yes, you read that correctly). I believe that team work should be standard practice any time you are on the trail with more than one person or vehicle. I also believe that if you plan on overlanding with a partner that you are both equally trained, this greatly improves the enjoyment for both of you, since you will now have an understanding of what each role (driver vs navigator/spotter) entails and what to expect from the other person. This also makes planning your next adventure together much more enjoyable. As in the 1 Day Course each vehicle is provided with a radio so we can keep in touch along the trail, and so that you can learn some basic radio functions and etiquette too.

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DVNP Day 1 - After introductions and a safety briefing we will get underway to our 1st destination, the Eureka Valley Dunes. We start with understanding your vehicles capabilities, which is key to knowing what obstacles you can tackle. We'll take look at and talk about your vehicle and other 4x4 and AWD vehicles and what limitations they might have. Additionally we go through recovery gear and understanding the basics for tackling a variety of terrain that you may encounter. Additionally we will have a demo of the famous high lift jack and some of its variety of uses. That night we'll spend time around the fire talking about overland set-ups and camping, telling stories and getting more acquainted.

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DVNP Day 2 - We get on the trail right away today where there are opportunities to learn spotting skills and safe winching techniques. This will take up most of the morning and into midday. Once we have finished the winching and spotting skills we will spend the afternoon driving to some amazing hot springs. This will be a fairly long day and finishing it in the hot springs is a great way to end it!

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DVNP Day 3 - This morning we finish up with any last questions and then get on our way back to our starting point by early afternoon.

 

Included:

Professional 4x4/AWD guidance and training, overland camping tips n' tricks, a warm campfire at night, and strong French press coffee in the morning.

 

Options:

1. Drive your own 4x4 vehicle. 9 inches of ground clearance are needed for the 1 Day class, and 10 inches of ground clearance are needed for the 3 Day class, low range transfer-case and minimum 31 inch "All Terrain" or "Mud Terrain" tires required.

2. Rental options available.

 

For this training you must provide:

Your own meals, tent, sleeping bag, pillow, toiletries, camp clothes, a warm clothing for the evening, sturdy closed toed shoes, a headlamp, a thirst for knowledge and a good community attitude.