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The Full Story
Training
Summary
The Grand Mesa Lodge offers training on both avalanche safety and riding skills. We have a comprehensive training system called the SMW. This program has been developed by long time riding expert, and owner of the Grand Mesa Lodge, Spencer Christensen. This comprehensive training covers both avalanche safety as well as backcountry safety, riding skills. It covers things like how to get unstuck in the back country. How to tow out a dead sled through rough terrain and in deep powder. How to use checklists, we cover radio technology, essential gear and many other very useful items.
To get this training you can:
Buy our book and get much of the training on your own. The book is called Riding the Wild.
Take our Safety Clinic
Take our Skills Clinic
Or you can follow us on Facebook and Youtube. We create a lot of videos with this information for free.
Safety Clinic (Avalanche & Backcountry)
Our avalanche course is a 3 day course which focuses primarily on avalanche safety. We also cover some other safety components such as wilderness survival, how to tow a sled out of the backcountry, and emergency management. We spend 2 days on the snow and 4 hours in the lodge. There is also some online work you can do on your own.
The course is taught by avalanche trainer Spencer Christensen. The avalanche training focuses on the following:
1. How to identify avalanche conditions
2. How to discern slope and grade
3. Extensive training on rescue equipment
4. Extensive training on victim recovery
5. How to read a forecast
6. Checklists use
7. Pre-ride safety briefing
8. Group influence
9. How to develop safe culture
You also get a copy of our book: "Riding the Wild! Elevate your snowmobiling skills" That also comes with several resources such as checklists which are printed on high quality vinyl stickers. We recommend that you stay at the Grand Mesa Lodge. And if you stay at the lodge you can either bring your own food, you can eat at a restaurant or you can get the VIP package which will include all your meals.
See VIP add on.
The price is $450 per person.
For an extra $75, you can include two days worth of food with our VIP package.
Please call us at 970-444-1517 to book a snowmobiling adventure with us!
Mountain Skills Clinic
Our Mountain Skills clinic is a 2-4 day clinic. We provide riding-skills training, survival & extraction training, and basic avalanche training. We spend about 40-60% of our time in the saddle riding!
This is not a certification course. It's an all killer, no filler course. We focus on mountain skills training as well as some basic avalanche safety. We teach several riding skills and techniques including wrong foot forward, carving or counter steering, tree riding, and side hilling. When you complete this course you will be MUCH, MUCH more qualified to ride safely in the mountains and to handle whatever comes your way. We have rental sleds if needed.
You also get a copy of our book: "Riding the Wild! Elevate your snowmobiling skills" That also comes with a several resources such as checklists which are printed on high quality vinyl stickers. We recommend that you stay at the Grand Mesa Lodge. And if you stay at the lodge you can either bring your own food, you can eat at restaurant or, you can get the VIP package will includes all your meals. See VIP add on.
You can choose to do either 1, 2 or 3 days. We charge per person per day.
The price is:
$295 per person per day (2 person minimum)
Please call us at 970-444-1517 to book a snowmobiling adventure with us!
