Rider Safety

Snowmachine Basic Rider Certification

The snowmachine basic rider certification class is designed for new riders to the sport. It is a 6-hour hands on riding class that will give the new rider the basic skills of riding and safety.   It will provide a solid foundation that will allow the new rider to continue developing their own skills with confidence.  Lessons will include machine inspection, starting and controls, riding positions, starts and stops, turns, maneuvers, climbing hills, and side hilling.  A total of 11 individual lessons during the day of riding. The culmination of the class will be a trail ride that puts all of the skills of the day into a trail ride packed with additional skills for all kinds of riding terrain and encounters.  

Mountain Rider Class

This class is for beginner mountain riders with good riding skills. Students learn how to pick a safe route and ride in the mountains while avoiding dangerous terrain. Identifying avalanche terrain and avoiding hazard zones while having a fun adventurous ride with friends. This class is a great lead into a Level 1 avalanche class. It is very important that anyone taking this class take a Level 1 class before or very soon after. You will learn basic skills to practice and advance your abilities. Skills such as: how to climb, sidehill, stop and start on sidehills, switching sides and other skills to practice as you advance. Equipment, safety gear, basic trail repairs, emergency procedures, survival skills, will also be covered. Basic avalanche rescue skills will also be learned and practiced during this class.

Glacier Travel Class

This class is for experienced mountain riders and assumes a high level of risk. Students learn how to ride on glaciers and reduce the risk of a dangerous crevasse fall situation. Identifying glacier features and hazards is a main focus of this class. The class will provide you with some basic crevasse rescue skills that may be practiced as you progress. How to identify expansion zones, compression zones, crevasse fields, snow bridges, and much much more. These are basic skills necessary to read a glacier much like reading a whitewater river. A series of prerequisite training materials will be required prior to taking this class. This class will be two full days and one 2.5 hour evening session. Students must have a crevasse rescue kit per every 2 participants.