Every Adventure Training course has a unique feel with lessons that adapt and change with each group of riders and an overall curriculum that is constantly evolving. Whether you are a beginner with riding in the dirt, a seasoned adventure rider with experience traveling or a trained ADV rider, the same skills are necessary to take you to the next level. The difference between the beginner and the expert adventure rider is the depth of understanding, application and the environments in which those skills are deployed. The Utah Adventure Training location offers a purpose built location where you can immerse yourself in learning and – regardless of your experience or background – grow to new heights in your skills and understanding.
Training will take place on Class 2 terrain with focused training occurring on elements of Class 3 terrain.
OVERVIEW & HIGHLIGHTS
New for 2025, join us on fifty acres of some of the best terrain Utah has to offer for training. Designed with a multitude of adventure motorcycle specific obstacles you will gain a greater understanding of the physics of riding, how you influence your bikes performance and how to use less energy while increasing your joy of riding in challenging off-pavement terrain. This is not your typical riding class that teaches prescribed steps, This is an academy for riders. You will guided from elementary concepts and skills to master. Your only limitations are the ones you bring with you.
Our Utah location offers six yurts (reserved/paid for separately) so you can stay on-location as well as RV parking (also reserved/paid for separately). The RV area also comes with access to a shower house.
Bret and crew will camp in tents on-site. You are welcome to bring any vehicle to camp in (no hookups). Those who prefer four solid walls can stay in town, approximately ten minutes away.
Your Utah Adventure Training tuition includes a meet and greet session where you will meet the instructors and other riders, get a head start on training concepts and engage in an open forum for questions. We also provide snacks and drinks during training as well as a Saturday night graduation dinner at a local restaurant.
ADV CAMP
You will develop your off-road skills through a better understanding of forces and physics rather than the traditional step-by-step instruction. Turn gross motor skills into fine motor control techniques that will reduce your energy use and make your bike feel lighter and more agile. Various terrain features will be utilized to tease with your brain as you learn how to evaluate each obstacle.
All of this is done without the need to remember the "right formula".
OPTIONAL: SUNDAY SCHOOL ($450)
Time to leave the training grounds and take your new skills to the real world and join us for the timewarp class (affectionally called Sunday school by the instructors). This 4-5 hour tour-style training course takes you on an ADV ride to teach what can’t be taught in theory. Learn how to eliminate the #1 cause of accidents on pavement and on dirt.
Using public roads (paved and dirt) develop advanced visual processes and terrain reading strategies, learn to eliminate information overload and surprises. These advanced techniques were developed over an 11 year period during our training of riders in the United States Army Special Forces and other professional organizations.
You will use the skills learned from the Utah Adventure Training course to to achieve your riding goal of using less energy, riding with less stress and removing the “surprises” that catch many riders unprepared. Get a taste of what adventure riding is all about when done correctly.
This optional training day is provided for an additional tuition and is only available for the students who have attended both days of the Utah Adventure Training course.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
That depends. Whether the ground is dry or damp, the terrain can often easily be ridden on street-biased adventure tires. This time of the year, the ground is expected to be completely dry, however ADV tires will give riders an advantage in the process of learning new skills.
It’s important to note that it has been our experience that the least-experienced riders commonly arrive with the least-capable tires and ultimately struggle unnecessarily and/or hold back the entire class when it could have been a simple solution to arrive with tires that ensure they would get the most out of their investment in time and tuition. Due to this pattern, we have implemented minimum standards.
A complete list of tires and our recommendations is found here.
Maybe… The one piece of safety equipment that does not cross over to riding on dirt are street boots which are often no more than leather slippers with padding and are not acceptable at any of our off-road training events. Crashing at speed during training is very rare but falling over or planting a foot while learning isn’t.
Riders wearing less than an off-road boot (adventure touring boots are NOT off-road boots) are more likely to experience a foot, ankle and/or lower leg injury along with a higher level of foot fatigue. When learning new skills, slow-speed tip-overs are not uncommon due to the inability to immediately apply all the lessons/coaching. This can result in a foot caught underneath the bike or getting twisted when doing an unintentional rapid dismount. We strongly encourage the most protective boot you can afford. Note: We cannot allow you to ride if you choose to bring a boot that offers no off-road crash protection. A complete list of boots are found here.
Hint: The more you can feel your controls and the more you don’t mind walking in your boots, the less protective they are. Some people choose not to wear protective boots because they “can’t feel the controls”. Being able to feel the controls underfoot is not essential. You can easily determine if you’ve shifted or if you’re braking even while wearing the most protective motocross boots. Also, by practicing in off-road boots, you will learn how much pressure is needed to shift and/or brake. After all this is why you are taking training.
No, not anymore. You will need to bring an appropriate bike to your Idaho Adventure Training course whether it’s your own, borrowed, or a rental.
Keep in mind, you may be tipping over (hopefully not crashing) during training so make sure your borrowed bike has crash protection. It is uncommon for riders during adventure training courses to sustain damage, however minor damage is more likely for riders on the lower end of the learning curve.
Grit Moto has RV parking available (email for a reservation), plus they partner with RVshare.com where you can rent an RV. Some owners will even deliver their RV to the area!
Grit Moto has six yurts for rent and they look nice! For reservations, please email Keri. More information and pictures can be found here.
Alternatively, a plethora of hotels can be found in nearby Park City.
As far as we are aware, you can park those at or near your campsite. This is our first year at this location so we are still learning the details.
We supply morning coffee and a lot of snacks throughout the day that should accommodate most dietary preferences.
Meals are not provided other than an optional graduation dinner on Saturday night in town. Most riders choose to bring food they can prepare at camp with a camp stove or drive into town for a nice meal.
Yes, we provide water at all times. You can fill up your water bladders or refill water bottles as needed.
Of course! This class is not exclusive towards so-called adventure bikes or dualsport bikes. Whichever bike you want to learn how to ride off-road, you can bring to class. However, you may not be able to participate in all activities due to limitations in suspension or ground clearance.
Dirt bikes and small dualsports (like the Yamaha XT-250) are also welcome, however since training is geared towards larger ADV style bikes, activities will be much easier on a small bike.
Three-wheelers and sidecars are not suitable due to trail width and the types of lessons we teach. All bikes must be street-legal. If you choose the optional Sunday School, you must have a valid license plate.
Possibly. Learning to ride a motorcycle off-pavement can be mentally and physically challenging but that applies to all riders regardless of age. It is not uncommon for us to have one or more riders their 70’s attend the adventure training courses and do well while much younger riders struggle due to poor physical conditioning or mental perseverance.
With that said, age does matter and we recognize that our endurance does decrease over time, but that is no excuse to not keep improving your life through learning. It is easy for us to adapt and work with riders of all ages and physical abilities and still help them grow as riders. So in short, it’s not whether you are too old, it’s a question of arriving with the proper mental attitude.
You can’t change your age but you can change your health. We strongly encourage you to come in the best physical condition you can manage. We teach low-energy riding techniques, however learning – by its very nature – is not low-energy.
Depending on the number of staff and how many instructors we have available, classes may have from 10 to 18 riders. A normal class will have 2 or 3 instructors, including Bret Tkacs. Greg is brought in when classes exceed 16 people. Both Bret and Paul are your primary instructors and are both full time professional instructors with more than 42 years of motorcycle skills instruction, and are extremely skilled at managing and coaching riders on a personal level no matter the size of the class.
There is no straight answer to this question as it depends on many factors. Please email us for a more specific answer to your situation.
Our cancellation policy is found here.
Included in your cost: Instruction and personal coaching, snacks (fruit and snack bars), beverages (including coffee), on-site camping for tents and small trailers, graduation dinner, dedicated support vehicle for emergencies.
Not included in your cost: Optional training day (must be purchased separately), breakfasts, lunches and dinners aside from the graduation dinner, gasoline, alcohol, travel or medical insurance, hotel rooms, gratuities or your motorcycle – we do not provide motorcycles.