By Turnagain Times
Alaska-based Glacier City Snowmobile Tours has put together a training course that certifies Navy Seals in survival and safety training in the Alaskan backcountry using a snowmachine. This certification will enable the Seals to be issued their own military snowmachine in the future.
Glacier City recently just finished its second group of Seal training and has had a very positive response from all of them.
Owner/operator Chris Roberts "Twirl" is using his 21 years of backcountry snowmobile experience to pass on every bit of knowledge to help the Seals deal with a vast array of infield problem solving using a snowmachine.
The Alaskan backcountry can throw a lot of dangerous situations if one is not prepared. Twirl and his guides Matt Moscosso and Ryan Belanger discuss with the Navy Seals their own experiences from route finding techniques, avalanche awareness, engine trouble shooting, getting unstuck in deep snow, how to properly tow a broken down snowmachine, ice safety, checking weather, what to carry in your backpack and how to use it.
Aggressive riding techniques for deep powder, sidehilling, water skips and more are covered out in the field while on their own snowmobiles.
"We try and show them every McGyver trick that we have ever learned to better adapt them to any situation out in the backcountry," said Twirl. "This training course makes all of us at Glacier City proud to be a small part of something as big and as important as the Navy Seals."