Hey guys,
Figured I would chime in here with my personal experience. I have attended the following clinics: NXT LVL clinics, Mountain Skillz, Snowride Adventures, She Shred's Mountain Adventures and Weir Boondocking.
My all around favorite class and most highly recommended would be Dan's NXT LVL clinic. The first time I attended Dan's clinic I was 22 years old and actually working as a sled guide (trail) in Colorado. I've been sledding since I could walk and actively riding backcountry since 2007. I considered myself a descent mountain rider before signing up for Dan's class but thought it would be a great opportunity for myself, brother and best friend to get properly educated in the backcountry. Dan's clinic did not disappoint. His level of professionalism both on a sled and in business was apparent as soon as we showed up to his shop in Alpine. The thing I respected most about Dan was his passion for technical riding combined with Avalanche awareness. Prior to taking his class I had completed an AST level 1 and was taught at a young age the consequences of riding in the backcountry. Dan was able to provide a whole new perspective of what we thought it mean to be "safe" in the backcountry. I've been blessed to ride with the majority of the bigger names in this industry and Dan actually practices what most preach. On top of his Avalanche education was his ability to teach me a way more technical way to ride terrain. I feel that the skills I learned in my two day clinic with Dan definitely made me the rider I am today. Fast forward 8 years and I just signed up wife for her 2nd clinic with Dan this February. She'll be attending the ladies clinic with a lot of the same gals she met last year. My wife started off snowbiking and easily accessed terrain I enjoyed riding on my sled. After three seasons on the bike she wanted to challenge herself and try out sledding. As you can imagine it has been quite the transition for from a bike to a sled. Dan's clinic has sped this process up tenfold. I wasn't part of wife's clinic at all but she had the same experience that I had years prior. Her confidence was also boosted both as a rider and as a part of "our" riding group who takes backcountry safety very seriously. She is very excited to go back this year to push her ability on a sled.
I was able to attend Matt's (Mountain Skillz) clinic kind of as a spectator with my brother and a group of guys from his team. My brother is now in the Army and is part of a group that uses over snow travel in their scope of work. They were in need of some training and my brother called me asking who I thought would be a good option for them. The fact that he's stationed in CO only a few hours from Wolf Creek it was a no brainer to contact Matt. I had met Matt a couple times at the snow shows when I used to work for Blown Motor. I was always impressed with his professionalism and ability to just be a great guy. After placing a call to Matt he was on board and looking forward to this special opportunity. He also allowed me to come down and help pull ski's for him during the clinic. Matt and his crew were top shelf. They made proficient riders out of a group full of "A" type alpha males who most of them had never been on a sled before. His ability to communicate and demonstrate technique was very impressive. I know that my brother would not hesitate to have his team do another clinic with Matt. It was trip of a lifetime for me!
I rode with Jorli (snowride adventures) when he was first getting going. I was in my mid 20's at the time and wanted to check Whistler/Pemberton off my list of places to sled. Both times I rode with Jorli it was just him and I so we were able to cover lots of ground. Whistler truly is a spectacular place to visit on a sled. He had vast knowledge of the area and was a good guide in my opinion.
I have never personally ridden with Juliann (She Shred's) but my wife spent two days with her last winter and had a blast! She attended Julie's clinic about a month before attending Dan's and it was a huge confidence boost for her. The class size was small ( her and 1 other) which was a huge benefit because she was able to get plenty of quality instruction. Julie's passion for what she does is present from the first time you meet her and she is good at what she does. She was so encouraging to my wife and really pushed her in such a positive way. I've had the opportunity to get to know Julie a little better since then because we both belong to same snowmobile club and I have nothing but good to say about her. I would highly recommend her to anyone else who is looking to make sledding fun and proficient for their significant other.
All of the above mentioned were great experiences for my wife and I. I attended each of them for different reasons and I think that's probably the best piece of advice I could offer. Figure out what your looking to get out of a clinic and then do some research to see which one would fit your requirements best. Feel free to reach out if I can be of any further help. All were definitely worth the money in my opinion.
Cheers,
JW