Over the weekend we had the opportunity to spend the day at Northeast Off-Road Adventures or NORA for short. NORA is a world class 4WD & Overland training school nestled in the Castskill Mountains in Ellenville NY. Just 90 minutes away from New York City where 75 acres of obstacles await. Scott Trager and his team are certified Trainers who help everyone from the first time offroader to fire fighters and branches of our military. The team at NORA doesn't only educate people about offroading, they also offer classes in navigation, recovery, first aide as well as offer adaptive driving courses to get people who have suffered spinal cord injuries back on the trails free of charge! 

We participated in the full day 5+ hour Offroad Driving Essentials Course. Like every company they have adapted their curriculum during the Covid-19 Pandemic. NORA's class typically starts with a 2 hour crash course on what to expect and basic offroad safety prior to hitting the trails. Working to keep everyone safe the two hour class was moved to a Zoom meeting Thursday evening so when we arrived participants could stay within their vehicles and hit the trails after airing down and a quick introduction of the team.

After our introduction we went over hand signals our spotters would be using, the three different types of differentials then put the vehicles in 4-Low and hit the trails. Each obstacle we arrived at one of our spotters were there ready to help participants navigate the terrain. The obstacles in the Essentials course are designed to instill confidence in the driver while understanding driver input and the vehicles capabilities. At no point were our vehicles scrapping against rocks or binding axles that could lead to broken driveline components.

Scott said it best "we want to take you a little out of your comfort zone to get you more comfortable." Most people aren't used to feeling their vehicle leaning over or staring straight at the sky while navigating obstacles. But after a few obstacles and trusting your spotter you start to become comfortable with the sensations associated with offroading and the grip on the steering wheels will loosen  and the fun begins.

We started the day off with a rock field and log obstacle to get comfortable with working with our spotters. With hand signals, following commands like "turn more driver" and radios ironed out we left the learning area and headed out for the trail. No more than 100 yards into the trail we were greeted by our first hill climb. The name of the game is constant and consistent throttle. Keeping you RPM's steady and fighting the urge to lift your foot from the skinny pedal when the vehicle starts to work itself over some boulders and your line of sight heads to the sky and not the rocks below you. Each participant was given as many tries as needed with coaching along the way until everyone was up, over and on to the next one.

Now that everyone's offroad jitters were starting to subside we moved on to an appropriately name obstacle Pucker Ridge. Pucker is a tight rocky obstacle the starts off by forcing you around a tree that places you a few inches away from a decent drop-off. After you looked down where you didn't want to end up your eyes look ahead at your spotter and the boulders awaiting you. The boulders showed us how each vehicles wheel base comes into play. While the smaller vehicles, like a Wrangler, rolled through pretty effortlessly the longer wheelbase vehicles like out Tacoma found itself spread across two boulders on apposing sides causing our axels to become slightly stuck and tires beginning to spin. After a little Brake Throttle Modulation our longer wheelbase was through no problem.

Brake Throttle Modulation is a technique where you apply the brakes, slowly bring up the RPM's and release the brakes slightly until the vehicle begins to move forward. This technique will slow down the axle that is spinning enough so that the diff will try to send power to the non-spinning axle that has the traction instead of the axle spinning. Some people say "the poor mans locker" but that's far from the truth it's a driving tool every offroader will use while on the trails.

After nearly two hours of navigating the trail we made it to NORA's Picnic area where our provided lunch was waiting for us that was dropped off by Scott's Lovely wife Susie. During the registration process you are given a handful of options of Deli sandwiches that did not disappoint. Lunch was the perfectly timed for the growling stomachs but also to take a breath from obstacles and share each others experiences of what we just concurred. With our bellies topped off we hoped back in our trucks and headed out for some more. During lunch Scott explained that the spotters would be give us some time to try to navigate the obstacles by ourselves. The spotters were always there if we needed them, giving out advice, helping out those who needed more guidance and letting out a "Great Job" when we made it through by ourselves.

The deeper into the woods we went the more technical the trail became. We Conquered a hill decent named Everest that drivers got to try out their Hill Decent features their vehicles were equipped with while others would put the transmission in first gear and work the brakes to keep the wheels from locking up. Watching the newer Jeeps come down with no brake lights illuminated knowing the traction control was basically calling all the shots for probably a 250 yard downhill decent was really cool. 

We would drive for another two-and-a-half hours in the woods navigating Scott and his teams awesome trial network, coms going between spotter and driver and soaking up as much technique as we could. Exchanging compliments and our plans for our vehicles as we made our way back.

The end of the day finished with a Q and A about anything we experienced on the trails: vehicles, gear, what to buy, clubs to join in the area and a raffle for a gift certificate of $50 to our store. The winner happened to also be celebrating her birthday and what a cool birthday adventure!

Scott, his family, and team of trail guides put on a stellar class full of information, positivity and acceptance. The offroad community is full of like minded people excited to get out and explore in a new way. Being part of a group eager to learn a new skill, to push themselves as a person and make new friends in the offroad community is what NORA is all about. Learning from world class instructors in a safe, fun environment will continue NORA's success in the future. If you are interested in NORA's available classes visit their website and book a class that fits your skill level today.

We'd love to hear from you!

If you are interested in attending one of NORA's available classes or have a question about your vehicle being capable contact us today.