Questions before the trailhead

No. Every expedition opens with a technical driving session before the pavement ends, and instruction continues on trail for the length of the trip. You need a valid driver's license and a willingness to be coached.

Guests who arrive experienced get pushed harder instead — routes are graded to the group, not to a fixed standard.

Every tier is built around a single private group and the route is drawn to match its size. Larger parties change the vehicle and crew count rather than the price structure.

Send your numbers with your inquiry and we will confirm what the route can carry. [TODO: state your actual minimum and maximum group size.]

You drive. That is the point of the trip. Guides lead, spot and coach, and by the last day they are typically riding behind the group rather than in front of it.

If someone in your party would rather ride than drive, that is fine — say so when you inquire and we will seat them.

[TODO: answer this one yourself — it materially changes pricing and liability, and I did not want to invent a policy for you.]

Prices are per group, not per person: Traverse at $4,800, Expedition at $7,400, and the Buyout at $10,000. Every tier is a private departure — there are no shared groups at any price.

The full line-by-line comparison is on the pricing page.

At every tier: vehicles and fuel, your lead guide, permits and access fees, recovery equipment and satellite communications on every rig, technical instruction, camp infrastructure and water.

Not included at any tier: travel to and from the meeting point, lodging before or after, trip insurance, alcohol beyond dinner pairings, and gratuities.

A deposit holds the crew and vehicles for your dates; the balance is due before departure. [TODO: replace with your real deposit amount, payment schedule, cancellation windows and refund terms. This is the answer people read most carefully before sending money — it should be exact.]

Death Valley and the Mojave run in the cool months, roughly October through April, when daytime temperatures are safe for sustained technical driving. Black Rock runs later in the year, once the playa has dried and hardened.

Departures are limited and routes are built individually, so dates are confirmed case by case rather than sold from a calendar.

Every vehicle carries two-way satellite messaging with SOS capability, independent of any cell network. Guides hold wilderness first aid certification and carry a trauma kit sized for vehicle incidents.

Before departure, each route is filed with evacuation points, the nearest trauma centre and helicopter access identified per segment. No group travels on a single vehicle at any tier.

Most of the day is spent driving rather than exerting. The demanding parts are heat, long days, dust, and broken sleep at altitude or in cold — not athleticism.

Recovery drills involve real shovel and winch work. Tell us about mobility limits or medical considerations when you inquire and we will plan around them.

We send a packing list once dates are confirmed. In short: layers for a 40°F daily temperature swing, sun protection, closed shoes you do not mind destroying, and any personal medication in quantities that assume a delay.

Bedding, towels, water, camp equipment and all meals are provided.

Desert weather closes routes — flash flooding in canyons, wet playa that will not bear a vehicle, snow on the high passes. When a route becomes unsafe we reroute rather than run it.

[TODO: state what happens if weather forces a full cancellation — reschedule, credit, or refund.]