Esprit de Four 4WD Safety Clinic

Set in beautiful Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreational Area (Map to park), this course is primarily tailored to introduce those with little or no-experience to off-road driving safety and trip planning. Those with more experience will come away with the knowledge that there is more to four wheeling than simply shifting into 4WD. Students will get a better feel for what they and their vehicle are capable of while driving in the various types of terrain found in our forests and wild lands.

Our Hands-On Safety Clinic consists of:

  • Classroom instruction

  • Two guided trail tours

  • One-on-one guidance through several obstacles/situational-exercises

  • Most four wheel drive vehicles with a low gear range (trucks and sport utility vehicles) and all levels of driver-skill are welcome (and have successfully completed our clinic). Students must provide their own lunch. Sorry, no Side-by-sides, ATV’s or RZR type vehicles.

  • There is an optional BBQ dinner Saturday night! Please buy a dinner and join us after the Clinic.

  • Camping at Area 5 is included for Friday and Saturday nights, including the Saturday night campfire! No hookups, but showers and nice facilities. (Campfire subject to fire restrictions)

Instruction

Classroom instruction 

  • Consists of an online narrated slide presentation including topics such as:

    • Back road & trail driving etiquette

    • How to avoid dangerous situations and getting stuck

    • Getting your vehicle unstuck

    • Suggested safety equipment

  • On the morning of the Clinic

    • There will be demonstrations related to vehicle recovery basics

    • Safety Tools - highlight items on the safety equipment checklist

    • Student’s Questions will be Answered, so please bring questions.

Trails

  • Students and their vehicles will be divided into groups and guided by instructors along well marked routes

  • Rated as "easy" to "moderately-difficult" are driven in the park where you will be able to put your newly acquired off-road driving skills to use

  • Special obstacles throught the day will have individual guidance

  • FRS radios are helpful in communicating directly with the trail guides as well as other students and will be lent to students for the class. CB radios and Ham radios are in use by the organizers, so if you have one you can listen in!

One-on-one instruction 

  • Instruction will be provided to guide you and your vehicle through the below obstacles/exercises:

    • Tire Placement

    • Stair Steps climb

    • Frame Twister

    • Quarry Circle

  • While students are encouraged to drive through all of the obstacles in order to get the most from this hands-on clinic; they can always opt-out of any obstacles if desired. It’s never mandatory.

Esprit de Four conducts two safety clinics per year: one in May, and one in September. Each clinic is approximately eight hours long and is held on the 3rd Saturday at Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreational Area in Hollister Hills, California.  

Additional Information

More Information: NEXT

Esprit de Four 4WD Safety Clinic

MAP & DIRECTIONS

Directions from San Jose, CA will be provided with registration. Please note that it takes 1.5 hours from San Jose and 2 hours from Mountain View no matter what Google says. Cienega Road is not in good condition and is very curvy. Probably longer if you go through downtown Hollister.


ADDRESS

Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area 5
7800 Cienega Rd, Hollister, CA 95023 
QH7W+2C Hollister, California (Google Maps)
36°45'45.5"N 121°24'13.8"W