Tales From the Road: Building Off-Road Skills, Confidence, and Community in the East Kootenays

It's the sound that stays with you first.

Not the rumble of a Sprinter van's diesel engine clawing its way up a steep forest road - satisfying as that is - but the kind of sound you feel as much as you hear. Laughter carrying across a mountain meadow at dusk. The low hum of conversation between new friends. The soft crackle of logs catching flame. Two dogs stretch out at the edge of the firelight, watching it all with the calm assurance of seasoned travellers.

That's when you remember: this isn't just about vans. It's about the people.

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Why We Hit the Road

At its heart, Know Your Sprinter is about confidence - a hands-on, mud-on-your-tires introduction to off-roading that shows Sprinter owners what their rigs can do, and gives them the skills to go even further.

Part driving course, part off-road challenge, part backcountry campout.

The idea sparked last year in the Southern California desert, when Yama co-founders Pat and Alex joined Agile Offroad's CEO - and off-road legend - John Brindell for a day on the trails. They navigated tricky technical lines, tackled gnarly climbs, and wound their way through deep sand. It was the kind of day that ends too soon and leaves you thinking: We should be doing this with our clients.

So we did.

We brought it north, Yama-style. Swap desert heat for alpine passes. Add some Tragically Hip and Blue Rodeo around the fire. And yes - toast maple crème cookies over the flames. We're nothing if not proudly Canadian, and everything tastes better when it's toasted in the backcountry.

We invited John, his wife Carin, plus their two impeccably behaved trail dogs, Trixy and Stella, to lead the first northern Know Your Sprinter. Five of us from Yama, six adventurous clients, and John's crew packed our vans for four days of wild, scenic miles through some of British Columbia's most jaw-dropping backcountry. We were ready.

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When the Journey Starts With a Wrench

Our trip out of Calgary started with... character.

The Yama squad in the Grand Teton and the Gear Bus™, setting off at noon with plans to meet the rest of the group at camp that night. We didn't even make it past the Petro Station on the edge of the city before trouble rolled in - the kind of mechanical blip that's just part of life on the road.

A few calls to AAA, some parking-lot diagnostics, and several hours of gas station residency later, we were back in motion. Turns out, bringing our mechanic along was the best call of the trip. By the time we rolled into camp at 10 pm, the others were already circled around the fire, stories flowing as if they'd all known each other for years.

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On the Trail

Learning Through Adventure

From the moment we aired down our tires and hit the first forest service road, the learning began.

A wrong turn early on gifted us one of the trip's most spectacular viewpoints - a reminder that the best detours are often unplanned.

Our first major challenge came in the form of a deep crevasse crossing that had everyone's pulse spiking. Vans tipped onto three wheels, and one needed a quick shovel assist - but with John's calm guidance, every driver made it through stronger, more confident, and met on the other side by whoops and high fives.

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Shared Challenges, Quick Thinking & Trail Teamwork

There were plenty of moments that showed just how quickly this group could rally.

The first designated pond crossing was textbook - slow, steady, and all smiles. But at the second, no one was sure how deep it ran. One client zipped into his fishing waders to scout the depth (smart move - it was deeper than we expected). Within minutes, the group mapped an alternate route. We care a lot about how we move through these landscapes - our blog about off-roading responsibly shares the principles we follow to explore without leaving unnecessary impact behind.

It became a rhythm: more experienced drivers helping newer ones air down their tires, spotters hopping out to guide tricky ascents, someone instinctively grabbing a shovel without being asked. Out here, teamwork isn't optional - it's the currency that gets you further.

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Campfires, Tacos, and the Ultimate Adventure Playlist

Back at camp, the camaraderie only grew stronger.

If there's a faster way to turn strangers into friends than over a great meal, we haven't found it. We'd invited our friend - and camp chef extraordinaire - Carlin Frimmel to join us, and she transformed simple ingredients into shared feasts. Golden pancakes at sunrise, a sprawling taco spread under the stars.

Taco night slid into an impromptu campfire game: everyone adds a song to a playlist, you hit shuffle, and try to guess who picked each track. Between the laughter, questionable guesses, and a few surprising deep cuts, we built a soundtrack that will follow us on future adventures. Listen for yourself here.

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More Than a Sprinter Driving Course

Yes, there were many technical takeaways:

Picture a group huddled around John for a winching demonstration, all eyes locked on the line as he explained the difference between getting unstuck and getting really stuck. Or the focused silence of practicing controlled descents on loose gravel switchbacks, hearts thumping until the technique clicked. We tackled tire changes, picked smart lines across tricky obstacles, and learned how to trust both the vans and ourselves.

But between those lessons were some of the moments that really made the trip:

• Our first night's snack experiment, when roasting s'mores quickly turned into roasting everything from maple crème cookies to Fig Newtons. By the end, half the camp was huddled around the fire testing and rating each one.

• Margarita night, mid rainstorm. We'd planned to batch-mix margs, only to realize we'd forgotten a funnel... and discovered a brand new automotive funnel worked just fine. Did six people have a mini party in the pop-top of the Gear Bus™? Can neither confirm nor deny.

• Handing out disposable cameras so everyone could capture their own perspective - resulting in candid camp moments, trail action shots, and angles we'd never have thought to take. Here are some of our favourites:

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Growth You Can See

By the end of the trip, the shift was unmistakable. Day-one nerves had given way to quiet confidence. People were tackling roads they'd have avoided before, asking sharper questions, even coaching each other through challenges.

One participant summed it up perfectly:

"I'm here because I wanted to build more confidence in driving my Sprinter and really actually meet like-minded people and be part of a community. I think that happened - and was actually exceeded - on Day 1."

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Because Yama Vans is more than just a product - it's a lifestyle and a community. We're deeply proud of the vans we build, but the real magic is in the people who drive them: the ones who rally when you're stuck, cheer when you succeed, and share coffee with you in the quiet of a mountain morning.

For now, Know Your Sprinter is open to Yama clients, but the spirit behind it runs through everything we do. From pop-up events to Parking Lot Parties, there's a seat at our table - and a spot by the fire - for anyone who shares the itch to roam.

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