Other than the group photo, what if any images or video do they take of your experience such as the jump, etc?Thank you, sir! I tried to hit most of your questions, but finally got tired of writing
I don't honestly know. Someone from the second group on Day 1 mentioned that they were taking jump photos that would be available at a later date, but nobody at the event told me that.
Boy Howdy, that's pretty much the way I remember it. We also received lots of cool swag in addition to a wonderful lunch and dinner.The following recap isn't exhaustive and I didn't take many pics or any notes, so times and distances are just estimates. There are surely details that I missed. Also, I'm getting old and my memory just isn't what it used to be, so I may be remembering some of the details completely wrong. For others that have participated (@ChiliPepper @Tor148 @Blairwarlock @JMCBraptor to name a few), please add your experiences to this thread and correct me where I'm wrong.
Since we were the first group of "clients" to go through, things may change slightly by the time others get to experience it. Either way, it was VERY well organized and executed, so major kudos to the men and women who put this program together. They did a FANTASTIC job of keeping things moving along on schedule with absolutely no hiccups at all.
The first 60-90 minutes was geared toward showcasing the capabilities of the truck and there wasn't much driving. It was essentially an interactive orientation, discussion, and Q&A designed to ease everyone into the experience. One of the participants was chosen (or voluntold
Once we made it to the parking lot, we were given our assigned Raptor for the day and it was all seat time from there. My wife and I were assigned a pristine Code Orange Raptor with a whopping 275 miles on it! Our group had 6 Raptors (2 of us also had wives with us, so 8 participants total) that were split into 2 smaller groups of 3 each. Each group had a dedicated instructor riding shotgun in the lead truck to guide the activities and all trucks had 2 way radios for comms/instructions. I heard a rumor that a couple of trucks were even wired up with video, but thankfully ours was not.
The first driving event was a short, low speed trail loop in the area around Basecamp that was primarily mild rock crawling and obstacles. When necessary, the Coach would exit the lead truck and help guide the following drivers so that we all successfully navigated the terrain. This event concluded with a quick lunch at Basecamp before heading out to Raptor Valley for the afternoon.
The Trip to Raptor Valley was 20-25 miles of desert trail driving, again with the instructor riding shotgun in the lead truck while calling out various hazards that deserved attention and offering suggestions of how to best approach & maneuver over/around/through them. Each truck was given enough space and distance for the driver to operate at a comfortable pace, but our Coach did a great job of keeping the group together. In retrospect, each of the drivers, though Raptor owners, was somewhat timid with the terrain and were obviously concerned with the possibility that we might break something on our precious, fragile trucks. And then we were introduced to Raptor Valley.
Everyone staged in the pit area at Raptor Valley to put on our helmets and grab a cold box of water (yes, box) before, as the kids say, "things got real". As we were preparing to make our way back to our trucks, the lead Coach gathered us together and said "Hey, we've got a surprise for you!" At that moment, a white Raptor came sliding sideways into the pits (at a safe distance) in a cloud of dust-filled glory, and the face of Vaughn Gittin, Jr. appeared! He jumped out of the Raptor, offered a quick welcome and a rundown of what Raptor Valley is all about, then trotted over to our group and was high-fiving, dusting knuckles, and shaking hands. Then my wife turned to me and said, "Who was that? He seems nice!"I don't know if he'll be there to do that for every group, but I can't unsee it. And it was AWESOME!
There were 3 different driving activities at Raptor Valley: a rock crawling trail, the Baja-inspired Raptor Run course, and the Ultra4 course.
My group started with the rock crawling trail which included rock gardens, 25-30* inclines/declines, and a rock waterfall with a couple of 4-5' rock ledges to drop down. For the first part of this, we used the Bronco Trail Control feature. Although we own two 6th gen Broncos and have taken them off-road several times, this is the first time I've actually used this feature. In this scenario, it was fantastic! Just set your speed and steer; the Bronco does all the heavy lifting. It's that simple.
For the race courses, each truck staged and waited in sequence for a Coach-driven hot lap. Each driver moved to the passenger seat and anxiously waited on the Coach to hop in and show us what kind of beating these Raptors can really take. After the hot lap, it was our turn. The Coach swapped seats with us and guided us as we drove 2 laps at-speed on each course. When I say the courses were rough, I mean they were ROUGH! They were full of rocks, ruts, dips, hard edges, etc..., and we plowed through them all! TWICE on each course! As many have asked, there was indeed a tabletop jump on the Ultra 4 course, and we aired it out! I don't mean just a 1 foot bunny hop to say we caught air. It was a proper full-throttle, Saturn V moonshot launch (if you had the nerve for it)! As if that wasn't enough excitement, when the entire group had completed the Ultra4 course, Mr. Gittin, Jr. was standing-by to offer a ride-along hot lap for any takers. One of the ladies in our group was pretty apprehensive about it, but the first thing she said when she hopped out of the truck afterward was "I wish I had asked him to go faster!" The enthusiastic smile on her face was pure gold!
Once we finished our time at Raptor Valley, we headed back to Raptor Basecamp on a different 15-20 mile desert trail. In discussing this with a group member afterwards, we both agreed that whatever notions we previously held regarding the internet-inspired perceived fragility of the Bronco were long gone. Instead of worrying about what might break, we just enjoyed the ride while letting the Warthog do what it was designed to do: eat whatever terrain was in front of it and leave a trail of pure joy in it's wake.
To end the day, we pulled into Basecamp and surrendered our beasts to their caretakers to be prepared for the next day's lucky participants while we, a newly-minted group of Bronco Raptor apostles, were treated to a sunset meal in the Bronco Pavilion before being dispatched on our separate ways to extoll the previously unimaginable virtues of our beloved Bronco Raptors to the unwashed masses in Sin City and beyond.
The staff was outstanding! The facility was fantastic! The participants shared our love of the Bronco Experience! The scenery could not have been more beautiful!
For my wife and I, it was truly THE Bronco experience of a lifetime and we're grateful to have been a part of it.
They may have shot it over a few days. I remember reading something and I thought I read Jordan was there for the weekend and not just a day.Just watched that. Really nice video! Not sure which group that was, but it wasn’t ours.
Now that I think of it, an Azure Gray Raptor did appear on the trail behind us on the way to Raptor Valley, but he disappeared a few minutes before we got there. Maybe they shot video over a few days and cut it together later.
Jordan was the first person we met when we got to Raptor Basecamp and we later met Laura. Really nice people! Didn’t realize who they were until a guy in our group said “This must be a big deal. Bronco Nation is here.”
Can't wait.
Now I wish I had one with Vaughn and me jumping.
You killed it!!!Welcome to Raptor airways . . . please put your seat and tray tables in the upright position. Flight R12 is ready for take-off. That photo was worth the $12.
View attachment 9016
My face still hurts from smiling so much.
@FordBronco and #BroncoOffRoadeo
Special shout out to Adventure ORX LLC for the Ultra4 course photos.
[email protected]
888.923.8358
View attachment 9026
Thank you for this outstanding write-up! Now I'm really stoked to go!For those that have asked, here's a recap I originally posted on TBN yesterday.
TLDR: If you have the opportunity, just go. It was a great experience for us!
The following recap isn't exhaustive and I didn't take many pics or any notes, so times and distances are just estimates. There are surely details that I missed. Also, I'm getting old and my memory just isn't what it used to be, so I may be remembering some of the details completely wrong. For others that have participated (@ChiliPepper @Tor148 @Blairwarlock @JMCBraptor to name a few), please add your experiences to this thread and correct me where I'm wrong.
Since we were the first group of "clients" to go through, things may change slightly by the time others get to experience it. Either way, it was VERY well organized and executed, so major kudos to the men and women who put this program together. They did a FANTASTIC job of keeping things moving along on schedule with absolutely no hiccups at all.
The first 60-90 minutes was geared toward showcasing the capabilities of the truck and there wasn't much driving. It was essentially an interactive orientation, discussion, and Q&A designed to ease everyone into the experience. One of the participants was chosen (or voluntold
Once we made it to the parking lot, we were given our assigned Raptor for the day and it was all seat time from there. My wife and I were assigned a pristine Code Orange Raptor with a whopping 275 miles on it! Our group had 6 Raptors (2 of us also had wives with us, so 8 participants total) that were split into 2 smaller groups of 3 each. Each group had a dedicated instructor riding shotgun in the lead truck to guide the activities and all trucks had 2 way radios for comms/instructions. I heard a rumor that a couple of trucks were even wired up with video, but thankfully ours was not.
The first driving event was a short, low speed trail loop in the area around Basecamp that was primarily mild rock crawling and obstacles. When necessary, the Coach would exit the lead truck and help guide the following drivers so that we all successfully navigated the terrain. This event concluded with a quick lunch at Basecamp before heading out to Raptor Valley for the afternoon.
The Trip to Raptor Valley was 20-25 miles of desert trail driving, again with the instructor riding shotgun in the lead truck while calling out various hazards that deserved attention and offering suggestions of how to best approach & maneuver over/around/through them. Each truck was given enough space and distance for the driver to operate at a comfortable pace, but our Coach did a great job of keeping the group together. In retrospect, each of the drivers, though Raptor owners, was somewhat timid with the terrain and were obviously concerned with the possibility that we might break something on our precious, fragile trucks. And then we were introduced to Raptor Valley.
Everyone staged in the pit area at Raptor Valley to put on our helmets and grab a cold box of water (yes, box) before, as the kids say, "things got real". As we were preparing to make our way back to our trucks, the lead Coach gathered us together and said "Hey, we've got a surprise for you!" At that moment, a white Raptor came sliding sideways into the pits (at a safe distance) in a cloud of dust-filled glory, and the face of Vaughn Gittin, Jr. appeared! He jumped out of the Raptor, offered a quick welcome and a rundown of what Raptor Valley is all about, then trotted over to our group and was high-fiving, dusting knuckles, and shaking hands. Then my wife turned to me and said, "Who was that? He seems nice!"
There were 3 different driving activities at Raptor Valley: a rock crawling trail, the Baja-inspired Raptor Run course, and the Ultra4 course.
My group started with the rock crawling trail which included rock gardens, 25-30* inclines/declines, and a rock waterfall with a couple of 4-5' rock ledges to drop down. For the first part of this, we used the Bronco Trail Control feature. Although we own two 6th gen Broncos and have taken them off-road several times, this is the first time I've actually used this feature. In this scenario, it was fantastic! Just set your speed and steer; the Bronco does all the heavy lifting. It's that simple.
For the race courses, each truck staged and waited in sequence for a Coach-driven hot lap. Each driver moved to the passenger seat and anxiously waited on the Coach to hop in and show us what kind of beating these Raptors can really take. After the hot lap, it was our turn. The Coach swapped seats with us and guided us as we drove 2 laps at-speed on each course. When I say the courses were rough, I mean they were ROUGH! They were full of rocks, ruts, dips, hard edges, etc..., and we plowed through them all! TWICE on each course! As many have asked, there was indeed a tabletop jump on the Ultra 4 course, and we aired it out! I don't mean just a 1 foot bunny hop to say we caught air. It was a proper full-throttle, Saturn V moonshot launch (if you had the nerve for it)! As if that wasn't enough excitement, when the entire group had completed the Ultra4 course, Mr. Gittin, Jr. was standing-by to offer a ride-along hot lap for any takers. One of the ladies in our group was pretty apprehensive about it, but the first thing she said when she hopped out of the truck afterward was "I wish I had asked him to go faster!" The enthusiastic smile on her face was pure gold!
Once we finished our time at Raptor Valley, we headed back to Raptor Basecamp on a different 15-20 mile desert trail. In discussing this with a group member afterwards, we both agreed that whatever notions we previously held regarding the internet-inspired perceived fragility of the Bronco were long gone. Instead of worrying about what might break, we just enjoyed the ride while letting the Warthog do what it was designed to do: eat whatever terrain was in front of it and leave a trail of pure joy in it's wake.
To end the day, we pulled into Basecamp and surrendered our beasts to their caretakers to be prepared for the next day's lucky participants while we, a newly-minted group of Bronco Raptor apostles, were treated to a sunset meal in the Bronco Pavilion before being dispatched on our separate ways to extoll the previously unimaginable virtues of our beloved Bronco Raptors to the unwashed masses in Sin City and beyond.
The staff was outstanding! The facility was fantastic! The participants shared our love of the Bronco Experience! The scenery could not have been more beautiful!
For my wife and I, it was truly THE Bronco experience of a lifetime and we're grateful to have been a part of it.
Thank you for the information and impressions. In the document about the Rodeo and in the information, It said that you could do the courses at Bronco Valley up to three times. That made sense as some people are taking along a guest and you share the driving time but at the Bronco Valley courses you are supposed to be able to each run the course making it at lest two times but the information says up to three. So I am surprised that you only get to do it once. Maybe that has changed? I am heading at the beginning of October and was fully intending on doing the course the full three times to get that jump as high as possible!!
Are the photos part of the package and they get sent to each participant or do you need to sign up and pay for them? None of the staff members or check in folks mentioned anything about them either way. Just not sure what the arrangement is on the photos.Welcome to Raptor airways . . . please put your seat and tray tables in the upright position. Flight R12 is ready for take-off. That photo was worth the $12.
View attachment 9016
My face still hurts from smiling so much.
@FordBronco and #BroncoOffRoadeo
Special shout out to Adventure ORX LLC for the Ultra4 course photos.
[email protected]
888.923.8358
View attachment 9028 View attachment 9026
They give you a group photo at the end of the day. They do take pictures of the driving in Raptor Valley. Those are suppose to be emailed after the event to individuals that bought a picture and video package, not sure in everyone gets any pics for free. I bought the pic and video package and got my thumb drive that day. The video and pic package was $101.87.
Is the pic package and video two separate packages and you can buy one or both or if buy the video package it includes the pics?
