"WMT has set the standard by which wilderness first aid courses are judged". Saturday Telegraph 14/1/12 - read the full article online.

Who can attend?

No prior experience is required and anyone without medical training is welcome to attend. FFH has been attended by more than 1000 teachers, leaders, travelers, explorers, overland drivers, climbers, divers, field researchers, university staff and many others.

Research -what you might need to treat

A Royal Geographical Society study of 1263 medical complaints on expedition found that more than half (51%) were classified either as gastrointestinal upsets (30%) or medical problems (21% - infections, headache, malaria etc.). So there’s more than dramatic broken bones and sucking chest wounds to deal with! Minor illnesses left untreated, especially diarrhoea, can slow a whole team down, reduce productivity and enjoyment and threaten the success of an expedition.

What’s covered on FFH?

In short, FFH will help you deal with the most common problems that are identified by this RGS research and you’ll learn a range of medical skills and techniques, about the treatment of infections, illness and symptoms and how to treat injuries and special problems. The subjects covered are as follows. Day 1 Introductions Aims of course Legal considerations Expedition medical planning – includes anti-malarials and immunisations Diagnosis - taking a history Group work - examples of history taking Measuring vital signs and examination of chest and abdomen Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation – latest guidelines Shock ABC approach to injured casualties – practical Moving, lifting and straightening a casualty Soft tissue injuries and burns Day 2 Head, neck, chest and abdominal injuries Fractures, dislocations and use of splints Common medical conditions. Management of diarrhoea Cold injuries and altitude sickness Practical – examining eyes and ears Tropical problems – heat illness, malaria, bites and stings Medical kits and supplies

Skills & Techniques

You'll learn how to perform a physical examination, measure vital signs (e.g. blood pressure) and take a medical history from a patient. Examination + history = diagnosis, then treatment. Plus you’ll learn about improvised splinting, using neck collars and managing spinal injuries, examining eyes and ears, resuscitation in the wilderness and using a stethoscope.

Treating Infections, Illness & Symptoms

First aid courses mainly focus on dealing with injuries but people get ill on expeditions too. You'll learn how to treat or manage a variety of illnesses and infections such as malaria, diarrhoea, wound infections, asthma and other important, common conditions of the heart, lungs, ears, nose and throat, water works and the gut. Symptom control is vital and you'll also learn how to control or reduce fever, pain and nausea even if you don’t know what the underlying cause is.

Treating Injuries & Special Problems

FFH covers strains, sprains and fractures and other traumatic injuries, in addition to wounds, burns, frostbite, mountain sickness, some tropical diseases, bites and stings, rabies and shock.

Prescription Medications

You can read about using prescription antibiotics, Diamox (for high altitude) or strong pain killers in text books but the problem remains of how to obtain these supplies, how to use them appropriately taking into account allergies, contra-indications between medicines (taking more than one at a time) and your legal position. FFH training eliminates all these concerns. We'll tell you what medical supplies to take and authorise you to purchase them. Our comprehensive field manual serves as an aide memoire in the field so you prescribe safely and we thoroughly cover the legal considerations on each course.

More 2013 course dates

More course dates will be added for autumn 2013, usually with a minimum 3 month lead time.

Download more information

Download this file for more information about FFH.

Far From Help at Glenmore Lodge

We love working at Glenmore Lodge near Aviemore, Scotland. The facilities, food, accommodation and wild setting at the foot of Cairngorm are amazing. These are the most competitively priced WMT Explorer courses and suit clients who prefer a full board/accommodation-one price package for a WMT course and especially those in Scotland of which there are many in the outdoor, academic and sporting communities who no longer have to travel "down south" for WMT training. We are now running courses at the Lodge in spring and late autumn. Aviemore is 30 miles and 45 minutes from Inverness airport which is well served with flights from London, Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham and elsewhere. You can get to Aviemore by bus and train from Inverness. Travel to Aviemore by road is very good and scenic as is rail access. Use SKYSCANNER to research flights or visit the Lodge's very useful travel page to help plan your journey by all modes. All WMT courses at the Lodge are administered by the Lodge who need to monitor and cross reference WMT bookings and accommodation demands with their other courses. Many delegates plan a holiday around a WMT Lodge course and stay in the area to climb, ski, bike or walk independently or attend another Lodge course to improve their skills or further their outdoor qualifications.

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