Course outline & essential info
This course won’t be offered in 2025. Two Mountain Medicine on Skis Chamonix courses will be held in March ’25. Details here. Held in Chamonix, France, this diverse and stimulating expedition medicine programme of lectures, 2 outdoor days (practical training & scenarios), group tutorials and case discussions is delivered by an inspirational team of expedition medics and professionals over five days. 5 days of afternoon sessions (2pm or 2.45pm start) leaves ample free time for snowsport activities in Europe’s alpine paradise with ski slopes for all levels. All grades of medics and other health professionals attend from around the world for this truly international event. Special price for nurses, paramedics and med students. Fly into Geneva. Evening social gatherings. Optional glacier expedition (on Saturday). Easy to arrange shared accommodation and ski companions with other delegates via the course WhatsApp group. “This has been a career, and possibly life changing course for me!” a past delegate said. So much more than a “course”!
Delegate feedback
10/10. One of the best weeks of my life. FANTASTIC.
Absolutely superb. Best course ever.
Gripping & inspirational. 10/10
Exceeded expectations (which were high) by a mile.
Brilliantly delivered – diverse / interesting.
This has been a career, and possibly life changing course for me!
Who should attend?
Doctors, nurses, paramedics and medical students of all grades, ages and stages are invited to attend. The keenest lay-people are also welcomed.
Fees
2025 fees to be confirmed. Normally there’s a generous discount for paramedics, med students and nurses.
10 reasons to attend
- A diverse, stimulating and provocative medical programme over 5 days delivered with authority by experts
- Easy access – frequent UK flights to Geneva airport
- CPD
- Free time for snowsports and socialising
- Build your expedition CV
- International networking
- Career advice – encouraging & realistic
- Slopes for all snowsports and standards in Europe’s premier resort
- Easy to arrange budget accommodation options with other delegates through Whatsapp
- Fresh air and fun!
2024 Teaching team
The 2024 teaching team is headed by Medical Director Dr Duncan Gray, A&E consultant and expedition doctor with a prolific amount of experience in all environments from polar regions, high altitude and jungle. Commercial Director Barry Roberts manages the course. He has 40 years of expedition experience, mainly in the Himalaya and Greenland. Dr Dan Morris, ophthalmic consultant also joins us to discuss remote eye care, humanitarian medicine, research and sustainability. Highly qualified mountain man Dr Alex Reid ACCS 2 anaesthetic trainee is back on the teaching team. Dive doctor Craig Miller joins us by Zoom to discuss marine expeditions.
Medical content, outline 2024 programme, timings
Day 1 Monday 2.45-6.30pm ESSENTIAL PRE-TRIP PREP
Welcome & why are we here!?
Expedition medical planning – group work
Pre-travel medical screening
No right answers – expedition medical kits
Tea/coffee
Special guest speaker – Chamonix mountain rescue history
Avalanche safety – skiing in Chamonix / human factors
Medical management of the avalanche victim – ICAR algorithm
Infotainment lecture
Close at 6.30pm
Day 2 Tuesday 2-5pm OUTDOOR MEDICAL & SAFETY TRAINING
Practical fracture management / spinal algorithm
Accident scene management – “Duncan’s donut”
Slope rescue – emergency rope work
Avalanche companion rescue – transceiver use / hypothermia practical
Day 3 Wednesday 2.45 – 6.30pm ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
Hypothermia – why “cotton kills in the hills”
Frostbite – why “delay equals digits, faffing is fingers and time is toes”.
Marine & diving medicine tbc
Tea/coffee
Altitude medicine: 3 syndromes, medicines, group management
Everest – illustrated altitude case study
I’m a jungle medic – get me out of here! (heat injury, tropical fever case)
Infotainment: Dan Morris – “Playing the game” – sight saving eye surgery & humanitarian medicine in remote Kenya
Close 6.30pm
Day 4 Thursday 2-5pm OUTDOOR MEDICAL SCENARIOS
A series of group medical and rescue scenarios – whatever the weather!
Day 5 Friday 2.45-6.30pm NEED TO KNOW & WHAT NEXT?
Research on expedition – get published!
Quick fire round robin – 5 stations*, 10 mins each (see below)
Tea/coffee
With a coffee, side bar Q&A with one faculty expert and environment theme –choose between mountain, humanitarian, jungle or marine
Wilderness ophthalmology
Remote travel & mental well being
Sustainability in wilderness medicine
What next? A young expedition medic’s perspective
Exchange feedback form for a certificate
Closing remarks
Close 6.30pm
Later – end of course tribal gathering in a pub!
*Quick fire round robin topics:
Anaphylaxis & Epipen hack
Using methoxyflurane (Penthrox) analgesia
Malaria rapid test kit / tropical fever
Expedition electronics & apps
Haemorrohage control (Israeli bandage, tourniquet, “celox”)
Day 6 Saturday Optional glacier trekking expedition
Please note: the content and running order is finalised nearer the time when all contributors and their travel schedules are confirmed.
Free time for snowsports
There is plenty of free time to ski/board every day before course activities (which start at 2pm or 2.45). This also works for taking ski school lessons which are never more than 2 or 3 hours, morning or afternoon. Chamonix skiing is varied and accommodates all levels. Nobody skis alone! Singles can easily find others to join up with. The dossier includes detailed ski advice. See this website for more info. We’ve skied this area for 25+ years and will give daily weather briefings and advice on where to ski for the best conditions. Read our new WMT ski station guide to Chamonix
Optional glacier expedition
Post-course on Saturday, we normally offer a popular and optional glacier trekking and climbing expedition on the Mer de Glace glacier on the Vallee Blanche. This is a fabulous introduction to crampon use and ice climbing. No experience necessary. All technical kit provided including boots. This is at additional cost and delivered by our partner French mountain guides. More details to follow. Book return flights to depart Sunday so you can participate. See this video shot in 2018 by delegate Taha Hadidy.
Insight “infotainment” lectures
You will be hooked, laughing and crying, as our team share their expedition exploits, hardships, successes and failures and career advice. These intimate talks are always accompanied by first-class media through which WMT’s faculty authencity shines through.
CPD
We estimate that this programme is valid for 15-20 CPD hours.
Travel insurance
Make sure you have suitable travel insurance that covers snowsports and if you have to cancel because of covid. We recommend SNOWCARD.
Travel, accommodation, ski passes – DOSSIER
A detailed dossier is sent when you book. It is packed with advice to help you plan and sort Geneva airport transfers, accommodation, ski passes and more. Most delegates make a week out of it and arrive Monday morning at the latest and depart on the weekend.
Book accommodation within walking distance of Chamonix town centre (not in the cheaper, outlying areas).
What’s included & not included in the fee?
- Tuition as outlined above
- Some refreshments
- A5 field book – 200+ page WMT Medic manual
- WMT course certificate
- Pre-course reading bundle
- Ski passes, ski equipment, ski tuition
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Any transportation (there are free ski buses in Chamonix)
- Any services not expressly mentioned
Includes:
Not included:
Downloads
Pre-course reading and reference papers WMT pre-course reading bundle 2020