 Bandages, broken bones and bangs in Herefordshire
If you like to get away from it all and trek far from the madding crowd, make sure that if anything unplanned and unpleasant happens to you or
your trek mates you’re prepared for it. Lara Dunn takes a lesson from
the experts on a ‘Surviving Adventure’ first aid course.
Most people signing up for a first aid course imagine themselves
breathing into a pink plastic torso lying on the floor of a draughty
village hall, under the watchful eye of a worthy individual with a mild
bandage fetish. The difficulty is translating the information learnt on
this kind of course into something useful when you’re out on the hill
or away somewhere wild and woolly. If you’re taught that an ambulance
will be along in a few minutes, how best to tackle keeping someone
alive 40 miles from the nearest road in a forced ten gale? This is
where wilderness/adventure/remote area first aid courses step in.
 Essentially the basic principals are the same, in as much as you’re always going to be learning to prolong life and minimise distress, rather than ‘fixing’ a casualty; that’s the job of the trained pros like air ambulances, paramedics and mountain rescue. The difference with a first aid course tailored towards outdoor enthusiasts and those who like to travel in remote areas is that it’s more geared up for responding to difficult situations under potentially challenging conditions, and should take into account certain accidents and occurrences that may not be as much of a problem in an urban or ‘civilized’ environment.
There are several companies specializing in this kind of outdoor and adventurous type of first aid, all focussing effectively on preparing individuals for the kinds of accident and misadventure likely to be encountered whilst climbing, walking, mountain biking, or kayaking for instance. Most will deal with general practise, CPR, wound bandaging, treatment of broken bones and such, skills which can easily do double duty on the high street as well as in the hills. In addition, though, they are likely to add altitude issues, hypothermia and bites and stings into the mix, problems unlikely to occur while you’re trundling around Tesco. Most are taught by experienced outdoor professionals, including mountain rescue team members.
Surviving Adventure is the name of the course, and without a doubt the name of the game with Prometheus Medical’s offering. From the outset, the differences from other similar courses are clear. Although the same crucial basics are dealt with, you don’t usually get taught to staunch the flow of a gushing wound by ex-special forces who have helped save the lives of casualties all over the world. The tuition here is from individuals who have experienced some of the most hostile environments on the planet.
Although many of the adventure orientated first aid courses use outdoor simulated ‘real life’ scenarios as a tuition aid, this one takes by far the majority of the teaching outside, with a hands on approach and frighteningly realistic casualties. Local amateur dramatics performers volunteer to have breathing difficulties, fall off bikes, watch their life blood flow away from a massive haemorrhage or have a lung collapse from a sucking chest wound, complete with moaning, gasping and flailing where appropriate. These ‘casualties’ come complete with astonishingly convincing fake injuries, courtesy of a stage make up artist, all of which goes some way to taking the potentially farcical nature of first aid scenarios into the realm of believable practice. Confronted with realistic gore, it’s amazing how the stress levels can rise, making a coherent and calm response far more tricky. But this is how it would be in real life.
Having spent a morning responding to various accidents and mishaps in the mud and driving rain, the next area to be dealt with it truly a singular experience. Drawing on the unique skill set of the individuals responsible for the course, volunteers are given a classroom session on landmines and their terrifying prevalence around the world, an important wake-up call for anyone who likes to trek or travel off the beaten track. It’s astonishing how many wilderness areas and adventure travel destinations are riddled with the explosive detritus of past and present conflicts. A sobering thought, especially when accompanied by genuine (inert) examples of the various types of mines and graphics on screen images of the injuries they can impart. Following the lecture is some hands on practise at clearing a path across a mine field, either to escape the danger, or to assist a casualty. Again, adrenaline starts coursing when pyrotechnics accompany any mistakes.
Equally unusual in a first aid course, and possibly even more disturbing than the mine lecture is a short talk about being taken hostage, covering the best way to avoid it, and worst case scenario, the most effective way to survive the experience with the minimum of physical or emotional damage. Whilst most of us would like to believe that it will never happen to us, there are enough examples of adventure tourists being kidnapped or taken hostage to prove the lie of that assumption. Better to be prepared.
The climax of the weekend’s tuition is the night exercise on the Saturday night. When most people are enjoying a pint or two at the pub, volunteers willing into the night, in search of a whole new class of scenario. Too much information would spoil the impact, but suffice it to say, all your new learnt skills will be tested to the max.
From beginning to end, the course brings into play all the skills likely to be required in an accident or first aid situation, teaching thoroughly but by example. From basic problems through to catastrophic calamities, some common, others that will hopefully never come to pass, you’ll feel safer the next time you head off into the great unknown, armed with the knowledge of how to actually use a first aid kit effectively, rather than just moaning about the weight of carrying it.
Need More Info?
 Getting There
Unless you have your own helicopter you’re looking at car or train to get to Hereford. Car’s easier as you’d have to get a fairly pricy taxi from Hereford station to the training centre anyway.
The Longer Greener Option
You could cycle, and it’d be a pretty scenic route too. Why not make it part of a tour?
Sweet Dreams
Accommodation is at the centre, on a full board basis. The nature of the course (including night time exercises) means this is the only realistic option. A trip to the bar afterwards is pretty much mandatory, although you’ll be tired. Sweet dreams may not be an option for the squeamish or easily disturbed.
How Much
£295 all in for two day residential course, including lunch and dinner on the Saturday and breakfast on the Sunday and your own Lifesystems first aid kit at the end of the course.
What To Take
Depending on the time of year, take waterproof trousers and jacket that you don’t mind getting mucky and potentially damaged (not likely but possible), comfortable waterproof walking boots, warm gear and a headtorch. Everything else is provided, including first aid equipment for the outdoor practice and scenarios.
First Aid Kits
Even those of us who pack along a first aid kit don’t necessarily know how best to use its contents. Lifesystems have got together with Prometheus to produce the Surviving Adventure course, in part to address this problem, in part to fine tune their own first aid kits. By the end of the weekend you’ll be intimately acquainted with every bandage, dressing and swab in your kits, as well as some new gadgets and gizmos you may never have known existed, and hopefully will never need.
Further Information
Not only do Prometheus Medical run the Surviving Adventure course, but also offer bespoke first aid courses for expedition groups wishing to book something more tailored to their specific requirements. In addition, they also have available medical professionals trained and experienced in remote area medicine and casualty treatment whose services can be hired for expeditions worldwide. If you have a requirement for satellite communications equipment for your next trip, you can hire that from them too.
Contacts
www.prometheusmedical.co.uk
www.lifesystems.co.uk
www.lifesystems.co.uk/prometheus/courses.htm
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