Last weekend myself, Dave and Jaimella attended a 2 Day Outdoor First Aid Course with Will4Adventure . I had to do it for work and to keep some qualifications valid while Dave and J just wanted to make sure they were ready if anything happened.
As climbers/walkers we are often away from roads and easy access as well as carrying out activities where an accident is not out of the question. It is not a matter of just waiting 10-20 mins for an ambulance….. we maybe the only people nearby and help could realistically be hours away. So whether you do a course or not, being prepared for taking control if an accident happens is not a bad idea.
The course was held in Youlgrave village and had people from around the country attending. The first day was spent indoors, learning the basics of managing a situation, working out what the problems are, protecting the airway, CPR and bandaging.
The second day was when it started to get more related to the outdoors. We spent a lot of the day practicing moving our victim off the ground (preparing for the long wait for help to arrive) as well as making them feel more comfortable during this wait.
We then spent a number of hours putting all this into practice during mock scenarios down by the river. We took it in turns to be the victim, the first aider and the random helper named Tom (Totally.Obedient.Moron).
I have had to do a number of these courses, this one was well delivered, at a good pace and the practical work was relevant to what we may find while on the hill…fallen climber, crashed mountain biker with an attitude problem and weirdly positioned casualties. We had a chance to practice what we learnt and build on our knowledge from day 1 while under a little pressure.
All in all I think all 3 of us feel that we are more capable of dealing with any incidents, minor or major that we may find while out on the hill… however please don’t put us to the test on Tuesday.
