Expedition Skills, Herefordshire

Doug Gurr ski touring in Greenland

Expedition Skills 2011 - dates to be confirmed

Sorry - you missed this year's course 28 June to 4 July 2010, Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, Herefordshire

Aimed at EXPLORERS AND DOCTORS/NURSES

Fee: £700 - fully inclusive of meals/camping/tuition and course notes/materials

Now in its 5th year, and 2nd year at Eastnor Castle, this exciting annual 7-day course is a collaborative training event delivered by WMT, Woodsmoke & Land Rover Experience.

The aim of this dynamic and unique training programme is to provide a solid base of wilderness-proven skills, from UK’s three leading providers of off road driving, bushcraft and expedition medical training.

It starts mid-day on Monday and concludes at 5.30pm on Sunday and is conducted on the stunning Eastnor Castle estate, home to Land Rover Experience's original UK off-road driving centre.

No previous experience is required. Modular attendance available: WMT Far From Help or Expedition Medic £290 (Student BMJ Review), Woodsmoke £255, Land Rover Experience £300.

• Woodsmoke bushcraft training - first 2.5 days (arrive noon)
• Land Rover Experience off road driving - days 4-5 (arrive the night before)
• WMT Far From Help for laypeople or Expedition Medic module for doctors/nurses - days 6-7 (arrive the night before).

WHO IS IT FOR?

This in-depth expedition skills programme is ideal for expeditions medics - doctors/nurses, expedition leaders, film crews, overland drivers, anyone planning an adventurous expedition, or for those wishing to build their CV with a view to working professionally in the ecotourism and adventure travel industry as an expedition leader or guide. Retiring military personel doing resettlement training will greatly benefit from attaining the civilian tickets from this course. Alternatively, join us for an exciting working holiday to extend your wilderness knowledge!

This 3 module course includes industry standard foundation programmes from the 3 joint providers:

Woodsmoke’s Bushcraft & Wilderness Survival Training

Land Rover Experience’s Level 1 Off-road Driving Skills

Wilderness Medical Training’s Far From Help OR Expedition Medic module for doctors and nurses

In detail, each module includes the following:

Woodsmoke ‘Bushcraft & Wilderness Survival Training’ - Trailbreaker, including elements from the Woodlander and Wilderness cookery courses. Visit Woodsmoke's great website.

· Outdoor safety, sanitation and hygiene
· Establishing an expedition camp
· Safe use and maintenance of knife and saw
· Safe use and maintenance of axe & machete
· Tree felling considerations
· Wilderness fire making techniques
· Collection, purification and transportation of water
· Wilderness fishing and trapping techniques
· Bush navigation and starcraft
· Natural bindings and cordage
· Expedition cookery and trail food
· Lightweight camping systems
· Jungle camping systems
· Equipment considerations and maintenance
· Rope throwing, pulleys & basic knots

+ these additional expedition skills, time permitting

· Signalling and communications
· Wilderness emergency procedures
· Expedition planning & preparation
· Environmental impact assessments
· Risk assessments
· Crisis management plans
· Wildlife hazards
· Tyrolean crossing

Wilderness Medical Training - Far From Help

• Legal considerations
• Expedition Medical Planning – where to find information
• Nursing care for ill or injured casualties
• Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
• Diagnosis - taking a history
• Examples of history taking
• ABC approach to ill or injured casualties
• Soft tissue injuries and burns
• Venomous bites and stings

• Shock & blood pressure
• Practical - measuring blood pressure
• Heat & cold injuries
• Incident management
• Altitude sickness
• Fractures & dislocations
• Use of flexi-splints/improvised splints
• Head, neck & spinal injuries
• Coma position, log rolling, neck collars, moving, straightening, lifting, rope stretchers, other carries
• Diseases of the nervous system
• Chest & abdominal injuries

• Common heart & lung problems
• Gut, kidney & gynaecological problems
• Eye & ear, nose & throat problems
• Examining eyes & ears
• Diarrhoea
• Infections & antibiotics
• Malaria & immunisations
• Medical kits & supplies

Expedition Medic module due to high demand from doctors in 2009 we have added this parallel module. Student BMJ Review

Expedition Skills 2010 Combined Expedition Medic & Far From Help Outline Programmes

Joint sessions are indicated in capital type. Tea/coffee breaks will be taken as required.

Day 1  Expedition Medic                                                       Far From Help

09.00  Intro, aims, legal. What is expedition medicine?               Intro, aims, legal issues

10.00  EXPEDITION MEDICAL PLANNING – IMMS/ANTIMALARIALS - ALL

11.00  Pre-existing medical cases                     Diagnosis – history taking, nursing care

12.00  Medical kits – discussion                  Measuring vital signs, BP, chest/abdo exam.

13.00  LUNCH

14.00  Tropical fevers                                                  CPR revision. Managing shock

15.00  MOVING LIFTING STRAIGHTENING PATIENTS - ALL

16.00  SOFT TISSUE INJURIES AND BURNS - ALL

17.00 Scenario discussion                                        ABC approach to injured patients

Day 2  Expedition Medic                                                        Far From Help

09.00   Altitude llness                                              Head, neck, chest, abdo injuries

10.00   FRACTURES AND DISLOCATIONS - ALL

11.00   Radio communication                                            Common medical conditions

12.00    Belays, ropes stretchers, improvised rescue                                  

13.00    LUNCH

14.00    HEAT ILLNESS, MALARIA - ALL

15.00    BITES AND STINGS - ALL

16.00    Hypothermia, frost bite                                              Examining eyes & ears

                                                                      Cold/high environments & conditions

17.00 Expedition training opportunities                                  Medical kits and supplies

17.30  CLOSE. DEPART

Land Rover Experience - Level 1 Off-road Driving Skills/Combined bush mechanic training, including bonus elements from Land Rover’s Level 2 and winching courses.

· Vehicle familiarisation
· Basic maintenance
· Observation skills
· Route planning
· Manoeuvring
· Ruts & tracks
· Crossing ditches
· Mud & wet grass (weather permitting)
· Steep inclines and gradients
· Convoy techniques
· Introduction to winching
· Basic recovery techniques

This ground breaking course is open to anyone without prior experience. Spaces are limited.

Fee: £700 (£95 cheaper than in '08)

The price includes:

• camping and camping food/equipment
• specialist group equipment
• course notes/manuals
• all instruction
• use of Land Rovers and associated equipment
• VAT at 17.5%

The fee excludes:

• Personal equipment/clothing
• Anything not expressly mentioned above

MODULAR BOOKINGS can be booked anytime on this website; £255 per Woodsmoke module, £290 for Far From Help/Expedition Medic module. The Land Rover Experience module is £300.