WMT’s 9th Annual Chamonix Winter Event

Expedition Medicine Conference

For Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics & Medical Students

Chamonix, Mont Blanc, France

DETAILS FOR 2009 ARE TO BE REVISED AND CONFIRMED. PLEASE FIND BELOW 2008 DETAILS FOR INFORMATION

 £475 for doctors, £350 all others including medical students

TO BOOK: Go to the online BOOKING FORM.

This page is continually revised as details are confirmed. Last revised:

This page is packed with important info including; the programme, faculty, frequently asked questions, travel and accommodation advice and more! Scroll down and have a read!

Introduction

WMT conferences are incredibly well organised, well thought out and professionally delivered by a world class faculty who are experienced, fun and approachable! WMT’s two directors alone have a combined total of 44 real expeditions (not week-long charity treks) to their credit. We constantly innovate to refresh our events. Chamonix is a legendary, easily accessible town that is an awesome playground for out of class hours, including fabulous optional mountain sports activities and instruction offered by WMT! More than 50% of WMT conference delegates attend by word of mouth.

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME

Sunday – Managing Injuries in the Field

1200 Registration – anytime up to 1400

1400 – 1900

• Conference kick off - welcome & introductions
• What is expedition medicine? - conference overview
• Venomous bites, stings & rabies
• Trauma management: head injuries, fractures & dislocations
• Immunisations & anti-malarials/field test kits – answering the awkward questions

Complimentary vin chaud

1800 - 1900 Key Note Address – Prof David Warrell, 1st ed. Oxford Medical Textbook

Monday - Medicine in the Outdoor Environment

A half day of outdoor practical sessions

• Scenario-based problem solving exercises including:
• Use of radios
• Vehicle extrication & scene safety
• Trauma management
• Practical fracture management
• Safety on steep terrain – some practical rope tricks

Après-ski meeting place – The Terrace

1815 – 1915 Special evening lecture – Barry Roberts - Lost in Greenland

Tuesday – Planning & Pre-Expedition Considerations

0900 – 1230

• Travellers with special needs - practical exercise
• Incident management - more than just medicine – practical exercise
• Don’t get sued - legal liability and insurance
• Choosing a medical kit – practical exercise
• Expedition dentistry & maxillofacial injuries

Après-ski meeting place – Choucas

1815 – 1915 Special evening lecture - tbc

Wednesday – Mountain Medicine

0900 - 1230

• Altitude illness – theory & practice
• Avalanche risk assessment & rescue
• The eye at altitude & other eye problems
• Hypothermia & cold injuries

1815 – 1915 Special evening lecture

Mr Dan Morris – Eyeing up Africa - Remote Surgery in Kenya

Thursday – Hot, Deep & Dangerous Environments

0900 – 1230

• Getting hot & cross - hyperthermia & dehydration
• Diving medicine – an overview
• Special lecture Military Medicine
• Expedition psychology – leadership & teamwork
• Joining an expedition – being the right stuff - what next?

End of conference dinner – by train to Vallorcine to Trois Ours restaurant

Note: All morning sessions start at 9am and end promptly at 12.30 so you have the whole afternoon to ski. This programme is provisional and the running order of sessions may be subject to change due to the availability of instructors, weather and other factors. Depending on total delegate numbers, the Monday outdoor session may be run am & pm.

2008 Faculty - additional faculty are to be confirmed depending on final delegate numbers

Conference Director

Dr Jon Dallimore MSc MRCGP DCH DRCOG Dip. Mountain Med., WMT Medical Director

Jon has carved out a unique portfolio medical career in travel and expedition medicine. He has completed 22 expeditions and is medical advisor to a number of expedition companies, including World Challenge Expeditions, Trekforce, Greenforce and Tangent Expeditions. In addition, he continues to work as a GP and he is a staff grade doctor in A&E at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. Jon has completed an MSc in travel medicine and the UIAA Diploma in Mountain Medicine, which he now teaches on. Jon is a member of Royal Geographical Society’s Medical Cell and a contributing author of the RGS landmark publication Expedition Medicine. On his most recent expedition Jon made 20 first ascents in Greenland in June 2005.

Conference Manager

Barry Roberts BSc BEd, WMT Commercial Director

Barry (he prefers Baz) has 22 expeditions to his credit. These expeditions have varied enormously in their scope, including scientific research, community and adventure based projects. Baz is an active adventure sportsman who is a ski mountaineer, advanced diver, paraglider pilot and skydiver. He climbed Everest in May 2004 on this 11th visit to the Himalaya. He is formerly a Director of Raleigh International. He is sponsored by The North Face and on his most recent project– The North Face Roof of The Arctic Expedition – he made the first winter ascent of the highest peak in the Arctic (Greenland) and paraglided from their summit– a world first – in March 2006. Baz also runs All Terrain Ski in Chamonix and recently co-wrote and published Staying Alive Offpiste on the web. He has lectured widely about his travels to corporate and public groups throughout the UK and in Rome, Oman, Dubai and Romania.

David A. Warrell MA DM DSc FRCP FRCPE FMedSci

David is Professor of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Deputy Head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine and Founding Director of the Centre for Tropical Medicine and the Wellcome-Mahidol University-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Programme Bangkok (Emerius), University of Oxford. After training at Oxford, St Thomas’s Hospital and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, he lived or worked in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. He is the 1st editor of the Oxford Textbook of Medicine, WHO’s Guidelines on Severe Malaria, Essential Malariology and Expedition Medicine and has published articles on malaria, rabies, relapsing fevers and other infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, venomous animals and poisoning. David is consultant to the World Health Organization, British Army, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Medical Research Council and Royal Geographical Society. He is past President of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and International Federation for Tropical Medicine.

Mr Daniel Morris BSc (Hons) MBChB MRCOphth

An ophthalmic surgeon based in Newcastle, Dan has been involved in expedition medicine and high altitude research around the world for many years and is a regular visitor to the Himalaya. Recently he has organised research in Nepal, Bolivia, Tibet and Colorado as a member of Medical Expeditions and Altitude Physiology Expeditions. In 2004 he took a group of subjects to the North Col of Everest where he collected the highest ever eye data at 7100m. Dan is also the clinical director of a trachoma eradication project in northern Kenya which he initiated last year. Dan’s most recent award was the Pfizer ophthalmology medal and he is currently working in Newcastle and completing a thesis on the effects of altitude on the eye.

Tariq Qureshi PhD

Tariq has been involved with WMT’s courses since 1997 and is the Medical Officer for the Oxford University Exploration Club. His expeditions have included mountaineering in Iceland and mountaineering/sea-kayaking in and around Norway and Sweden. Tariq regularly teaches and assesses a wide range of first aid courses and over the last five years has developed an Advanced First Aid training programme within Oxford University. He is accredited as a tutor/examiner by the National Sports Medicine Institute and is a faculty member for the recently introduced “Acute Life-threatening Events Recognition and Treatment” (ALERT) course. He is currently studying medicine at Oxford.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the conference held?
The conference will be held at the Salle du Bicentenaire (attached to the Musee Alpin) in central Chamonix, near the train station. Accommodation is NOT available at the venue.

Who attends the conference?
The conference is designed for any medical professional interested in expedition and travel medicine regardless of their level of experience. The conference attracts a great mix of doctors from PRHO’s to consultants in varied specialties. We also welcome medical students, nurses and paramedics (at a discount). Some people have little or no expedition experience and some are very experienced. Many people come alone and make new friends to ski and go out with. Others have come in big gangs of medical schoolmates!

What feedback did the conference get in previous years?
WMT takes great pride not only in the educationally value of our products but also in the smooth administration of our courses and conferences and the attention to detail that makes WMT events a special experience. Vist the Feedback page.


How does WMT's Chamonix conference differ from other “expedition medicine” courses?
For one, it's held in Chamonix! What a great opportunity to attend an educationally robust conference AND to ski/board during your time off. Secondly, we teach expedition medicine, including broad ranging topics and practical skills applicable to all environments. This isn't a mountain rescue, mountain first aid or mountain medicine course and we believe there's little point in discussing complicated rescue equipment that YOU WON'T HAVE with you on expedition! WMT has been in this business since 1991 - far longer than any of our competitors.

How easy is it to get to Chamonix?
Very easy! During the winter many low-cost airlines fly from numerous UK airports directly to Geneva. The conference is timed so that those on a tight budget can fly in Sunday morning and home Thursday night to take advantage of the most inexpensive fares. January is still low season in the Alps so the prices of flights and hotels are relatively much lower. Chamonix is 60 miles from Geneva and it costs about £50 for a shared return transfer. Groups will find it cheaper to hire a car for the week.

What about organising accommodation?
Click here for 2007 recommended chalet optiopns. Accommodation is not included in the conference fee. See below for loads more hostel/hotel and travel advice.

What if I'm not a great skier/boarder or don’t ski at all!
Don't worry! Chamonix has a full range of slopes to accommodate the beginner and the expert. If you don't ski at all, there's plenty to do otherwise – snow shoeing, swimming, shopping, climbing, etc.

What's the social side of the conference like?
Exhausting! The week can be as full on as you want to make it! There's no shortage of organised or informal options to ski, drink and eat together. Once again we've organised a fantastic end of conference dinner for a very reasonable price. We also designate an après-ski bar to meet in every day!

Can I bring a partner?
Certainly and many people do. They are welcome to join in on the optional evening lectures (for free), the end of course dinner and the special optional outdoor activities at additional cost.

What does the fee include?
The conference fee is inclusive of tuition, refreshments, notes, satchel (or equivalent), a conference certificate and materials only. VAT is NOT applicable.

How do the winter and summer conference differ?                                                        The winter conference is mainly based indoors either AM or PM so you have half a day free to ski everyday. The summer conference involves more full days outdoors including an overnight mountain camp and there’s only one half day free to do your own thing. The content of the winter programme is mostly medical; the summer conference is roughly 60% outdoor skills and 40% lecture based medical content. There are no prerequisites for either conference.

How do I book a place to come?
That's easy! Go to the online BOOKING FORM.

Exciting Optional Activities – quick reference guide
These optional sessions continue to be overwhelmingly successful and oversubscribed. All activities are open to delegates and their friends. Let WMT do the organising so that you get the most out of your free time to explore the valley and acquire new skills! Further details and costs will be provided nearer the conference. All extra sessions are run subject to minimum numbers, additional cost and separate terms and conditions. Registrations taken on the first day of the conference.

Travel & Accommodation Notes
These details are not exhaustive – check out www.chamonix.com, www.chamonix.net and www.chamonixexperience.com for other local services, information or web links to some of the contacts below. WMT cannot be responsible for any of the services or prices listed which are given in good faith as a guide only.

We suggest you fly into Geneva. The motorway leading to the French border is only a few hundred metres from the airport. The French border is about 10km from the airport. You can exit the airport on the “French side” but this is not as convenient if you don't know your way around.

Visas
Depending on what passport you hold you should make sure you do not require a visa for Switzerland and/or France. If you require a Swiss visa you can consider exiting the airport from the French side to avoid having to get one.

Geneva Car Hire
Although the bus service around the Chamonix valley is good, a car can be very handy for maximising your time on the slopes. Bear in mind too that a return minibus transfer from the airport is £50+ that could be put towards car hire. It is 100km from the airport to Chamonix and about £6 return for road tolls if you take the motorway-peage (recommended). The ski station car parks are generally at low altitudes so driving to the slopes isn’t too scary. Best to rent chains with your car just in case.

www.travelextras.com

www.eurosdrive.com

www.holidayautos.com

www.easycar.com

Warning – be careful if you are tempted to hire a car from the FRENCH side of the airport – it can involve more hassle and cost if you end up returning it to the Swiss side, although if can be cheaper to hire overall.

Scheduled Flights to Geneva

• Easyjet www.easyjet.com
• BMI Baby www.bmibaby.com
• Jet2 www.jet2.com
• Globe Span www.flyglobespan.com – weekly Edinburgh & Glasgow flights
• www.swiss.com the new Swiss Air/Crossair airline
• British Airways www.ba.com 0345 222111
• www.opodo.com searches the major airlines
• use www.skyscanner.net to search for you!

Allow 1½ hours to get to Chamonix by transfer minibus.

Chamonix – Geneva Airport Transfers – about £25 each way depending on number of passengers and time of booking

• Trans74 www.trans74.com +33 (0)6 73 42 05 19 email info@trans74.com
• Mountain Drop Offs www.mountaindrops.com
• Airport Transfer Services www.a-t-s.net
• Chamonix Shuttles www.chamonixshuttles.com
• Show Train www.showtrain.com (only group transfers)

Trains & Buses                                                                                                               These are time-consuming ways of travelling between the airport and Chamonix and not recommended – see www.chamonix.net for further information.

Tourist Offices
Chamonix 00 33 4 50 53 00 24
French Government Tourist Office 0891 244123

ASK WHERE THE ACCOMMODATION IS IN RELATION TO THE Musee Alpin which is in the town centre! Accommodation is not available at the conference venue. Beware of properties adverstised as being in Chamonix when in fact they are in the "Chamonix Valley" and in one of the outlying villages like Les Houches, Servoz, Taconnaz, Les Pras or Argentierre for example! If you want to enjoy the nightlife, then you really need to be in Chamonix town!

For details of WMT recommended chalets, click here.

ACCOMMODATION – Hotels & Gites (hostels)
For central hotel reservations via the tourist office contact reservation@chamonix.com, visit www.chamonix.com or telephone 00 33 4 50 53 23 33. The following hotels are within central Chamonix. Their star rating is noted to give you an idea of the price range the hotel is in (bear in mind that some French hotels given 3 stars are really only 2+ stars according to UK standards). Some 2 stars may not be en suite. 2 star hotels B & B can cost £40, 3 stars up to £60 (per night).

Mercure Coralia 3 stars email 8983-GM@accor-hotels.com
Point Isabelle 2 stars pointe.isabelle@telepost.fr
La Vallee Blanche 3 stars info@vallee-blanche.com
La Croix Blanche, 3 stars croix-blanche@chamonixhotels.com
Touring Hotel 2 stars, tel/fax 00 33 4 50 53 59 18
El Paso – La Cantina (no star rating) tel 00 33 4 50 53 64 20
Au Bon Coin 2 stars hotel@auboncoin@wanadoo.fr
Mont-Blanc 4 stars (by the tourist office) mont-blanc@chamonixhotels.com
Park Suisse 3 stars parkhotelsuisse@telepost.fr
Richemond 2 stars richemond@wanadoo.fr
Prieure 3 stars Prieure@chamonixhotels.com
Hotel Gustavia hotel@hotel-gustavia.com, www.hotel-gustavia.com, telephone 00 33 4 50 53 00 31
Gite – Bunkhouse Le Vagabond – shared rooms are less than £10/night – tel. 00 33 4 50 53 15 43 between 8-10.30am and after 4.30pm www.gitevagabond.com

Private Apartment Hire
Groups might consider hiring a self-catering apartment for the week. See reservation@chamonix.com or www.chamonix.com for apartment rental agents. See also www.holiday-rentals.co.uk.