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Wilderness First Responder course offered this summer

Special to the Daily

EAGLE-VAIL — For those who frequent Colorado’s backcountry, wilderness medicine skills are important knowledge. Such skills give you tools to deal with injuries and other medical emergencies when EMS services are not available. The standard for learning such skills is taking the week-long Wilderness First Responder course.

These courses provide students with knowledge about patient assessment, care, stabilization and treatment.

Apex Mountain School, located in Eagle-Vail, is offering Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness First Responder Recertification courses starting this June as a resource for coming up to speed on Wilderness Medicine know-how. Wilderness First Responder course dates are June 2 through 9 and Nov. 3 through 10. Wilderness First Responder Recertification dates are June 1 and 2, July 20 and 21 and Nov. 2 and 3.



“For outdoor enthusiasts and backcountry professionals alike, WFR has become the standard for backcountry wilderness medicine training,” said Scott Smith, director of Apex.

Apex’s Wilderness First Responder course is taught on the materials of and certified by SOLO (Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities). SOLO is the oldest continually operating school of wilderness medicine in the world. SOLO brought wilderness medicine to the U.S. in the 1970’s, and has played a leading role in the wilderness medicine education field.

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“ SOLO’s WFR curriculum has set the bar for WFR education, and provides enthusiasts with valuable knowledge and skills for responding to medical crises in remote settings,” Smith said.

The 80-hour Wilderness First Responder course is taught at Camp Hale, just outside of Red Cliff, Colorado. Surrounded by mountain terrain, Camp Hale is an ideal location for mock backcountry scenarios.

“The Patient Assessment System is fundamental to Apex Mountain School and SOLO Wilderness Medicine WFR courses. The PAS focuses on identifying and assessing the severity of, and treatment options for, various patient injuries,” Smith said. “Classroom sessions and mock scenarios are combined in identifying and treating of traumatic injuries, environmental hazards and injuries, legal considerations and patient evacuation.”

Price for the full course is $675 and includes course materials. The cost for the recertification course is $290, plus $35 for the CPR update. Apex Mountain School is a full service guiding agency that specializes in rock and ice climbing, rappelling, backcountry skiing and snowboarding, mountaineering, avalanche education, wilderness medicine, backcountry survival and corporate team building in Colorado’s Vail Valley and beyond.

To learn more about Apex Mountain School and register for upcoming wilderness medicine courses visit their website, http://www.apexmountainschool.com, or call 888-686-7685 or 970-949-9111.


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