Busy week

The ECMR Advanced weekend was followed by two days of REC level 2 course teaching. And what a change in weather: from tropical to sub-arctic in twenty-four hours.

   On Thursday I lead a group of Alpine Italian lads up Lliwedd and Snowdon. Sadly they didn't get to see much; visibility was down to 20 metres in places (and as is typical the cloud really began to lift on our descent). Afterwards, Steve picked me up from Pen-y-Pass. We were heading home down the Llanberis Pass when we saw flashing blue lights in a layby ahead of us. A paramedic was making his way up the scree to a fallen climber. I shouted to see if they needed help and he said he had just alerted the MRT. (our SMS had failed to go off as we were in a blind spot). So Steve and I drove down to base to pick up extra equipment such as a stretcher, the KTD (in case of fractured femur), the Vac Matt  for spinal immobilisation and then headed back to the scene of the accident.

   Our casualty was lucky. He had taken an 8 metre fall and had fractured his lower leg and lower arm. However there had been a long delay between the emergency call going out and the Rescue Team being alerted. Remember in the mountains always ask for the Police and Mountain Rescue; not an Ambulance which was what had happened here. Add the information that the casualty was only 30m from the road, it is easy to see why an ambulance was sent! Unfortunately, that 30m was up a steep and loose hillside.

Last night Cluanie and I were called out to help search for an elderly lady in the Conwy Valley. Sadly as of yet, she is still missing. We were back in bed for 3.30 am. Today has been a lazy day with a lovely walk over Moel Eilio with the dogs and Steve.

Needles and pain!

This weekend Steve and I attended the ECMR (Emergency Care for Mountain Rescue) Advanced training Course along with 6 other Llanberis MRT members, 2 Ogwen and 1 Sussex SRT. It was an interesting and fascinating course (if a little painful at times!) It was held at Indie on Anglesey and the weather was glorious. Not a few of us cast woeful and frustrated eyes at the mountains of Snowdonia on the other side of the Straits! However it was an incredibly useful three days.


Smiling despite the pain: Cannula in hand

 We both felt we learned loads and are really grateful to the surgeons, registrars and other medics who gave up their time to train us.


The course gave us lots of scenario practice as well as injections, suturing (thankfully, not on each other!) and needle thoracostamy.

I can see a lot of intensive training going on between now and May 8th; the date of the exam. It promises to be an intense morning; 2 exam papers, an airway practical examination, and 2 scenarios - medical condition and a trauma.



Close up!



Meanwhile, I have been elected as a Members Rep for SARDA Wales. I hope I am able to help the Association throught the following year. 

Steve practising needle thoracostamy (needle decompression to you and me!) While Brian says hello!



Snowdonia First Aid goes European

Steve and I were in Portugal over the weekend, teaching REC Level 2 First Aid to a group of school staff from St Julian's School near Lisbon. Our group were a mixture of Outdoor Education, Sports and Physical Education staff. Here are some photos of our lovely venue. The weather was mixed. We don't seem to have great luck with weather when we go abroad! The weather was overcast and Aberystwyth had warmer temperatures on the Thursday before we went than we encountered in Portugal! Probably just as well; I think any hotter and it would have been a shock to the system!

On with the plastic gloves. Your safety comes first!

Steve and I enjoying the local sites of Lisbon

MLTA Workshops

Steve and I are running some Real Mountain First Aid workshops for the MLTA over Easter. These are one day courses designed as refreshing and developing clients' first aid knowledge and skills.

The MLTA introduced CPD requirements for 2011 onwards. The idea is that all members keep upto date with training rather than accepting that their qualification is a 'ticket for life'. This should keep instructors and leaders fresh and in line with current thinking.

Our course is aimed at showing our clients the reality of First Aid in the Outdoors. see http://www.mlta.co.uk/further-training.php for more information.

Observing the Trainers REC Course

Steve and I are spending this week observing the REC Trainers course. This is with the intention of running our own REC First Aid trainers courses later in the year. It is an exciting development for us and a prospect we are relishing.
    In order for someone to become a Trainer under the REC scheme they need to have a current First Aid at Work certificate and have either the REC Advanced First Aid qualification or an appropriate alternative qualification or experience.

Lovely Long Mynd

Steve and I had a trip down to the Long Mynd and Church Stretton area of Shropshire this Wednesday. We were reccying it for a Walking Group Leader course that we are running for the Field Studies Council. Beautiful area; very different. Sadly the weather was not playing by my rules for photography so I failed to get any decent photos of the area. However, we are looking forward to going back in May and hopefully should obtain some good photos then.

Alpine Scottish conditions!

Yes, you can tell this is not written for this week's weather! The conditions there at the moment sound wild again. Good luck to my friend Joy, and her dog, Einich (Cluanie's sister) who have an more of their Search Dog assessments there this week.

I returned from Scotland last Saturday after a highly successful Search Dog training week with SARDA Wales.

The first two days were spent up in Corrie an Sneachda (Corrie of the Snows). Day One focused on Winter and Avalanche skills in particular. We were trained by Daz of the Kinloss RAF MRT.

Helen gets to grips with the Peeps Avalanche Transceiver. How technology has moved on since these were designed. Give me the Mammut Barryvox  any day!

Training included the use of Avalanche Transceivers (very useful Winter IML revision for me), building snow holes and digging avalanche pits and doing various tests such as the Walkers' Block Test. We finished the day off with a competition to see who could find the buried transceiver the quickest.


Day 2. I was I/C (Instructor in Charge).

We concentrated more on the dogs. I dug snow holes and buried bodies (keeping a very close eye on the thawing snow!) for the dogs and handlers to find, while Antony set up a mountain search area on the scree of the Fiacall Ridge.



the body's view of a find!



I had an interesting search of the area as I opted just to take my ice axe. I had decided the boulders would be a pain with crampons so opted to leave those in my rucksack. Big mistake! The snow areas were hard nevee and a lot larger than they looked from below. My step-cutting skills were put into practice, especially when Cluanie struck the body's scent from the bottom left hand of the area. The body was at the top right hand corner of the area. For twenty minutes my dog barked and barked to get me to Kes, while I desperately cut step after step! An amazing find and a lesson learnt! Always take your crampons in hard snow. Yes, cut stepping is possible;it's just a lot slower than using crampons!





Spot the handler!



Day Three was spent training in the land behind the Highland Wildlife Park. Again, another successful day. Although Cluanie was finally found to be on heat.

On Day Four Antony and I opted to go for a mountain walk over the top of Cairngorm as most of the Bodies decided to go to RAF Kinloss for the afternoon.



The Girls! Body Emmer, Tess, Cazz, Cluanie and Helen 

 Day 5 was another lower day. We trained on the flanks on the Monadhlith towards Kingussie. It was great to see Tess and Cazz grow in confidence ready for their Lowland Full Assessment at the end of March.

What a week. I only found the Drying Room at the Centre we were staying at on the final morning when I decided to have a good explore. How often can you do that in Scotland (or Wales for that matter)?