The Syllabus
What you'll learn
Two days, mapped to how a real incident unfolds — from the first sixty seconds of a scene to a two-hour carry off the hill. Roughly 70% of the time is hands-on, outdoors, in whatever the Highlands throw at us.
Day One — The first 60 minutes
Scene to stable. The skills that decide outcomes.
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Scene assessment & safe approach
Reading terrain hazards, avoiding becoming a second casualty, and taking charge of a chaotic scene.
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The primary survey in the wild
A systematic danger–response–airway–breathing–circulation check adapted for wind, rain and rock.
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Catastrophic bleeding
Direct pressure, wound packing and improvised tourniquets using the kit you actually carry.
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Airway & recovery position on a slope
Keeping an unconscious casualty breathing when the ground is anything but flat.
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CPR in a remote setting
What effective CPR looks like hours from a defibrillator — and the hard decisions that come with it.
Day Two — Cold, carries & the long wait
Keeping a casualty alive until Mountain Rescue arrives.
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Hypothermia & cold-water immersion
Recognising and managing cold injury — including a controlled drill in a very cold loch.
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Fractures, sprains & improvised splinting
Splinting limbs with walking poles, roll mats and rope when you have no proper kit.
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Head, spine & the crag casualty
A full scenario: a fake casualty on a real crag, assessed and packaged as a team.
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Sheltering & insulation
Building a survival shelter and getting a casualty off the cold ground fast.
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Calling for help & evacuation
What to tell 999/Mountain Rescue, grid references, and a long-carry stretcher evacuation across open ground.
By Sunday evening
You'll be able to:
Pass the practical assessment and you leave with a Wilderness First Aid certificate valid for three years — recognised for hill leadership and expedition roles.
Book your place- Run a primary survey on a real casualty, unprompted
- Control serious bleeding with improvised materials
- Recognise and manage hypothermia in the field
- Splint a suspected fracture using hill kit
- Package and move a casualty as part of a team
- Hand over clearly to Mountain Rescue
A note on intensity
This is a physical, weather-exposed course.
Expect to be outdoors for long stretches, to kneel on wet ground, and to get cold on purpose during the immersion drill. You don't need to be an athlete, but you should be comfortable walking on rough hill paths for a couple of hours. Tell us about any medical conditions on the booking form so we can plan for you.