Jizerka welcomed the MOUNTAIN MEDICINE COURSE for MOUNTAINEERS

After 2 successful DiMM Courses for doctors, the Mountain Medicine Course in the Czech Republic followed up with its first version for mountaineers.

Also this Course is supported by the medical commissions of the UIAA, ICAR and ISMM.

14 alpinists, mountain leaders and mountain rescue volonteers from the Czech and Slovak Republic enjoyed the hospitality of Stara Pila lodge in the beautiful Jizerka Hamlet, Jizera Mountains.

The Course’ director Kristina Höschlová invited her colleagues, “DiMM” holders, to prepare together an intensive educative program for the non-medical mountain enthusiasts.

During 4 sunny and busy days they practiced all the basics in Mountain Rescue in remote environment including a training with the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service of Liberec. The Basic Modules will be followed by 2 Alpine Modules which will be held in the French Alpine Center AVORIAZ.

For further information, please follow the next posts: EXPEDITION and CPR, COLD-1st AID-HELICOPTER, TRAUMA and farewell.

 

Homage for MANU CAUCHY

On the Easter Monday, April 2, 2018, Emmanuel Cauchy passed away in an avalanche.

The accident occurred in the mountains close to Chamonix where he has spent most of his life and has rescued many lives during his career of a medical mountain rescuer.

 

Emmanuel Cauchy will undoubtedly always remain one of the most remarkable personalities in the world of the mountain medicine.

E.g. thanks to his tireless concern in the medical approach for frostbite, many of frostbitten patients are now allowed to avoid the useless amputations, since he has established his new protocol.

Further, with his endless enthusiasm, Manu remarkably contributed in spreading education in mountain medicine worldwide.

 

We too, the Czech doctors and paramedics, feel very grateful to had enjoyed Emmanuel’s openness to transmit his experiences when he joined our courses in the last years.

 

Manu, we know, you will not like us see to cry.

You would like us to keep on loving our lifes, playing music, going to the mountains, living our dreams.

You would like us to keep on doing the mountain medicine, ask, search, try, love it and spread this passion and experiences far among the young and new interested ones.

Manu, may your soul remain in lightness, you will be always in our hearts.

 

Kristina

 

and all the participants of Mountain Medicine Courses in the Czech Republic

The International Mountain Medicine Course in CZ visited Avoriaz!

During the weekend of January 26-28, 2018, a small group of the Mountain Medicine Course DiMM diploma holders visited the Alpine centre in Avoriaz, France.

  

They joined Kristina Höschlová, the Course’ Director and an ex-emergency doctor of Mont Blanc Helicopteres in Avoriaz, to prepare the training for the Mountain Medicine Course for Mountaineers, planned for the winter 2019.

Related links: “Our philosophy” and “Overview of the Course for Mountaineers

During the 2 busy and sunny days, the Czech and Slovak doctors and paramedics were happy to join the rescue teams of the Ski-patrol SERMA, Mont Blanc Helicopteres and the Medical Centre of Avoriaz.

  

More about Avoriaz and Mont Blanc Helicopteres HERE.

SATURDAY – practice with the Avoriaz Ski-patrol and TRAUMA in the difficult winter terrain

   

Our sincere thanks to the Ski-patrollers: JAMES, INGRID and GREG for their highly professional approach, patience and encouragement.

 

SUNDAY – Mont Blanc Helicopteres, RECCO avalanche research and AVALANCHE accident:

  
The Ski-patrollers FABRICE and QUENTIN and Fabrice’s dog HAWAK prepared a great and instructive training in avalanche rescue.

  

Also PAULA Burgueno, an emergency physician, who worked with the Mont Blanc Helicopteres in the last season, had joined the training as an instructor with a lot of enthusiasm.

Further we like to express our gratitude to all the Mont Blanc Helicopteres team, especially to COOKIE and YVES, for their warm reception and kindness to share their great experiences.

  

Our sincere thanks also to Christophe Estebe, the chief of the Avoriaz Ski-patrol and to Alain Colombey, the chief of the Mont Blanc Helicopteres base in Avoriaz, to enable this two awesome days.

Group photo: Matthieu Vitré

More about the rescue seasons in Avoriaz in Kristina’s book “Doctor Between the Sky and the Mountains

Testimonials of the participants and local ski-patrollers:

“Thank you again for the opportunity of this training, it was awesome!” Jan Franta, DiMM holder 2017

“Thank you so much for the wonderful weekend full of great entertainment, sun, beautiful women, true men, good wine and a lot of fun!” Tomáš Beran, DiMM holder 2017

“Thank you again for the wonderful and precious program, our souvenirs are unforgettable!” Ivana Sikulová, Lecturer and DiMM holder 2016

“Many thanks for this event, we are delighted! Me personally, I have to say the event was perfectly organised and highly motivating. Also the group was just cool :)!” Richard Lochmann, mountain rescuer and MMC manager

“I really enjoyed the day, it was a great opportunity to meet all the guys on the course with such diverse and interesting background and experiences.” James, the Ski-patroller from Avoriaz

“It was a pleasure to share our work with you!” Ingrid, the Ski-patroller from Avoriaz

Day 7 – Examination and Diploma

And the last day? Yes, everybody passed SUCCESSFULLY the final exam, which consisted of a MCQ test, an oral presentation of a case scenario and 1 practical demonstration.

Beside a beautiful diploma there was a small surprise for everybody:

HONEY made by a beekeeper Petr Kříž from Vysočina, who is a fun of the Mountain Medicine Course, paramedic himself.

Another year of the International Mountain Medicine in the Czech Republic is over.

And again, we like to express our sincere thanks to all of the precious Course’ partners, lecturers and participants. It was really a great time and we look forward to meet again during the 3rd session in 2018!

 

And finally, under this link you can enjoy many beautiful snapshots made by the “mountain doctor” David Halata.

Day 6 – the Course’ Highpoint: Helicopter Training on Via Ferrata

 

The last invited lecturer, Emmanuel Cauchy, joined the group and enjoyed too the final complex training.

During the exercise, 5 different organizations amazingly cooperated together:

Liberec Medical Emergency Rescue Service, Helicopter air company DSA, Mountain Rescue of the Czech Republic, Water Rescue of the Red Cross and the Singing Rock Company.

The Course’ members equipped and introduced in the via ferrata techniques by the Singing Rock instructor Ondra Metelka and later they assisted to the Mountain Rescue to prepare the victims for evacuation. Afterwards, they have been evacuated in the role of victims by the professionals of the Liberec Helicopter EMS.

As the Water Rescue makes an important item of the outdoor rescue, they made a demonstration of their techniques under the leadership of Jan Sedláček and they also assisted to the Course’ members to pass over the untamed Jizera river.

The full involvement, high professionalism and perfect preparation of all of the participating organizations, was impressive.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Special thanks belong to the DSA air company, as for their great support of this training day.

 

If you like to see this day through the eyes of “Docteur Vertical”, Emmanuel Cauchy, be welcome to see his video.

 

Thanks also to Jan Kostík for the beautiful photos! Jan.kostik@hzspraha.cz

 

When tired, but happy, everybody gathered back in the lodge, the final conference took place, hosted by Kristina Höschlová.

Beside her, Jirka Chvojka, Jana Kubalová, Emmanuel Cauchy and Dominique Jean, had the space to give their opinions about different controversial subjects in the mountain medicine.