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WFR Flåm, Norway 2025 (Copy)


23 APRIL – 3 MAY, 2025 IN FLÅM, NORWAY

Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Course

HOSTED BY CROSSING LATITUDES & SUPPORTED BY FLÅM CAMPING & HOSTEL

For those who work in or aspire to work in the outdoors, the Wilderness First Responder is an internationally recognised certification designed to provide you with the tools to make critical medical interventions and decisions on evacuation in remote locations. Half of your time will be spent training practical skills, evaluating case studies and practicing your skills scenarios designed to challenge your abilities.

CPR is included. Everyone is welcome, no previous experience required.

DATES:

23 April – 3 May, 2025

08:00 to 17:30 each day

Day 3 and 8 will end late due to night sessions. Day 6 is off - we encourage participants to rest, study or go on an adventure together!

LOCATION:

Flåm Samfunnshus, Flåm, Norway. The community building is about 10-15 minutes’ walk from the Flåm Camping & Hostel.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/wrSgjaqhsSHpu5Cq7

  • This course is conducted in English.

  • 1300 USD (1251 EUR) per person (VAT excluded). The course fee includes the NOLS Wilderness Medicine Medical handbook, the NOLS Wilderness Medicine textbook, a bandana with the patient assessment, equipment used during the course, CPR certification, the internationally recognised NOLS Wilderness Medicine WFR certification and Epinephrine auto injector certification.

  • This course combines theoretical lectures with hands-on sessions to train practical skills. Each day is a mix of classroom, skills sessions, scenarios, and case studies. There is a written & practical exam at the end of the course.

    All participants will be learn by taking turns being “patients” and “rescuers” each day. We use fake blood to make the scenarios more realistic. The fake blood is washable, but you might have to wash twice.

  • Please register by selecting the “Register for this course button”. Full payment is needed to confirm your reservation for the course. You may select your preferred payment method (bank transfer or credit card) on our registration form. Kindly read our cancellation policies below before you sign up. Once we have received your course fee we will email you a receipt and a course confirmation.

    Do read the Student Agreement before signing up: http://www.nols.edu/en/filer/public/1481655159/906/

    *There is no need to sign and send it in. We have physical forms you can sign at the course start.

  • If a student cancels or withdraws from a course:

    • Greater than or equal to 30 days prior to the course starting date, Crossing Latitudes will retain an administrative fee of EUR 400

    • Within 30 days of the course start date, Crossing Latitudes will retain an administrative fee of EUR 800.

    • Once the course has begun, there will be no refund.

    If Crossing Latitudes or NOLS Wilderness Medicine must cancel the course, you will receive a full refund.

    We highly recommend that you protect yourself by buying travel insurance. Crossing Latitudes or NOLS Wilderness Medicine are not responsible for any expenses other than the course fee in case of cancellation or withdrawal.

  • Accommodation is not included in your course fee. Flåm Camping & Hostel (https://www.flaam-camping.no/ ) supports our courses and they offer both private and shared rooms, and great cabins. There is a comfortable common room and well-equipped kitchen available where you can socialise with other participants and cook your meals. Grocery stores and restaurants are within 10 minutes’ walk from the campground. The Flåm Camping & Hostel is only 10-15 minutes’ walk from our classroom.

    If booking with them, do mention that you are taking a NOLS WFR course, and you will receive a discount on rooms and cabins. No discount is given for pitching a tent at the campground. There is no discount if you book on booking.com or other similar websites.

  • Meals are not included in the WFR course fee. Flåm Camping & Hostel supports our courses and their accommodation options are associated with full kitchen/ cooking facilities.

    There is a grocery store, several cafes, restaurants, and meal trucks in town. Students often choose to bring a packed lunch with them (there is a microwave oven, a fridge, and utensils at the classroom location) and cook dinner together.

    Spending time in the commons room or cooking meals together while chatting and building community with WFR participants from all over the world adds to this unique course.

Flåm

Flåm is one of Norway’s gems, situated in the Flåm valley at the inner end of Aurlandsfjorden (a branch of Sognefjord). When visiting, one can enjoy a wide mix of outdoor activities such as hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, kayaking on the fjord, biking, and more. The village has been a tourist destination since the 19th century.

One of the preferred ways of reaching Flåm is by taking the Flåmsbana (a train line between Flåm and Myrdal) with one of the steepest railway tracks in the world. The train stops by a beautiful waterfall during the journey.

https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/fjord-norway/the-sognefjord-area/flam/

Flåm is easily accessed by car, train, bus or boat. We strongly recommend that you check the bus and train departure times before you book your flight to Oslo or Bergen.

  • Flåm is a 335 km drive to Oslo (via the RV 50/R7) and is 166 km from Bergen. Make sure you have a car that drives well on winter roads. You will have to drive over some high mountain passes to reach Flåm. The views are spectacular, but the roads can be challenging.

  • Take the Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen to Myrdal station and change there for the Flåm Railway. The Bergen Railway crosses the Hardangervidda (Hardanger Plateau), 1237 meters above sea level, and is one of the most spectacular main railway lines in Europe. This has repeatedly been named one of the world's finest journeys. https://www.vy.no/

  • There are several busses to Flåm. The “Sogn bus” has several daily departures and takes approx. 3 hours from Bergen to Flåm. You can find the correct bus route from your departure point to Flåm at NOR-WAY express bus

    http://www.nor-way.no/

    There are also buses from Oslo and these are often less expensive than the train.

  • The Norled Express Boat departs once daily from Bergen to Flåm. The departure is from Bergen Strandkai Terminal at around 08:00 and the return from Flåm around 15.30. The trip takes approximately five and a half hours.

    https://www.norled.no/en/

The Course

A WFR is an essential wilderness first aid education for anyone who spends significant time in remote places or who has a professional career in the outdoors. The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course will prepare you to make difficult medical decisions. This course is fast-paced and engaging. You'll spend half your time outside of the classroom practising hands-on skills and realistic scenarios as well as a full-scale night scenario.

NOLS Wilderness Medicine curriculum encompasses a wide range of topics including long-term patient care, wound management, straightening angulated fractures, reducing dislocations, litter packaging and administering medications. You'll complete this course with the tools and confidence to manage patients in the backcountry for multiple days.

The intensive 80+ hour curriculum is internationally recognised and supported by the Wilderness Medical Society. You'll be taught by dynamic educators who have practiced both wilderness and urban medicine. This course is ideal for all professionals operating in remote environments. CPR certification is included. The WFR course is pre-approved for 70 hours of EMT CEU’s by CECBEMS (see more info below).

For more information about NOLS Wilderness Medicine and our WFR courses, please visit: https://nols.edu/en/courses/courses/wilderness-first-responder-WFR/

  • The course is pre-approved for three (3) semester hour credits through the University of Utah at a cost. If interested, please email info@crossinglatitudes.com pre-course.

    NOLS Wilderness Medicine is proud to be a Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS) accredited organisation. Current EMTs are eligible to receive 70 CEU hours for their Wilderness First Responder courses. Please bring a photocopy of your current EMT card(s) with you to your course.

    • Dynamic instructors with lots of backcountry and first aid experience

    • Lots of time outside with realistic scenarios

    • Daily feedback from our instructors

    • Intense AND rewarding days

    • A written and a practical exam at the end of the course that we will do everything we can to help you develop the skills to perform well. You need to pass both the written and the practical tests to receive NOLS Wilderness Medicine international WFR certification.

    • A curriculum that is evidence-based, not just copied out of a textbook. We teach wilderness medicine practices and protocols that are supported by a physician-based medical advisory panel and disseminated by our curriculum director. This means you're getting the latest findings and protocols in the industry.

    • That you are on time each day

    • Come prepared each morning, ready to learn and participate. Revision and practice in the evenings will set you up for success.

    • We hope that you will speak up when you need help, do not understand, or have any concerns.

    • Be respectful of other participants and our staff – both in the classroom and during our scenarios outside. We do not accept any kind of harassment.

    • We ask that all participants’ cell phones and computers will be turned off during class time.

    • Smoking, alcohol and/or recreational drugs are not allowed during the course hours.

    • Pets are not allowed at the classroom or scenario sites during course hours. Any student bringing pets to class will be asked to leave class until the pet is safely situated in a kennel or other facility – unless it is a service dog. If you have a service dog, please email us before signing up.

  • NOLS Wilderness Medicine will bring medical equipment and outdoor gear for setting up realistic scenarios.

    Expect the best but be prepared for the worst! We will be outside each day even if it rains, snows or storms. Having quality clothing and equipment is important. Come to class each morning prepared to be both inside and outside. You need a medium sized backpack for your personal extra clothing and the First Aid gear that we will provide each day. Your backpack will be used every day in the scenarios.

    Packing for class (in your backpack):

    • Waterproof jacket and trousers

    • Extra wool or synthetic socks

    • Hat, gloves, mittens, neck warmer, buff or scarf

    • Headlamp with extra batteries

    • Sunglasses, Water bottle

    • Protective eyewear (sunglasses and /or clear glasses)

    • Indoor shoes or sandals

    • Note pad, pens, or pencils, Water bottle, Tea/coffee mug

    Suggested Equipment List:

    • Underwear

    • Synthetic or wool tops and bottoms

    • Warm sweaters or fleece jackets

    • Quick drying outdoors pants and tops

    • Casual clothing for the evenings

    • Windproof jacket and trousers

    • Warm socks

    • Regular socks

    • Winter shoes/boots

    • Indoor shoes

    • Hat, gloves, mittens, neck warmer/scarf

    • Balaclava, facemask, goggles

    • Exercise clothing (if you want to exercise)

    • Headlamp with extra batteries

    • Note pad and pens

    • Sunglasses, water bottle, mug, toiletries

    • Adaptor(s) for your electronics (if needed)

Course Schedule

*subject to change

DAY 1:

Hello & Welcome
Introductions
Communicable Disease & Infection Control
Medicine in the Wilderness Context
Scene Size-up & Initial Assessment
Physical Examination / Head to Toe
Vital signs: LOR, HR, RR, SCTM
Medical History: SAMPLE
Documentation

DAY 2:

Vital Signs: BP, Pupils, & Core Temperature
Spine & Spinal Cord Injuries
Spine Injury Assessment & Management: Lifting & Moving
Spinal Protection, Packaging, Transport, & Extended Care
Chest & Lung Injuries

DAY 3:

Medical Shock
Head Injuries
Athletic Injuries
Fracture Management
Pain Management
Evening Session: Dislocation & Splinting skills practice

DAY 4:

Focused Spine Assessment
Wilderness Wound Management
Blisters, Burns and Infections
Heat & Hydration
Hypothermia
Frostbite & Non-Freezing Cold Injuries

DAY 5:

Stress First Aid
Altitude Illness
Toxicology: Bites and Stings
Lightning
Submersion
Leadership, Teamwork & Communication
Large Scenario

DAY 6:

Day Off! Rest, recreate, & recover!

Day 7:

Debrief of the large scenario
Medical Patient: OPQRST
Cardiac Emergencies
CPR
Respiratory Emergencies
Altered Mental Status

DAY 8:

Acute Abdominal Pain
Allergies & Anaphylaxis
Diabetes
Principles of Search & Rescue / Evacuation
Evening Session: Night scenario

DAY 9:

Debrief of night scenario
First Aid Kits
Mental Health Concerns
Poisoning
Flu-like illnesses

DAY 10:

Common Wilderness Problems
Urinary & Reproductive issues
Medical Legal
Practical Examinations (beginning in the mid afternoon)

Day 11:

Written Examination
Review of written examination
Closing Ceremony (end of course at approximately 12:00- safe to buy tickets after 15:00)

 

download course information

 

We hope this information is helpful.

For specific questions about NOLS Wilderness Medicine or our curriculum please contact Crossing Latitudes info@crossinglatitudes.com

NOLS Wilderness Medicine web: https://nols.edu/en/courses/wilderness-medicine/

 

STUDENT AGREEMENT

Please read the Student Agreement before signing up. There is no need to sign and send it in. We have forms you can sign at the course start.

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