Terrible screams ring over the silent forest clearing, blood everywhere, on the ground, smeared on trees. Some people stand around pale and helpless, some try to help. Perplexity. The girl is hysterically beating. More and more blood is spurting from the deep wound on the arm. The machete still holds her in his hand, waving it around. Joining forces, three brave boys manage to calm her down a bit.
We are in a "scenario" of Outdoor School South, The place: a clearing in the southern Black Forest. There is the course "Rope & rock compact"Instead, a first aid course of a different kind. Over four days we learn the basics of first aid outdoor and on the rock. Obviously, the instructors of the OSCE do not think much of dry theory and shallow accidents. As realistically as possible - and they manage to do so - they introduce participants to such blatant situations that need to be managed. Of course, unprepared. Following the more or less good assistance, the physiological foundations and concrete first aid measures are then learned following the scenarios. Didactically good and with profound knowledge, knowledge is certain and the learning effect is high. Theory knowledge underpins the learned practical steps to a manageable whole, with which one can approach emergency situations with a certain degree of certainty. You know a lot, you've learned the moves, you've practiced them, even in difficult situations. The inhibition to help at all is lowered so much.
Two white yurts are set up in the forest clearing, one of which is a material store and seminar room, the other a kitchen tent. Many tents of about thirty participants, trainers and team members are scattered in the clearing. In the middle a campfire, which is cooking fire and starting point at the same time. This quickly creates a kind of spacious living room in which you learn, rest, eat, romp and play. At any time, almost everything the culinary heart desires is present. Fresh fruit, snacks in between, always hot coffee ... Fresh drinking water from a nearby spring, the kitchen tent well filled, even a toilet with watering can irrigation is available. The organization of the entire camp life impressed. It runs like clockwork, despite - or just because - the joy everywhere. Everyone quickly understands where a helping hand is needed.
The days are long, especially for the numerically small Seil & Fels group. At the same time there is still a basic seminar on outdoor first aid. We Fels people quickly feel that we, who are going to mountain rescue for another two of the four course days, are learning the first aid part rather condensed. Accordingly, there is already a round knot customer after dinner. Surprisingly, the scope of the learning material remains approximately the same. Not surprisingly, we fall into our tents comparatively quickly.
In the next article, I present an overview of the contents of the first aid section, in the last part then the contents of the mountain rescue part of the seminar.
But I can already anticipate: the course was a complete success! More than once, we were happy to have been lucky in our tours so far. Actually, you should have the knowledge of first aid outdoor and the basics of mountain rescue before you are seriously out there, or even in more remote areas climbing and mountaineering goes. We have now made up for ourselves and recommend it to anyone who is out there - not only for himself and his rope partners, but also to help other rope teams or hikers in an emergency!
Continue to second part: first aid outdoor.
