After a few basics (what exactly was that again with the recovery position?) on an idyllic gravel bank by the Isar, it's quickly time for case studies. Carsten takes a few steps into the forest with a volunteer "victim" to discuss a scenario that we then have to solve as a group.
After five minutes, Carsten comes back alone. Desperate, he calls for help: An accident! His comrade has crashed! We go to check and find PG splitboard editor Patrick on a steep slope, unconscious and wrapped around a tree.
The initial slight disconcertment at the staged catastrophe (Patrick is of course not really unconscious, Carsten not really desperate) quickly gives way to genuine adrenaline. How do we get Patrick out of here? It's steep, the forest floor is slippery, sharp branches everywhere. Damn! If the unconscious Patrick stops breathing, we have no chance of reviving him here! The main thing is to somehow get him onto the path where he can lie down!
The three of us drag Patrick through the bushes - one by the shoulders, two by one leg each - and heave him onto the hiking trail. A quick look at Carsten - is that enough? Carsten doesn't react. OK, let's continue: Patrick is placed in the recovery position and wrapped in a rescue blanket. We've already made the fictitious emergency call. What now? Keep checking his breathing. But above all, wait for help to arrive. Carsten is still not responding. It's getting tedious. Checking his breathing again, talking to Patrick reassuringly, even though he's unconscious. Finally Carsten nods: "OK, you can stop. Maneuver briefing!"
Phew. Although it was only an exercise, we realized a few things: The general uncertainty. The strange group dynamic until someone decides where to go. The stupid feeling when you join in even though you actually have reservations. The helplessness when you can do nothing but wait. Carsten asks how the "victim" and the rescuers fared during the scenario. He points out suboptimal communication and, above all, that unconscious people who have obviously crashed should be transported carefully. Oh, crap. That's actually obvious!
A little slower, but more thoughtful: Patrick patiently sacrifices himself again, lies down on the same tree and we try a second time, this time with a bivouac sack for transportation. It takes a little longer until we agree on how to get him onto it and then carry on. But we get Patrick on his way without him dragging on the ground and sustaining further injuries as a result of the ungentle "rescue".
Exercise brings routine
After a few more emergency scenarios, group communication works more smoothly and we react better overall and with more routine. Carsten emphasizes: "Especially in critical situations, you have to be aware that sometimes there's nothing you can do except wait for the rescuers and talk the victim through it. The latter may feel strange for the rescuers, especially if the victim is unable to converse normally. For the victim, however, human attention is still very important - preferably from one person who only cares, and not from 5 people all talking to the victim at the same time.
At the end of the day, we are exhausted but confident that we are better prepared for emergencies on the mountain than before. On the one hand, because of the repeated basics that you learn on a first aid course. But above all, because we actively dealt with different emergency scenarios and realized that it's not all that complicated if you stick to certain rules.
We can highly recommend outdoor first aid courses with your own crew! With the courses offered by Dani Hornsteiner (and Carsten), you can also make specific requests and go through exactly the things that are particularly important for your own activities on the mountain.
