Mountain Rescue in the Alps with James Thacker

James Thacker is a IFMGA Mountain Guide, member of the British Association of Mountain Guides (BMG) and Mountaineering Instructor (WMCI) splitting time between Chamonix, France, and Kingussie, Scotland. James' enthusiasm for working in the mountains has taken him to Arctic Greenland, the Himalayas, the "classic north faces" of the European Alps and rock climbing around the world.

For sixteen years James was actively involved with Mountain Rescue in the Peak District as a member of Derby MRT and Edale MRT. With this casualty care experience James has also developed an interest in the management of patients in the mountains, and is enrolled on the ORMS Hazardous Environment Medical Technician (HEMT) scheme. In recent years James has also contributed to the wider agenda of mountain safety via the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), and is a Trustee of the Chris Walker Memorial Trust (CWMT). CWMT strives to fund and deliver, in conjunction with the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS), continuing professional development training in avalanche awareness in Scotland. James is also an Observer/Forecaster for the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) and member of the Applied Psychology and Human Factors (APHF) group, collaborating with Aberdeen University and various sectors of industry.

In this session James speaks to us about fundamentals of Mountain Rescue in the Alps, including:

Origins of:

• James MR experience
• Derby MRT and Edale MRT
• The HEMT scheme and what it gave James
• Involvement with the BMC

Alps:

• The differences in landscape and challenges between the alps and Cairngorms
• Technicality of rescue in the Alps
• Changing conditions/factors to consider
• Avalanche risk
• Cold injury
• Altitude
• Seminal cases