Guiding in a place like Torres del Paine national park involves spending long hours in remote locations, far from stores, doctors and hospitals. Here, it’s just people and nature and though such a context is precisely what makes the experience unforgettable, it always involves a risk.
We at EcoCamp are proud to work with a team of passionate and trained guides who love spending time on the trails with travelers from around the world. After more than 20 years operating in Torres del Paine, we can proudly say that guides are successful at sharing safe experiences.
In 2023, we went one step further while working with NOLS Wilderness Medicine, a global wilderness school that provides the most comprehensive trainings for guides in remote locations. Our team of guides was trained in August 2023, at the heart of Winter, both inside and outside the domes.
What is the Wilderness First Responder?
The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is a prerequisite for guides in Torres del Paine national parks (and in most national parks in South America). Individuals are trained to respond to emergency situations in remote locations. The course usually lasts around 10 days, split between both theoretical courses (indoors) and practical situations (outdoors exercises).
At EcoCamp, guides were trained for 10 days (80 hours of training) in all kinds of weather conditions. Topics covered (but were not limited to) basic life support, responding to the results of physical trauma, management and signs of schock, management of soft tissue injury (like burn and wound), prevention and treatment of blood-borne pathogens, treatment of infectious diseases, management of bone and joint injuries, management of suspected head and spinal injury and transport/evacuation planning and implementation.
Why NOLS?
NOLS (the National Outdoor Leadership School) is a leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership. It was born in the 1960’s in the United States. Nowadays, NOLS trains individuals across the world, from Patagonia to Nepal and Tanzania. The organization cares about sustainability and works with incredibly skilled people, like instructors Milenka and Pablo we’ve had the pleasure to welcome at EcoCamp.
We are proud to say our guides are ready for the season (starting on September 9th). But not only guides : EcoCamp on-site manager Esteban Bagnis was also part of the training, to ensure a safe experience for all travelers the upcoming months! Who’s visiting soon?
Pictures by Milenka Heran & Timothy Dhalleine