Everest is maxed?

April and May has been the busiest on record for Mount Everest. With over 1200 people at Everest Base Camp, you have to wonder if its reaching its max.

While in Canmore Alberta two weeks ago, I stopped in to visit my buddy four time Everest Summiter Wally Berg who owns Berg Adventures International. With an upcoming Everest summit expedition on the books for April of 2010, I asked if we was concerned about the volumes of people.

His response was yes, as when you get that many people on the mountain, there are the inevitable bottle necks at places like Hillary's step. And at 27,000 feet its not somewhere you want to be hanging out.

This is all pretty facinating for an armchair mountaineer like me. This climbing season- happening between April and May- I have been addicited to sites like http://blog.firstascent.com/ which is pretty killer, providing daily HD video blogs along their ascent.

Anouther great one is http://www.alanarnette.com/alan/everest2009.php who provides a daily progress report on the teams as they make their strike for the summit

Drs. Freer and Johnson back to Base Camp

If you have not had the chance yet get over to Drs. Luanne Freer and Eric Johnson's blog at http://www.everester.org/

Both Doctors are up a Everest Base Camp this month managing the operations for the world's highest medical clinic. At over 17,500 feet above sea level, Freer and Johnson will be at Everest Base Camp through April helping to manage any medical issues that may arise.

Track & Trail is honoured to have both Freer and Johnson heading up the faculty for our most adventurous academic retreat so far- en route to Everest Base Camp Oct 1-21, 2009.

For details check out out website at http://www.tandtadventures.com/adventure.php?adv=4

Track & Trail Launches Two New CMEs

Wilderness Medicine Update for the Backcountry CME
April 9-14, 2009: Terrace BC Canada - home to Northern Escape Heli-Skiing

“En Route to the top of the World”: Wilderness Medicine CME at Everest Base Camp
Oct 1-21, 2009, on route to Everest Base Camp, Nepal

After the resounding success of Track & Trail Adventures’ SOLD OUT March 2009 Therapeutic Update in Emergency Medicine, the world’s first fully accredited CME event in heli-ski country, we are proud to announce a follow-up conference: Wilderness Medicine Update for the Backcountry.

WILDERNESS MEDICINE UPDATE FOR THE BACKCOUNTRY

Reservations have commenced for the first annual Wilderness Medicine Update for the Backcountry CME, taking place April 9 - 14, ‘09 in Terrace, BC. Faculty includes Stanford’s Dr. Grant Lipman MD; Shuswap General’s Dr. Scott McKee MD, MPH, FACP; Skagit Valley’s Dr. Carl Heine MD, PhD and John Forrest - certified ACMG ski guide, level two professional member and certified instructor of the Canadian Avalanche Association.

This conference provides 14 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits through the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and up to 22 FAWM Credits through the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS). This CME conference is exclusive, not only from its world-class faculty, but from the uniqueness of its venue - the Yellow Cedar Lodge, home to Northern Escape Heli-Skiing - one of North America's top ski/boarding destinations. The site amenites include a relaxed meeting space, gourmet meals and executive accommodations. Only fifteen spots remain for guests to enjoy five days of educational time paired with powder-filled adventures in the Skeena Mountain Range, a two-hour Air Canada flight north of Vancouver.

Full conference details and snow-filled opportunities can be found at http://www.tandtadventures.com/. Space is limited and registration closes soon. Please direct curriculum inquiries to Dr. Grant Lipman, head faculty of this WM Update for the Backcountry CME, grantlip@hotmail.com. This conference is sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians, Cal/ACEP and Track & Trail Adventures Inc.

EN ROUTE TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD

For those looking for the “ultimate adventure”, Track and Trail is proud to bring you its most extraordinary CME event so far: “En Route to the top of the World”: Wilderness Medicine CME at Everest Base Camp.
Happening from Oct 1-21, '09, this CME event is set in Nepal’s unique Khumbu Valley and offers unprecedented hands-on teaching by exceptional faculty, including: Dr. Luanne Freer MD, FACEP, FAWM- founder Everest Base Camp Medical Clinic, Emergency Physician and Medical Director for Medcor Inc; Dr. Eric Johnson MD, FAAFP, FAWM- Director Emergency Services for Teton Valley Hospital- ID, volunteer Himalayan Rescue Association and Wally Berg, a four -time Everest summiter, National Geographic contributing photographer and founder of Berg Adventures International.

This accredited curriculum’s highlights include pathophysiology, treatment and prioritization of care for a variety of medical problems commonly encountered in wilderness environments and settings that are remote from hospital/definitive care. Physicians and allied health care providers who counsel patients travelling to remote areas will be interested in the topics covered during this unique CME event. Curriculum includes altitude safety, altitude risk reduction, recent recommendations on altitude - related illnesses prophylaxis, rescue strategies and ethics, as well as real Everest war stories - uncovering what it really takes to save a life in the high mountain environment. This will be achieved through didactic lectures, small-group discussions, hands-on training and scenario-based simulation.

Berg Adventures International is operating an Everest expedition Sept. 15 to Oct. 31, ‘09 - physicians who are part of this CME will spend two nights at base camp to experience a working summit expedition - an exclusive opportunity. Discussions at base camp will include the expedition physician.

Full conference details and an itinerary can be found at http://www.tandtadventures.com/. Space is limited and registration closes soon. Please direct curriculum inquiries to Dr Luanne Freer, head faculty of this Everest CME, luannefreer@gmail.com.

Track & Trail enjoys unprecedented partnerships with some of the world’s top adventure tour operators, putting its guests in the front seat to enlightening locations. Considering Track & Trail’s affiliation with the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS), complemented with an active membership in the Adventure Travel Trade Association and its programming sponsored by the WMS, The Canadian College of Family Physicians and the American College of Emergency Physicians, T & T is one of North America’s top accredited medical conference producers.

Conference inquires and registrations are made through Track & Trail Adventures Inc, c/o Jim, 1.888.308.3007 toll free or jim@tandtadventures.com.