Professional Trainings and Certifications  

Challenge Course training

Learn more about the Challenge Course, and training opportunities for course facilitators.

Wilderness medicine

We offer a variety of wilderness medicine courses designed for both outdoor enthusiasts and professionals. We are proud to collaborate with SOLO Wilderness Medicine, the oldest continuously-operating wilderness medicine school in the world, for many of our wilderness medicine classes.

Course offerings

Advanced Wilderness Life Support

  • 17.5-21.5 Continuing Medical Education credits (CME) (offered upon request)

Advanced Wilderness Life Support (AWLS) is a practical, hands-on certification course that teaches licensed medical professionals how to manage medical emergencies when traditional medical facilities are not readily accessible.

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This course is generally offered over a weekend: Friday afternoon, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning and early afternoon. Optional mountain biking and hiking workshops during the weekend may be eligible for up to four more hours of CMEs.

The Wilderness Medical Society approves this educational activity for a maximum of 17.5 hours AMA PRA Category 1 credits. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Wilderness First Responder (WFR)

  • 80 hours (four courses per year)
  • available as PRM 216 for 3 credits
  • receive a 3-year certification through SOLO and a 2-year American Heart Association (AHA)  CPR certification

Gain the knowledge and skills you need to treat medical emergencies in the backcountry.

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The WFR certificate is a standard of medical training for guides, trip leaders, and outdoor educators, as well as a great asset for park rangers and wilderness enthusiasts. 

This 80-hour course will mix classroom lectures with hands-on, outdoor scenarios that will culminate in a large mock scenario in the field at night.  The curriculum is offered in partnership with SOLO and Outdoor Adventures.

This course is offered as:

  • a nine-day, intensive class in January and May
  • a nine-day ,field-based course, that includes three days on the San Juan River in mid-March
  • a seven-week class that meets evenings and weekends starting in September

Wilderness First Aid

  • 20 hours (one per semester)
  • available as PRM 204 for 1 credit
  • receive a 3-year certification through SOLO and a 2-year AHA CPR certification

Are you an outdoor enthusiast who wants more than what an urban first aid course provides?

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This 20-hour course is an introduction to wilderness medicine and basic life support skills such as:

  • recognizing and treating life-threatening medical emergencies
  • common wilderness injuries
  • bandaging and splinting

AHA CPR training is included in the curriculum. All materials are provided.

Wilderness First Responder Refresher

  • one per semester

Learn new techniques and practices introduced since your last WFR class and review critical aspects of backcountry care and emergency response. WFR Refresher is offered in conjunction with Wilderness First Aid, and includes an additional four-hour evening session to highlight key WFR material. Students who successfully pass the written exam receive a SOLO WFR certification card active for three years.

American Heart Association CPR and Basic Life Support for the Healthcare Provider

Learn:

  • adult, child, and infant CPR
  • how to clear foreign body airway obstruction
  • how to use an Automated External Defibrillator

American Mountain Guides Association Climbing Wall Instructor

  • available as PRM 212 for 1 credit
  • typically offered fall semester or as needed

Earn an AMGA and Climbing Wall Instructor Certification, and develop the skills necessary to manage an instructional program at a climbing facility. 

American Mountain Guides Association Single Pitch Instructor

  • available as PRM 212 for 1 credit
  • typically offered spring semester or as needed

Gain the technical rope and safety skills necessary for rock climbing with minimal environmental impact in the single pitch setting. Instruction in rope skills, knots, and equipment will train you in the industry standards for setting ascending and descending systems in canyon and other vertical rock environments. AMGA Single Pitch Instructor is a pre-requisite for professional climbing instructors.

Swift Water Rescue

  • returning to Outdoor Adventures soon
  • available as PRM 399 for 1 credit

Whether you are a professional river guide or a recreational river runner, learn and review whitewater safety and rescue skills.

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This three-day course features a full day of classroom instruction, followed by two days of hands-on scenarios and skill stations.  Topics include:

  • river dynamics and hydrology
  • knots and basic ropework
  • self-rescue
  • victim rescue
  • entrapments and strainers
  • pins and broaches
  • mechanical advantage systems
  • other practical river rescue techniques

Open Water Rescue and Arizona Boater Education

  • offered spring semester only
  • available as PRM 273 for 1 credit
  • includes certification from the Arizona Game and Fish Department

This course will focus on rescue techniques needed for sea kayaking or canoeing on open water. 

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Topics include:

  • advanced paddling techniques
  • open water rescue techniques
  • medical stabilization and evacuation
  • equipment improvisation
  • open water navigation
  • environmental emergencies

Search and Rescue Technician III

  • available as PRM 399 for 1 credit
  • offered each semester 

This class prepares you for a national Search and Rescue Technician III (SARTECH III) certification, according to the knowledge objectives defined in the standards of the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR).

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Topics include:

  • general responsibilities
  • skills
  • abilities
  • equipment necessary for search or rescue missions

Avalanche I

  • offered spring semester only
  • available as PRM225 for 1 credit
  • offered in conjunction with Prescott College.

Dig snow pits, identify weak and strong layers, and practice route-finding on your way to an Avalanche I certification. Learn about weather, snowpack, and terrain factors that contribute to avalanche hazard. Course includes classroom session and two full days in the field, typically on the San Francisco Peaks.