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Snow-covered granite mountain above a forested valley

Wilderness medicine,
expertly taught.

Evidence-based training from medical professionals and professional educators. Grounded in real-world experience and built around the needs of the outdoor industry.

The student perspective

In their own words.

All selected reviewsWFAWFR / recertificationNICA coaches

Showing 4 of 21 reviews

WFR & recertification★★★★★

“My favorite Wilderness Medicine provider. Re Certed my WFR the last two times with Ryan.”

Bobby Hutton, HowNot2 ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

Climber & YouTube creator · HOW NOT 2 contributor ↗

WFA★★★★★

“Best outdoor health/safety WFA course I've ever taken. The teachers were enthusiastic and super thorough.”

Stella Beauchamp ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

NICA coach · First Aid / CPR★★★★★

“Ryan spent extra time covering skills that were more commonly needed with mountain bike injuries”

Diana Watkins ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFR & recertification★★★★★

“Just did my 4th WFR recert with them. Even after almost 10 years of this course I still learned new things!”

Katie Young ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFA★★★★★

“The Wilderness First Aid class was excellent. Ryan is a subject matter expert and an incredible instructor/educator.”

Suzanne Samson ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFA / WFR recertification★★★★★

“Recerted my WFR with the WFA course and would say I feel supper refreshed and more confident in my skills again. Stoked.”

Athan Tippett ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFA★★★★★

“The course is fast-paced, packed with valuable information, and filled with realistic, hands-on training simulations and scenarios.”

Steve Moore ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFR & recertification★★★★★

“Their WFR course was comprehensive and focused on hands-on training”

B 1 ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFA / WFR recertification★★★★★

“I liked that the course was so hands on.”

Ruby Beauchamp (Ruby) ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFR & recertification★★★★★

“The instructors were very knowledgeable and engaging. The curriculum and pacing was perfect for the two day course.”

Nicholas Delaney ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFR & recertification★★★★★

“Great instructors and material. Highly recommend the WFR!”

Deborah Soung ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFR & recertification★★★★★

“Cap City has been wonderful, through and through. I've recertified my own WFR through Ryan's business several times now”

Nate Farrington ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFA★★★★★

“Cap City CPR is highly knowledgeable and their Wilderness First Aid/CPR and Stop the Bleed trainings are excellent!”

Cash Rion ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFA★★★★★

“Excellent course for Wilderness First Aid.”

Todd Greene ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFA★★★★★

“I felt engaged during the entire course and would recommend it to all my friends and colleagues.”

Desmond Cheung ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFA★★★★★

“Ryan's wilderness first aid is top notch.”

Nick Materise ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFA★★★★★

“He’s a wonderful instructor with a great balance of knowledge and wit.”

john howerton ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

Wilderness training★★★★★

“Ryan was absolutely fantastic!”

Andrew Hall ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

WFR & recertification★★★★★

“Ryan is a great instructor! The WFR class is great.”

Nyasa Mitchell ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

Mountain bike retreat★★★★★

“I took one of Ryan's classes while at a mountain bike retreat. He was attentive, comprehensive, and kind.”

Cyrus Farivar ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

Swiftwater rescue training★★★★★

“I had such a great experience! The instructor did an awesome job explaining the material”

Michael Muniz ↗Excerpt from a public Google review

Show more reviewsLeave a review ↗Shared with MTN. Published only with your permission.

The MTN approach

Medical expertise.
Exceptional teaching.

Medical professionals

Evidence-based wilderness medicine instruction grounded in medical practice and real-world experience.

Professional educators

Clear explanations, coached practice and useful feedback. Understand the reasoning behind the skills you learn.

Outdoor-industry experience

Training that connects medical knowledge with the responsibilities of guides, outdoor educators and field teams.

Organizations we’ve trained

  • USFS Wilderness Ranger Academy
  • California State Parks
  • Chico State
  • Sacramento State
Our instructor standards ↗

Choose your training

Find the course for you.

Start with the skills you need, then find a date on the course calendar ↗.

MTN course participants work together to wrap a simulated patient outdoors
Patient-care practice

16 hours

Wilderness First Aid

Patient assessment, first aid, and evacuation decisions for people who spend time outdoors.

Also qualifies for WFR recertification (WFR-R) with an eligible prior WFR credential.

Explore the course ↗
MTN participants work through an outdoor patient-care scenario
Outdoor medical scenarios

72 hours

Wilderness First Responder

Extended patient care and evacuation planning for guides, rangers, SAR teams, and expedition leaders.

Explore the course ↗
MTN instructor Ryan Armstrong teaches helmeted mountain bikers among tall forest trees
Trail-side training with MTN

8-hour offering · CPR/AED

NICA First Aid

NICA-approved First Aid, hands-on CPR/AED, and realistic trail scenarios for coaches and teams.

Explore the course ↗
Erik Griffith, left, and Ryan Armstrong, right, in climbing equipment above Yosemite Valley
Erik Griffith and Ryan Armstrong

3 days · 24 hours

Vertical Medicine

Wilderness medicine and improvised partner rescue, taught together for climbers with baseline climbing skills.

Explore the course ↗

Patient assessment | First aid | Evacuation planning | Rescue | Instructor training

Rocky mountain valley framed by steep granite cliffs

For guides, rangers,
and outdoor teams.

We teach wilderness medicine and first aid for teams working or leading groups where medical help may be delayed.

 

  • Search & Rescue Teams

  • State Parks & Rangers

  • Outdoor Education Programs

  • Expedition Staff

  • Industrial Field Teams

  • Emergency Response Personnel

Organizations we’ve trained

Professional instructors

Medical and outdoor experience. Clear explanations and room for your questions.

Current curriculum

WMS clinical guidance and WMEC standards guide our medical courses.

Practice and assessment

Practice skills and realistic scenarios, discuss your decisions, and receive instructor feedback.

Sunlit rock cliffs above a grassy valley

Reviews

"As a Ventana Wilderness Alliance ranger I took the two-day Wilderness First Aid course with Ryan. The course was engaging, practical, and directly applicable to the situations we encounter in the field. The scenarios and hands-on approach made it one of the most useful trainings I've attended."

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I've been a paramedic for 40 years, and I just have to say that was one of the best classes I've seen."

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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"The course is fast-paced, packed with valuable information, and filled with realistic, hands-on training simulations and scenarios. After completing this course, I feel much better prepared to deal with potentially severe trauma or illness in settings where communication to the outside world is sketchy at best and where evacuating a patient to a medical facility typically takes at least a few hours and sometimes even days."

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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