SOLO wilderness medicine is the oldest continuosly operating school of wilderness medicine in the world. SOLO took root in the early 1970s and grew out of the vision of its founders Frank Hubbell and Lee Frizzell (husband and wife). As Frank recalls, pre-hospital care was in its infancy, and an organized EMS system didn’t exist yet in New Hampshire. The concept of providing emergency care to the sick and injured revolved around what is today referred to as the “Golden Hour.” “As skiers, climbers, and EMTs in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, we would respond to the call for injured hikers and climbers,” Frank remembers. “It very quickly became apparent that the skills that we had learned as “street EMTs” did not work in the wilderness environment. We had to learn how to provide care outside the golden hour. But, that information was not available—we had to learn it through experience.” Frank’s frustration with the lack of an appropriate “wilderness” standard led to the creation of one of the first, if not the first, wilderness emergency medicine courses in the country. By 1975, a basic “Mountain/Woods First Aid” course was taken on the road by Frank, and taught to the few folks who could see its value. That course outline and objectives remain the foundation of our most popular course today, Wilderness First Aid.

SOLO has been the leader not only in medicine, but also in education and standards as well. From basic first aid—still the foundation of SOLO’s purpose—we now find instructors teaching around the country as well as internationally, reaching outdoor users, trip leaders, expeditioners, disaster relief workers, missionaries, and physicians. By the end of 2006, over 110,000 people had taken a SOLO class.

Contact

Mailing Address: PO Box 3150 Conway, NH 03818

Physical Address: 621 Tasker Hill Rd., Conway, NH 03818

Telephone: 603-447-6711

Fax: 603-447-2310

Contact by Email

General e-mail: Loretta Schulte, Registrar This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Recertification questions/concerns: Christine Wirling This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sponsor-specific email: Jill MacMillan This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it