World Extreme Medicine Podcast World Extreme Medicine

Join us for an exciting episode as we explore the exhilarating world of the PGHM and their remarkable rescues this season. Experience the thrill as we dive into the daring missions conducted by Pierre Muller, an Emergency Medicine Doctor and Alpinist renowned for his technical expertise. From Mont Blanc's treacherous slopes to remote corners of the globe, Pierre's life-saving operations have shaped his incredible career.

But there's more! We'll tackle a crucial topic: the risks and unregulated ascent trend on Mont Blanc. Should climbers be required to obtain permits and be guided by experts to ensure their safety? Discover the heated debate surrounding these issues and explore potential solutions for climbers attempting Europe's tallest mountain.

Meet Pierre Muller, an extraordinary Emergency Medicine Doctor, Explorer, and Alpinist, whose incredible feats across the globe will captivate your imagination. With over 500 daring rescue operations under his belt and expeditions spanning from the icy Himalayas to the rugged terrains of Patagonia, Pierre's expertise is unmatched. He has also climbed big walls in the Alps (North face of the Eiger and the Matterhorn in winter) but also in Madagascar, Sahara, Pakistan, and Yosemite. Pierre is a Salomon ambassador, being responsible for ensuring the safety of free ride competitions or movies in the Alps, in the Caucasus, and in the Arctic.



Experience mountain rescue in the Chamonix Valley for yourself with our brand-new Alpine Medicine Chamonix Training Course. Full details can be found here

Our guest is Dr. Barry Mckenna, part of the Forces of Nature team planning a 2,000km, unsupported kayaking expedition from Seattle to Skagway Alaska known as 'The Inside Passage', all in aid of the military charity The Not Forgotten.

We discuss the medical requirements of the team members, including two bilateral above knee amputation members, one with significant abdominal injuries, one with significant head gunshot injuries, and one with PTSD. Dr. Mckenna also shares his personal experience with Guillain-Barre Syndrome and how fitness and physical exercise helped with his rehabilitation. We discuss the importance of nutrition, hydration, and establishing open communication with the team to prevent injuries.

Listen in for valuable insights on medical planning, flora and fauna risks, and the benefits of incorporating active recovery into therapy

You can support their efforts here: https://www.kayak-insidepassage.com/

"Nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself, despite the difficulties you may face."

Rebekka started her career as a medical technician before qualifying as a paramedic in Switzerland. After completing her Master’s degree in Mountain Emergency Medicine, she started working as a freelance flight paramedic, which led her to working as the lead critical care and flight paramedic on Denali. After working as a freelance for Air Zermatt for 3 years, she now works for them full time and is their first female paramedic.

Our host Ffyon, discusses her journey into the profession, including her time spent on high patrol for Mount Denali, the highest peak in North America. We also speak to Rebekka about Air Zermatt, a helicopter-based rescue organisation in the Swiss Alps that performs various rescues, including the use of Dynamic Winching, a technique not commonly used in the UK.

Join us as we delve into the mental and physical challenges of high altitude medicine and what it takes to perform rescues in some of the world's toughest terrains.

Cat is an NHS dentist in Cornwall and a recent faculty member of World Extreme Medicine, teaching expedition dentistry. She has always had a passion for adventure and helping others and this has led her on a journey across the globe. From the jungles of Borneo to the deserts of the Gobi, the African grasslands and the mountain regions of Nepal and Patagonia, Cat has travelled extensively to provide dental care and training to remote communities. She has now set her sights on the most remote continent on earth and a more ambitious challenge...



This will involve her skiing 700 miles in an unsupported expedition to the South Pole, in temperatures as low as -50c and wind speeds of up to 60 mph. Only a handful of female adventurers have completed this solo, unsupported trek to the South Pole. She is hoping to add her name to that number and also in the process raise funds for charities ‘Bridge to Aid’ and ‘Community Action Nepal’


You can support Cat here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/molarexplorer

In this episode we explore unconventional career paths into extreme medicine. Many people in extreme medicine have led extraordinary careers – and sometimes they have even led more than one extraordinary career. Most of us in extreme medicine start out in medicine as our primary career …..and then work to combine our passion for medicine with our passion for the extreme!  Jamie flipped that idea on its head, starting out as a mountaineering instructor and later qualifying as a doctor following his experiences in the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team.

Jamie is a mountaineering instructor, mountain rescue medical lead and doctor in North Wales. Jamie started out his career as a marine biologist, before qualifying as a mountaineering instructor, and going on to join Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue and discovering a passion for pre-hospital and emergency medicine. Following this he retrained as a doctor and continues to pursue an unconventional career path in North Wales as an anaesthetist with a passion for teaching and the outdoors!

Dr Will Duffin speaks to former Navy Diver and prolific underwater explorer and researcher Dr Joe Dituri. This episode is recorded from underwater as during Joe's 100 day under sea mission in the Jules Undersea Lodge in Florida. You can learn more about Joe's groundbreaking work here: https://drdeepsea.com/100-day-undersea-mission



The following topics (amongst many others) are discussed:What it's like living in a confined tin can, why access to coffee is just as important as oxygen, and why it's actually a powderkeg that could up in flames at any moment. Joe even gives us a visual walk around of the habitat - (It's well worth loading up the youtube version of this podcast if you can). Joe tells us Why the cure for diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer and traumatic brain injury lie at the bottom of the ocean. They talk about the physiology of saturation diving, it's future application in science and research and as an analogue for long duration space flight. Joe answers the question of whether there could ever be a permanent undersea human habitat in the Marianas Trench? They also dive (excuse the pun) into Joe's professional background and how he reinvented himself in the world of science after a long career in the military. 



Joe is not only an accomplished scientist and diver but also a fiction writer. You can find a copy of his latest novel 'Secrets in Depth' here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4511722.Joseph_DituriJoe will reveal the outputs of his groundbreaking science at this years World Extreme Medicine Conference 11-13 November in Edinburgh. We look forwards to seeing you there!



📺 Checkout the video version: https://youtu.be/RY9EOS76dIk