Mountain Medicine Festival 2026

The International Society of Mountain Medicine (ISMM) has invited the British Mountain Medicine Society (BMMS) to host their biannual International Congress in Hathersage. This unique event will bring together leading experts and enthusiasts in mountain medicine to exchange ideas in the inspiring setting of the Peak District National Park.

Bookings for the ISMM Congress will be available through the Congress website. Registration for the BMC / BMMS weekend will remain via the BMC website. Programme details and updates will be published throughout Autumn 2025.

The festival welcomes anyone with an interest in mountain activities – from sea cliff climbers to Himalayan mountaineers, mountain rescue personnel, doctors, nurses, paramedics, physiologists, and medical students. If you share a passion for the mountains and their challenges, this event is for you.

Programme Highlights

16–17 May (Sat - Sun): BMC/BMMS mountain medicine workshops, led by volunteer doctors, healthcare professionals, and mountain guides.

18–20 May (Mon - Wed): ISMM Congress – plenary sessions, practical workshops, and research poster presentations. A special focus on hypothermia and cold injuries will take place on 20 May.

21–22 May (Thu - Fri): Closed meetings of UIAA, ICAR medical commissions, and Diploma of Mountain Medicine educators, with many also contributing to the main programme.

A full calendar of social events will run alongside the academic programme, giving participants the chance to connect, relax, and enjoy Hathersage and the surrounding Peak District.

Optional Sessions for Saturday 16 May

Primary survey - Beginners / Refresher | Initial survey of the unwell casualty – using a standardised structure

First Aid Kits | Advise on contents and packing of first aid kit for various trips.

Soft Tissue Wounds | Management of superficial wounds, additional considerations in a remote environment.

Nutritional considerations for the outdoors | Understanding what fuel’s the body, for mountain activities and how to supply what it needs for a good day out

Basic life support in the mountains | Review of BLS, consideration of the challenges the mountain environment brings to this (people available, time awaiting help, distance from hospital)

Splinting of the injured casualty | Splintage methods (and reasoning) for injured limbs in the mountains

Water Purification | Understanding the importance of drinkable water, and a look at the variety of method of achieving this.

The restorative power of the outdoors | Discussion around the healing nature of the outdoors for both our physical and mental health.

Exertional heat illness | Discussion around heat illness importance of prevention, how it should be managed and what equipment is useful to do so

Pre-trip advice and common medical problems | Medical and practical advice for those participating or advising people going on trips into the mountains.

Managing a patient with polytrauma | Managing a patient with multiple injuries: primary survey in more complex scenarios.

Foot care: taping strapping and general care  | Common foot issues in the outdoor and management of these.

Expedition Dentistry | ‘Where there is no dentist - an introduction workshop to remote dentistry

Optional Sessions for Sunday 17 May

A Simulated Mountain Rescue Incident | A discussion about what UK mountain rescue teams do, how to call them, how to join, followed by a demonstration of equipment through a scenario with a casualty

Travel at high altitude and acclimatisation | Introductory session to travel at high altitude and the physiological effects on the body. How the body acclimatizes to this environment. Best practice of travel to stay healthy.

Altitude Illness and its management | Definitions of altitude illness: AMS, HACE, HAPE. Recognition of these and their management. Including demonstration of a hyperbaric chamber for treatment

Frostbite  | Recognition and management of none freezing Cold Injury.

Hypothermia | A discussion about the Swiss Stages of hypothermia, how to identify and manage patients at each stage

Hand Injuries in climbers |  Treatment and prevention of climbers’ hand injuries

Children in the outdoors | Discussion about issues specific for children in the mountains and different approach to managing their care.

Dogs in the mountains | How to provide medical care for dogs in the outdoors, from basic first aid to life support.

Eye care | Eye care and common problems occurring in different outdoor environments. How these can be managed.

Managing existing medical problems in the outdoor environment  | Discussion of the common pre-existing medical complaints people of all ages have (asthma, diabetes, heart issues). How to best prevent deterioration in the outdoors and first line management if needed.

Management of catastrophic haemorrhage | Causes of life-threatening blood loss from wounds and how this can be managed

Mountain incidents: Teamwork and Human Factors  | Awareness of the role of human factors in incidents and group management. Planning a positive influence and avoid negative impacts.

Practical Information

This will be an informal congress – expect soft shells, hoodies, and trainers rather than suits and ties. Accommodation will range from hotels and pubs to the YHA, climbing huts, and campsites. Venues across Hathersage and the Hope Valley, including the Memorial Hall and local churches, will be connected by minibuses, or you can bring your bike.