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Over the course of the last year we've promoted the work of the Slava Topol Project and the plan to develop a Preventative Search And Rescue (PSAR) service on Lenin Peak. For more information, take a look at the posts by Stephen Taylor, Yasmin Down and Hermann Sowade. After a successful visit this summer we're now ready to go. In this week's post we're publishing details of Lenin Peak PSAR and an invitation to take part. If you're a health care professional and want to join us in 2025 please get in touch...

 For the 2025 season, the Slava Topol Project will provide PSAR medical services on Lenin Peak for a period of 8 weeks from Monday 30th June until Sunday 24th August 2025. Two teams of healthcare professionals (HCP’s) will be present in Kyrgyzstan for approximately 5 weeks each (25th June to 30th July and 23rd July to 27th August). Each team will consist of 4 HCP’s. HCP's will include doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health care professionals with mountain medicine experience. A handover period will take place between 25th and 27th July. 

To enable the necessary set-up and wrap-up at the end of the season, 2 HCP's in the first team will start a few days earlier and 2 HCP's will finish a few days later.

Volunteers are expected to fund their own travel to Kyrgyzstan. However in country transport, accommodation and food costs will be met by the Slava Topol Project. 

Travel insurance and professional indemnity costs will need to be met by the volunteer. Prior to arrival, the Slava Topol Project will organise a temporary license to practise in Kyrgyzstan.

The site of the medical post at ABC

Deployment

Two HCP's will each be located at Achik-Tash Base Camp (BC) (3,600m) and Advanced Base Camp (ABC) (4,300m). HCP's will rotate regularly between BC and ABC. During emergencies it may be necessary to move between camps at short notice. ABC is a 4 to 6 hour walk from ABC. At present, the location of the BC medical post is being negotiated. The BC medical post will be housed within a permanent structure and have access to clean water, electricity and the internet. Accommodation and meals will be provided nearby. The ABC medical post will be housed in a permanent structure and an adjacent yurt located on the site of the former ITMC Camp and situated close to the Asia Outdoor Camp. The hut and yurt will have access to electricity. Clean water, toilet facilities and internet will be available nearby. Accommodation and meals will be provided in Slava Topol Camp.

Supplies are transported to ABC by horse. Casualties at ABC will either descend on foot, horseback or via a single wheeled stretcher. From BC, an ambulance is available for transfer to an appropriate medical facility in Osh. Helicopter evacuation is available for the sickest casualties.

HCP's will have rapid access through a What's App group to a wide range of medical experts. A "What You Need To Know" document will be shared with all HCP's prior to appointment.

The northern face of Lenin Peak visible from ABC

Activities

Free medical services will be provided to all visitors and mountain staff throughout the season.

HCP's will host a daily 1 hour education session at BC and ABC. Sessions will be free and open to all. Teaching will be consistent with that provided in "Travel At High Altitude" and the Oxford Handbook of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine (3rd Edition). "Travel At High Altitude" is available as a free download in a number of different languages. At both BC and ABC these education sessions will be delivered in permanent structures owned by the Ak-Sai tour operator.

HCP's will run a daily medical clinic at BC and ABC that will last between 2 and 4 hours. This is expected to deal with a wide range of minor injuries and illnesses. 

A 24/7 emergency medical service will be available at BC and ABC throughout the season. 

A daily weather forecast will be broadcast at 1800 on a dedicated radio channel. Information about these services will be circulated to all tour operators at the start of the season.

For each consultation, HCP's will complete a hand written pro forma documenting the patient's details together with history, examination, diagnosis and plan of management. 

A view of the summit from BC. An ambulance is stationed here throughout the climbing season

Equipment

A comprehensive medical kit will be available at BC and ABC. This will contain all of the necessary drugs and equipment needed to treat the injuries and illnesses that are expected at high altitude. Initially, we will be guided by the experience of the medical team at Mt Everest Base Camp ("Everest ER").

Where necessary, further supplies of drugs and equipment will be delivered by those arriving on Lenin Peak at the end of July. To further improve supply, donations of (in date) drugs and equipment will be accepted by HCP's from individuals or groups leaving the mountain. These items will be disposed of appropriately when they reach their expiry date.

A portable hyperbaric chamber (PAC) and supplemental oxygen will be available at BC and ABC. Supplemental oxygen will be sourced in Bishkek and transported by ambulance to BC. The ambulance will be based at BC throughout the 8 week season and only used to transfer seriously ill patients to Osh.

In 2025, a series of portable battery powered oxygen concentrators will be trialled on the mountain. These will be used alongside the PAC and supplemental oxygen - they will not replace either at this stage.

Each site will have a sphygmomanometer, pulse oximetry, pen torch and digital thermometer in order to record observations. Patients who need to be observed closely will have access to a bed, heating and warm layers (including mattress, sleeping bag and down clothing).

Portable radios will be available at BC, ABC and elsewhere on the mountain. A dedicated channel will be set aside for communication on all medical and rescue matters. 

The search and rescue team will be provided with the drugs and equipment that are necessary to treat those who are ill or injured above ABC. Assistance will be provided by the HCP's in person or from ABC via radio.

Cleaning materials will be available in order to ensure good levels of hygiene at both BC and ABC.

If you would like to join us on Lenin Peak in 2025 please get in touch by email - Jeremywindsor1@nhs.net

The Slava Topol Project seeks to improve safety on Lenin Peak. To find out more and make a donation please click on this link.

We’re particularly keen to hear from health care professionals who have mountain medicine experience. Holders of the Diploma in Mountain Medicine would be a very good place to start. Competence on skis and a knowledge of Russian would be really useful. But above all, what we need is enthusiasm, an outgoing nature and the ability to work well in a small team. We look forward to hearing from you!

If this is your sort of thing why not take a look at other posts on the blog?

Better still, why not join the British Mountain Medicine Society! More information can be found here.

For more on the University of Central Lancashire's Diploma in Mountain Medicine take a look at this.