Based in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, we combine wilderness medicine training with mountain adventure and small-town warmth. Whether you’re a medical professional expanding your expertise or an outdoor enthusiast who wants to be prepared, you’ll leave our course with more than new skills—you’ll leave with confidence, an organized approach to wilderness medicine, and the experience from practicing in simulated scenarios.
Courses That Go Beyond the Classroom
At ALPTERRA, we teach skills, practice those skills with scenario-based training, and provide an organized approach to wilderness emergencies.
From physicians who’ve never treated a patient miles from a hospital, to parents leading their kids into the backcountry, to search-and-rescue volunteers who know want to practice their medical skills—our course is built for anyone who wants to make better decisions and provide better care in the wilderness.
You will practice your skills, taking part in immediate and delayed debriefs, and refining an organized approach. You’ll leave with sharper judgment, improved comfort with your skills, and the confidence to provide excellent care in the wilderness.
Why Choose ALPTERRA?
A Different Kind of Wilderness Medicine Training
We’re two instructors (a trauma surgeon and a pararescueman) offering an immersive educational experience in the mountains we call home. Here’s what sets us apart:
Small Groups, Big Impact
With a max 4:1 participant-to-instructor ratio, our courses are highly personalized and discussion-driven.
Hands-On, Outdoor Learning
Learn wilderness medicine where it matters—in the woods, on the trail, and in real-life scenarios. You’ll treat mock injuries, problem-solve in the elements, and gain practical skills you’ll remember.
Earn CME Credits
Premium Lodging + Thoughtful Meals
Stay on-site in our home. All meals and snacks are provided—locally sourced, family-style, and tailored to dietary needs.
Optional Mountain Adventures
As a non-medical individual I came away with a solid and practical understanding of the many considerations a hiker might be faced with and how to respond in a variety of situations. I learned a ton; so worthwhile! (And they served an amazing lunch!)
Lila and Bill have taken the most useful and practical parts of emergency medicine and put it into play with the training that they provide – in a wilderness setting.
As an EMS professional I’ve been through a lot of training and numerous simulations and scenarios. The training that they provided for our group is at the top of the charts. Lila and Bill have done wilderness rescue in the wild for a long time; they are now training others to do what they love to do – and they love doing this. And they are terrific humans.
Anyone going through this course and this level of training will be able to make much better decisions should you come across an emergency in the wild, or even if you are the subject of that emergency (but try not to be ☺). This training (in our case) ran a whole day, and was busy from one end to the other (with lunch break!). The scenarios ran the gamut – fractures, hemorrhaging, stroke victim, traumatic brain injury and lots more (and for the record, Bill is a terrific patient – you’ll find out when you go to this). Stabilize the patient and extract. You will carry Bill (or someone). The scenery at their home in Franconia is spectacular. The weather was amazing (snowing lightly for some of the day, and it was beautiful). Snowshoes were heavily in play. And necessary (for February in the White Mountains).
What you’ll take away from all of this: if you are a hiker, trekker, or spend a lot of time in the wilderness you will end up carrying knowledge (and probably gear) with you that can actually make a life or death difference for someone. That is a big, big deal. The best part is if you never have to use what you have learned. The other best part is if you do come across an emergency scene, you are way better equipped to handle it.
It’s a great experience. My wife and I plan to be going back. I’d recommend this to anyone.
Thanks again, Lila and Bill. You make the world a better place.
-Stuart
The information was delivered in a way that was understandable, and geared to their audience. They did not overwhelm or get too technical for our small group of casual hikers. I left feeling that I had enough knowledge to help and make better decisions if I met someone with a medical emergency while out in the wild.
The focus of the day included team work, prevention, scene survey, assessment, communication with EMS dispatch, treatment in the field, preparation for and transport to higher-level emergency care, should any of these be needed. In one word, the training was fantastic.
Each of us had opportunities to lead, observe and engage in hands-on practice of all of the skills taught through a variety of six scenarios in the field as we snowshoed along gorgeous White Mountain trails. In addition, we practiced loading patients safely into a basket litter and carried patients out of remote areas so that a higher level of care could be accessed.
There were many aspects of this training experience that were remarkable. The first was the openness and warmth of both Lila and Bill, who were welcoming us into their home for this course. The ability of each to move the class smoothly through a packed, one-day syllabus, clearly communicate important information and provide targeted feedback such that individuals grew in their understanding and confidence and groups grew stronger in their collaboration together was exquisite.
The learning environments were so utterly breathtaking, both inside and out, that a very unpleasant experience would have been way more than tolerable. However, that was nowhere near the case. The whole experience was delightful, energizing, inspiring and absolutely fun! Even the day’s shared meal (beautiful and amazing!) took place in spaces that were intentionally designed to allow for multiple conversations to take place simultaneously without there being any sense of overwhelm.
I have never felt so welcome to meet my own needs in order to maximize my capacity for taking risks and learning. I will be sharing this resource with anyone I know who has an interest in optimizing their safety and enjoyment while working and playing outdoors. I can see how this would be phenomenal training for all medical professionals who enjoy outdoor recreation, or who serve those who do.
With many thanks to Paula for connecting all of us...
The rescue simulations were an eye opener for me and I immediately realized that there is a lot for me to gain.
Lila and Bill brought their real world experiences for us to learn from and enhance our confidence. The course was well paced for each participant to have hands on training. We were treated to a delicious lunch in their spectacular home.
I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to gain outdoor medicine knowledge and confidence.
No matter your background, there is always something to learn!!
Meet the ALPTERRA Family
ALPTERRA is led by Lila Cohen, a trauma surgeon and lifelong hiker, and Bill Cenna, an Air Force Pararescue Specialist with decades of mountain rescue and guiding experience.
Together, we’ve created a course that balances learning new skills with scenario-based training for practice, and refinement of an organized approach to wilderness emergencies.
We host courses from our home in Franconia, New Hampshire because we want to keep the courses small and personal.
Ready to Join the Next Course?
Each course is limited to 8 participants to facilitate maximum participation in scenarios, as well as participant personalization.