Costa Rica Wilderness First Responder (WFR)

Day 0 (Saturday) - OPTIONAL day-before bird watching meetup for 2026:

For those who are in San Jose the day before the course, we have an optional bird watching meet-up at the University of Costa Rica with local biologist Ana Beatriz.

Ana will be joining the WFR course this year and she's offered to meet anybody who's interested on campus at 2pm on Saturday for some bird watching, in the heart of the city!

This is included with the package and you don't need to commit in advance. We'll follow up to see who's planning on joining for this two weeks before the course. We'll connect everybody interested in a WhatsApp group so you can connect with the group, your WFR instructor, and Ana, once you're in Costa Rica.

Where and when: University of Costa Rica. Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Day 1 (Sunday) – San Jose pick-up, scenic drive, and raft into El Nido Del Tigre (our riverside eco-camp)

• Meet the group and instructors and get picked up at 7:00am at the Teatro Nacional (Central and Second Avenue) in San Jose by our professional driver
• See volcanoes, coffee and sugar cane plantations, and small towns during the 2 hour drive
• Drive down a dirt road into the Pacuare River valley
• Learn everything you need to know about whitewater rafting during a safety briefing
• Paddle as part of a team of 4 to 6 plus a guide in each raft. We’ll raft a fun class II – III section of the spectacular Pacuare River
• Dig into a riverside picnic lunch, your first of many great meals this week
• Arrive at camp and get shown around by staff and explore your lodgings
• Go for an optional hike to a swimming hole or just relax, enjoy the surroundings, and settle in for your first night in the jungle
• Get to know the group over welcome dinner and introductions

Day 2 to 6 (Monday to Friday) – Wilderness medical training

Gain skills, practice, and certification as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). Your days will be full of intensive learning. Days include a mixture of classroom sessions, skill workshops, and small group drills and scenarios. As the course progresses we’ll have larger simulations with makeup and stage blood. On Thursday we’ll also combine a rainforest hike with medical simulations and practice evacuations.

• Sleep until breakfast or get up early to watch the birdlife and the river valley awake
• Get a good start with coffee, tea, and a hearty breakfast
• Typically class starts at 8:00am. Mornings usually begin with review as we take up questions, go over case studies, or write a quiz. Learn and hone your skills through a combination of practical drills, presentations, discussions, review exercises and simulations.
• Lunch
• Get moving and take in the rainforest on a short hiking or swimming adventure
• More course content and awesome learning
• As you gain confidence with the material, we’ll do more extended simulations.
• On day 4, we’ll go on a longer hike in the rainforest and do simulations along the way—including treatment, evacuation plans, and transport
• Dinner – all meals are big spreads including local dishes and they are always accompanied by fresh and delicious tropical fruit and vegetables
• Enjoy your evening and relax with your classmates over candlelight and sounds of the rainforest.
• * The instructor may schedule 1 or 2 evening sessions during the week

Special for 2026 — experience tropical ecology with local biologist Ana Beatriz.

Ana will lead some interpretive hikes and sessions, including:

- An optional night hike on one of the evenings. We'll leave from camp after dinner with Ana leading the way, to check out the flora and fauna by moonlight (and headlamp).

- The WFR course will include a lecture with Ana about rainforest toxins.

It's a great opportunity to have a true tropical nature expert and passionate educator with us for the week!

Day 7 (Saturday) – Return to San Jose

• Start rafting after breakfast in guided rafts
• Paddle and work as a team to navigate fun class III and IV rapids and float through the awe-inspiring ‘Huacas’ and ‘Dos Montanas’ canyons
• Arrive at the ‘take-out’ at Pacuarito (near the town of Siquirres)
• Return to San Jose via another beautiful drive through Braulio Carrillo National Park. We should arrive in San Jose by late afternoon but it is better to plan transfers or flights out for the following day in case of delays
• Alternatively, if you’d like to continue your travels to the Caribbean coast, which is closer to where the course ends, instead of going back to San Jose, you can leave from our river trip end-point at ‘Finca Pacuarito’ or the nearby town of Siquirres by bus, Interbus (shuttle service for travellers), taxi, or rental car.

Become a Wilderness First Responder

• Grow your skills and knowledge through learning online ahead of time at your own pace, followed by an intensive and well-run course
• Increase your confidence and gain experience through realistic scenarios with stage blood and simulated wounds to prepare you for backcountry emergencies
• Challenge yourself with the guidance of professional, dynamic, and fun instructors who deliver a course that will be one of the best you’ll ever experience

Certification

• Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification
• CPR BLS level certification (CPR for adults, children, and infants. Includes AED training)
• Included materials: Textbook, SOAP note booklet, waterproof WMA field guide, case studies workbook, notebook (with WMA lecture notes)

Your certification is valid for 3 years from the date of issue.

You can recertify your Wilderness First Responder (WFR) by taking a 3-day or longer WFR Recert course within 3 years of your last certification.

Continuing ed. & community

After your course, you'll be a member in our online alumni community for 3 years, which includes:

• Monthly continuing ed. sessions for WFRs — case studies, expert guests, curriculum updates
• Access to free online courses
• Seminars, discussion threads, Q&A's

Course topics

• General concepts of wilderness medicine and the Patient Assessment System
• CPR (adult, child, and infant), AED, and basic life support skills
• Anatomy and major problems of the respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems
• Musculoskeletal injury assessment and splinting
• Spine injury assessment and management
• Allergies and anaphylaxis
• Medical emergencies such as stroke and diabetes
• Severe asthma wilderness protocol
• Wound and burn management
• Wilderness protocol for reducing shoulder dislocations
• Environmental problems such as hypothermia, heat illnesses, lightning, and drowning
• Backcountry medicine and toxins, bites, and stings
• Litters, improvised litters and patient carries
• Evacuations, decision making, and leadership
• Medical legal issues
• And more…

Course overview

This program uses the Hybrid WFR format (rather than the standard 8-days)

How the ‘Hybrid WFR’ format works

On the Hybrid WFR, you’ll complete 30+ hours of online e-learning followed by 5-days (45 hours) of in-person learning.

The e-learning includes interactive modules with videos, readings, self-practice assignments, quizzes, and case studies.

You’re required to register at least 4 weeks before the in-person portion begins and complete all of the e-learning before you arrive. *See the technology requirements below*.

Please note before enrolling that the e-learning is mandatory. It takes at minimum 30 hours but many students take significantly more time than that.

The online learning isn’t meant to be crammed into a few days. You’ll get the most out of this course and have the highest likelihood of achieving the certification if you break it up into 1 to 3-hour learning blocks, spaced over 4 to 6 weeks.

As soon as you register, you’ll automatically receive a Student InfoPack with course outlines, packing lists, and logistical info. Then, 7-weeks before the onsite portion, we’ll send you access to the e-learning platform.

On the in-person portion, we can then focus on practical skills, drills, and rescue simulations, because you’ll arrive having already learned much of the theoretical knowledge.

All of our medical courses are intensive; the onsite portion of the Hybrid WFR is even more so: expect full, fast-paced (and fun!) days.

HYBRID TECH REQUIREMENTS

For the 30+ hours of online learning, you’ll need:

• Access to high speed internet throughout the 30+ e-learning hours
• A laptop or desktop computer with

To be clear, you don’t need a computer with you in Costa Rica — and there’s no electricity at the camp 🙂

Prerequisites

No medical, wilderness, or river experience is necessary.

You need to be in good physical condition and comfortable walking on uneven and steep terrain. Swimming ability is recommended.

Assessment and evaluation for certification

Practical assessment is ongoing. There’s a written test on the last day of the course where you need a grade of 80% or higher to pass.

Instructors will do everything they can to accommodate students with different learning styles and needs. Let us know what we can do to help you succeed.

NOTE: A packing list is included with your ‘Student Information Package’ (emailed to you when you register)

The Pacuare River Camp is in the tropical rainforest on the Caribbean side of the continental divide. Being so close to the equator, temperatures don’t fluctuate too much throughout the year. The average daily high is 28°C / 82.4°F and the average nightly low is 19°C / 66.2°F.

Synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon, and fleece are great as they dry quickly.

Clothing

• Undergarments and sports bra
• Socks
• Comfortable shoes
• Shirts: short sleeve and long sleeve quick-drying
• Lightweight comfortable pants
• Shorts
• Medium weight wool or fleece over-sweater
• Sun hat, visor, or baseball cap
• Swimwear – Great swimming holes nearby
• A set of clothing that can be stained and cut during simulations (expect to throw these away)
• Optional: Sandals
• Optional: Sarong

Clothing for rafting and side hikes

• Closed-toe shoes – These are to be worn on the river while rafting and on side hikes. The ideal river shoe has a grippy sole, is lightweight and drains well, and has enough support and protection to walk on rocks and uneven terrain. Trail-running shoes work well.
• Synthetic undergarments / swimwear / sports bra
• Swim shorts / surf shorts
• Synthetic t-shirt

Course items

• A backpack that you can carry during simulations to carry extra food, water, clothing, equipment, etc.
• A stuff sack, book bag, or drybag for you to store your books
• Something to sit and lie on outside such as an ensolite pad
• Watch (for taking vital signs)
• Water bottle
• Snacks
• Sunscreen, 30+ SPF
• Lip protection
• Bug repellent
• Sunglasses (UVA and UVB resistant) with ‘keeper’ strap
• Optional: Waterproof paper and ‘space pen’ or grease pencil

Personal and travel items

• Passport and travel documents
• Duffel bag – please no hard luggage as it won’t fit into a drybag for rafting
• Camp towel (quick drying) 
• Personal hygiene products
• Personal medications
• Prescription glasses or contacts (bring an extra pair of glasses & a copy of your eyeglass prescription)
• Headlamp
• Extra batteries for headlamp, camera, etc.
• Large ziploc bags
• Optional: Binoculars / journal / books
• Optional: Camera

We will provide

• Tent
• Mattress
• Bedding
• Pillow
• Large drybag for transporting your items during the rafting descent

Our Costa Rican partners – Coast to Coast Adventures

For this program, we partner with Coast to Coast Adventures, a Costa Rican company with 25+ years of experience organizing travel, adventure races, and experiential education programs in Costa Rica. While we at Boreal River are the course organizers and instructors, Coast to Coast provides logistical support, transport, and lodging for this program.

With a team of 20 Costa Rican guides, logistics coordinators, and administrators, Coast to Coast operates an office in San Jose and two camps on the Pacuare River. Coast to Coast has a reputation for running excellent programs and endeavors to deliver sustainable and ethical adventures. Many of their staff have been with them for over a decade, giving them a depth of knowledge and experience that is essential for the delivery of memorable programs with the highest levels of security and organization.

‘El Nido Del Tigre’ – Your riverside lodging

Staying here is sure to be one of the highlights of your experience in Costa Rica.

From your comfortable tent, you can listen to the river and see the morning mist rising through lush tropical greenery. Outside of class time, enjoy relaxing in the ‘Rancho’ or lying in a hammock.

Watch toucans glide between rain forest trees and spot giant blue butterflies, sloths, and a myriad of beautiful flowers.

Camp facilities

• Riverside, spacious platform tents
• Delicious home-cooked meals
• 14 hectares of rainforest
• Ropes course
• Rainforest trails
• Lawned recreation area
• Nearby waterfalls and natural swimming holes
• Fully managed by local staff

Description

From the Coast to Coast Adventures website:

El Nido del Tigre or The Tiger’s Nest, is an evolving dream for Coast to Coast Adventures. Its name comes from the giant patches of ginger plants which fall and create the shape of a tiger’s nest. From the center of the nest, trails radiate throughout the rainforest and along the river.

Our camp has a dual personality. At times it is a hive of activity perhaps with a soccer or Frisbee game, or teams frantically hurrying into the camp to record their finish time in a racing challenge. While at other times it is a peaceful, tranquil and relaxing environment following a day on the rapids.

Sustainability is a key word at El Nido del Tigre as we strive to achieve the perfect harmony between rainforest and tourism. The camp has captured the imagination of the local people, many of whom we thank for their assistance and patience in building this unusual environment and a number of them who remain with us on our continuing journey to develop the dream.

Spacious tents on fixed platforms co-mingle with the forest and border the river. Our team love to welcome clients – a stay at El Nido del Tigre promises a unique experience – so come and join us!

Student InfoPack and forms

Once you've booked, we'll send you a detailed Student InfoPack and confirmation email. Inside, you'll find:

• Packing lists and travel-planning details
• Links to the online waiver and participant questionnaire
• Links to WMA's online learning platform

Travel to San Jose, Costa Rica

• The closest airport to our meeting location is SJO - San Jose, Costa Rica
• We meet at 7 a.m. on Sunday (Day 1) outside the Teatro Nacional (National Theatre), in downtown San Jose
• Plan to arrive in San Jose the day before (Saturday) so you're ready for the early departure

Where to stay before the course

You'll find plenty of options near our meeting point — from major hotels to boutique inns and Airbnbs.

We recommend checking out options in the 'Barrio Escalante' neighbourhood. It's less busy and commercial than downtown and has great cafés and restaurants to explore. A few good lodging options include:

• Apartotel Tairona - clean and convenient budget hotel
• Casa Pandora Hostel - women-only hostel
• Airbnb
• Explore major hotel options in the San Jose area

Travel after the course

• We expect to arrive back in San Jose by late afternoon on the final day (Saturday, Day 7).
• Please plan any transfers or flights for the following day, in case we experience delays on the road.

If you’d prefer to keep exploring the Caribbean coast — which is closer to the course site and the Pacuare River — you can depart directly from our river trip take-out at Finca Pacuarito or from the nearby town of Siquirres by bus, private shuttle*, or rental car.

*Let us know If you'd like help arranging a shuttle from the river take-out

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at all about Costa Rica travel or the course!