Saving Lives, One Course at a Time

Susan Purvis and Her Team Teach Wilderness EMS, Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness First Aid, WFR Recertification Courses in Montana.
Founded by wilderness medicine specialist and best-selling adventure memoir author Susan Purvis, Crested Butte Outdoors launched in 1998 and expanded to Flathead Valley, Montana in 2007. CB Outdoors provides wilderness medicine, wilderness first responder, wilderness first aid, and avalanche courses for all experience levels. Learn to think critically during emergencies in unconventional settings and give your staff the skills and confidence to manage the unpredictable. Meet Susan and her team here.
Read What People Are Saying About Our Wilderness Medicine Courses
“Along with my six colleagues, I just got back from the Wilderness Medicine and Rescue Course (WEMS upgrade). I just wanted to boast about this incredible course of instruction and the fantastic individuals who provided it. After 25 years of public service in the USSS, I have never been in a more comprehensive or professional class than the one provided by Ms. Susan Purvis and Mr. Jeff Isaac.”
– Member, United States Secret Service
Montana 2024 Course Schedule
Wilderness EMS Upgrade (WEMS), First Aid (WFA), Wilderness First Responder (WFR) + Recertification Courses
All of our Wilderness Medicine Courses are Located near Glacier National Park, Montana
Need a custom course?
CBO is available to teach private courses at our location or yours. Two-day Wilderness First Aid and 5-day Wilderness First Responder Courses are the most popular courses we teach. Please contact owner and lead instructor Susan Purvis at 970-596-2999 for more information.
Wilderness medicine course schedule 2024.
Book a private Wilderness Medicine Course Now.
About Crested Butte Outdoors (CB Outdoors)
We are based in Whitefish, Montana 30 minutes from Glacier National Park. CB Outdoors operates as an instructor-sponsor of Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) and the American Institute for Avalanche Research & Education (AIARE). We are seasoned practitioners and expert instructors. We are also patrollers, mountaineers, sailors, skiers, hikers, and above all, your colleagues in the field. CB Outdoors offers practical, hands-on field-based learning. We offer courses in Whitefish, MT or at your personal location. Custom courses are available upon request.

Wilderness Medicine Courses
We have twenty-three years of teaching hundreds of courses to thousands of students around the world. Crested Butte Outdoors is known for its positive, life-changing effects on students and organizations. CB Outdoors stands behinds its ability to empower students. We provide a safe environment for individuals to grow, learn to trust, develop leadership and communication skills and problem solve.

Avalanche Courses
Crested Butte Outdoors teaches American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Level 1 and Level 2 Recreational Avalanche courses through THE MOUNTAIN GUIDES–MONTANA. We believe in field base learning and our courses are held in the Flathead Valley, Whitefish, Montana. We offer mountain decision making and rescue skills, training with avalanche dogs and search dogs.

Outdoor Adventure, Teamwork & Leadership
Ready for an outdoor adventure? You’ve come to the right place. Here are some common questions we are asked: What is my role when I go on a day hike? Have I carefully selected and reviewed the participants in my group? What if one of our team members has a medical emergency? Who is in charge? How will I survive the night? How do I prevent hypothermia? What do I carry in my pack? Should I carry fire starter? Take one of our courses and soon you’ll stand confident in your decision-making skills. Our courses offer you a chance to gain experience and take control of your trip, your life, or situation.
Watch The Trailer For Susan Purvis’s Adventure Memoir, Go Find: My Journey To Find The Lost — And Myself.
Susan’s Book “Go Find” Is Available On Amazon And At Local BookStores
Our Client List Includes:
Tip Top Search and Rescue in the NYT’s
For the past 15 years, Susan Purvis and her company Crested Butte Outdoors is the sole provider for Tip Top SAR Wilderness Medical Training. Susan is proud of the accomplishments of this amazing team as they save lives in the high country of Wyoming’s Wind River Range.
From The New York Times: Pandemic Wilderness Explorers Are Straining Search and Rescue
Inexperienced adventurers have flooded remote areas like Wyoming’s Sublette County during the pandemic. When they call for help, the task is left to an overwhelmed network of volunteers. Read the article here.