Challenge Course

 A challenge course or ropes course is a variously-configured assembly constructed of rope, cables, and wood, erected indoors and outdoors. It might include elements such as cables stretched horizontally between trees, a tall wooden wall, swinging or balancing platforms, and/or a log mounted high in the trees on an incline. The course is used as the physical environment for a tailored sequence of individual and group activities that challenges participants physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually and requires a combination of teamwork and individual commitment to complete.

The aim of these experiential courses is to present unusual and challenging situations that help participants learn about the dynamics of individual and group behavior. Some challenges are at ground level and require only a minimal set of props, others are a couple of feet off the ground on the low ropes, and still others way up in the trees on the high ropes. Challenge course activities are facilitated by trained and experienced staff. For safety, all challenges that are off the ground use spotters (low ropes) or a harness and belay rope system similar to those used in rock climbing (high ropes). Being off the ground adds the element of “perceived” risk to challenges. Participants engage in each challenge by their own choice. Individual and group success is achieved through peer support and encouragement, not physical strength.

The activities in a challenge program are sequenced to create a supportive group environment that gradually increases participants’ self-confidence and interactive skills and prepares them for each new personal or group challenge on the course.