All of our High Ropes elements offer vertical challenges as well as physical and… mental challenges. Our High Ropes course is comprised of five elements: the Leap of Faith, Flying Squirrel, Vertical Playpen, Surfer’s Shuffle, and the Giant’s Ladder. All of the participants are confronted with a series of challenges that test their character, problem solving skills, leadership skills, and trust for one another.

 

The Leap of Faith is a leap of trust. The Leap of Faith poses a variety of challenges to the individual. On a personal level, the person is attempting to overcome any fears he/she may have about climbing or trusting someone he/she just met to keep his/her life safe. The Leap of Faith tests communication as well. Both, the leaper and belayer must communication to ensure a trusting bond as well as safety. The person leaping will endure many challenges even before leaping off the platform and leaping is that last step to fully facing all of the challenges the Leap of Faith possesses.

 

The Flying Squirrel is not as trying as the Leap of Faith but it does offer similarchallenges. The main focus of this element is teambuilding. The Flying Squirrel works more on team building within a group of individuals. Collectively the participants must propel another teammate into the air by running in the opposite direction at the same time. All participants must communicate to achieve the goal. In the Flying Squirrel, a leader may surface and the rest may become followers or a group of all leaders emerges to complete the task at hand. Both ways leadership skills and communication are crucial. 

 

The first of two elements we have that truly assesses a host of leadership skills from teamwork to trust to mental toughness is the Vertical Playpen. This element offers a series of challenging, mental and physical tasks. The Vertical Playpen is a two person element where each must work with one another to reach the ultimate goal, sitting on the blue rectangle. The team must work together to assist one another to overcome difficult situations that may arise along the journey such as a fear of heights, wanting to quit, or physical limitations that prevent one or both from completing. 

 

The Giant’s Ladder like the Vertical Playpen offers a series of challenging, mental and physical tasks. It requires a tremendous amount of teamwork, communication, problem solving, and trust. The Giant’s Ladder requires two people to work together using problem solving, communication and trust to get to the next rung. As the team moves up the ladder, the task becomes increasingly difficult causing the team to think outside of the box, depend on one another, trust each other and accept the other’s possible solution to solve the task at hand.   The Giant’s Ladder is our ultimate test of teamwork!

 

The Surfer’s Shuffle is a one person element that makes the participant overcome personal obstacles and fears. On the ground, the other group members encourage the climber and offer suggestions on how to complete the task, but it is up to the climber to use what is being offered. The climber has to go beyond him/herself and face dilemmas that arise while being high off the ground. The person has the ability to confront his/her fears and possibly create a positive state of mind that enables him/her to complete the challenging task.  

 

All of the elements help individuals discover personal strengths and weaknesses in different ways. The elements we offer provide challenges that must be overcome by the individual but in some case there is another person to help confront and conquer obstacle at hand. Some of the elements are difficult but after completing the elements each person has a different reaction which range from “I will never do that again” to “can I go again.” 

 

In our program, we strive for individual and group success. For some, personal success is putting on the harness and offering an attempt. For others, it may be reaching the top or the end. Everyone and every group have different goals which is acceptable. We hope that everyone finds something they can take from the course, and we do all we can to ensure that everyone gets the most out of their ropes course experience.

 

Would you like to Step Up to the challenge? Contact Chris Leicht at 570.408.4055.