CHALLENGE COURSE DESIGN AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Selecting Challenge Course Elements

Selecting the elements for a low or high ropes course and climbing tower can be both exciting and overwhelming. The adventure field is full of innovative creations and obstacles, many of which are dramatic and inspiring.

The selection of challenge course elements should, however, be made in lieu of a set of program and curricular objectives, not vice versa. The safest and most beneficial adventure challenge programs to participants will be those that take into consideration the learning objectives and needs of the participating population.

The adventure challenge field is constantly evolving and new activities tend to appear rapidly. It is important to note that not all elements are designed with equal value. The best course for one program will not necessarily suite the needs of another. Likewise, the most dramatic challenge course events are not always the most worthwhile for participants and may even place participants at elevated levels of risk. Careful thought should be given to each element selected.

Challenge Course Site Considerations

When selecting a site for your ropes course or climbing tower, several factors need to be considered.

Program Size. If multiple groups will be using the challenge course at one time, it is best to spread out elements so that groups are not distracted by one another or lulled into a sense of competition. A lack of space between groups can lead to a sense of contagion and directly impact the value of the program.

Security. High courses and climbing walls present real risks to participants when trained personnel are not present. It is important to select a location that is low-key and off limits to trespassers and vandals. Most low ropes elements and group initiatives can be made portable or removable if desired to reduce the chance of theft or vandalism. Additional anti-theft and access measures can be designed into the course as needed. Fences and/or other barriers are another option which may be worth considering.

Trees, poles, or indoors: The choice of whether to install ropes courses in trees or on utility poles balances aesthetics with cost and programmatic considerations. In general, utilty pole-base challenge courses cost more upfront but require less maintenance in the long run. Tree-based ropes courses are restricted to the number of trees and the spans between them. They require annual inspections by an arborist and equipment adjustment to compensate for tree growth. Indoor challenge courses can often be erected in open spaces, supported either by structural components of the facility, or designed to be free standing.

Planning Your Challenge Course Program

Prior to building a challenge course, it is highly recommended that prospective course owners visit several other successful challenge course programs ahead of time to get a clear picture of what elements will work best for their program. Additionally, it is helpful for prospective managers to attend one or more adventure challenge trainings to gain greater insight into the requirements and challenges faced by current course managers. Recommendations of builders and trainers are available upon request.

Following site visits, we recommend that clients contact us. The initial consultation is free of charge. During the initial phone conversation, one of our consultants will work with you to outline your program needs and help to define a set of program objectives. Using the document as a road map, a site visit and business planning session can be scheduled.

A good business plan is the key to success in adventure challenge programming. Too frequently programs overlook the process of building a business plan and fail to meet their programming objectives. In the worst cases, organizations misjudge the annual cost of operating a challenge course and attempt to work with insufficient funds. Such programs frequently forgo critical training and technical inspections and expose their program and clients to increased levels of risk. Our consultants will help refine your business plan and establish a time table for moving forward.

Once the business plan is complete, we will work with you to select an appropriate challenge course builder and trainer. Based on your needs, we also offer program development services, marketing, and program management coaching.

For more information on our services or to set-up an appointment for an initial consultation, please contact our offices at (248) 481-2568.

Challenge Course Training

There are currently no federal requirements or standards necessary to operate a challenge course in the United States. The Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) and Association for Experiential Education (AEE) have drafted some basic guidelines that are widely accepted in the industry. Most professional challenge course vendors offer detailed instruction and provide workshops on proper use of equipment, rescue, and programming in accordance to ACCT standards. The quality and focus of such training varies remarkably. Thus, certification, at this point generally refers to whether or not a trainee meets a vendor's credentials and not an industry-accepted standards.

Plans are underway among leading vendors through the ACCT to define a set of basic standards. Due to the number of variations in course types, philosophies, and potential technical skills needed to manage a course, it is difficult to predict how the industry in general will accept the standards.

In lieu of a standard set of certification level, we have designed a complex skills and proficiencies model that is designed to evaluate prospective course operators and challenge course facilitators on a wide variety of technical, educational, and operational skills commonly used in the adventure industry. In addition to a proficiencies chart, trainees are provided a detailed development plan based on the skills set required for working at their program and to improve their skill-base industry wide. Our goal is to empower life long learners rather than to set minimum benchmarks and standards.

For most programs, it should not be expected the an intensive three-to-five-day technical training is sufficient to prepare new facilitators to run safe educational or developmental programs. In budgeting for training, challenge course operators should take into account the need for ongoing training and continual staff development. In general operators should view training in two phases:

Phase 1: An intensive training program (usually one to five days in length) covers the fundamentals of facilitation, technical skill development, risk and site management, and program design.

Phase 2: Follow-up mentoring and additional training is scheduled or led internally by highly qualified trainers to help develop staff in a real learning environment. In addition to intermittent workshops and coaching, operators are also encouraged to budget for attendance at conferences, peer reviews, annual refresher training, and additional resources including research, publications, videos, and web archives.

 

For more information on our challenge course consulting and development services, please call
(248) 481-2568 or visit us on the web at our main site, http://www.adventuresmithinc.com.