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Ropes Notebook
Dr. Wagstaff
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9/22/2014

Epperley, Andrew

Table of Contents
Stretch/ warm-up games

p.2

Name games

p.3

Play games

p.3-6

Tag games

p.6-7

Trust exercises

p.7

Initiative

p.8

Challenge by choice
Experiential learning cycle

p.8-10
p.10

Processing/debriefing

p.10-11

Full value contract

p.11-12

Goal setting

p.12-13

Group briefing
Reflection for 5 day training

p.13
p.13-16

Warm-Ups and Stretches

1. Old Lady Grady
Have the group stand in a circle and pick one person to start the stretch off. That person will ask
the person to the right of them if they heard what happened to old lady gray. Once they ask and
the person responds with no what you say she died doing one of these and do you favorite
stretch. This is a perfect way to start a program off and get warmed up. You do this until
everyone in the group has lead one stretch.
2. Peanut Butter Jar
Have the group stand in a circle and frame this stretch by saying you are trapped inside a huge
jar a peanut butter and you have to clean it completely before you can escape. This is a perfect
way to make everyone stretch those hard to reach spots while youre trying to clean the peanut
butter jar. The last thing you do is reach your hands high in the jar and clean the top. This
stretch should help warm everyone up.
3. Snoopy And The Red Baron
Have participants find a partner, once they have done this have them decide within their group
who is going to be snoopy and who is going to be the red baron. Have participants face each
other and hold their palms outwards towards one another but no touching. The red baron takes
his hands and moves them around while snoopy follows them this works on warming up the
arms. Then you switch it up and snoopy moves their hands and the red baron follows. This
warm-up/stretch is to be done with your feet flat and facing one another.
4. Stork Stretch (not for every group)
Participants will be asked to make groups of three and ask that they try to find a partner about
the same height as them. Once they have found groups have them face each other in a triangle.
One person puts their leg up and the goal is for everyone to get their leg on top of each others.
make sure your group knows their limits and state that if you cant do it please dont force it.
5. Yurt Circle Stretch (not for every group)
Have your group stand in a circle holding hands. Have the group step back so their arms are
slightly tight and feel friction. On the count of three have the group all lean back slowly. The
pressure of the group will allow you to lean back and not fall this is a good warm up and stretch,
but also can be put under trust because you trust everyone will hold on to each other. (this can
be done while holding on to a rope as well)
6. Back To Back
Have group find a partner. Once they have found a partner have them interlock arms standing
back to back. And the goal of this is to go to the ground and stand back up while never breaking
the interlock.( If you feel like the group is strong and doing good you can make the group size
bigger)
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Name Games
7. How Do You Like Your Neighbor?(materials needed: circle pad, etc.)
Make a circle with the material you have to be the base spot with one less spot than there is
players. Players stand on a spot and the one person that is short a spot stands in the center of
the circle. The player in the center picks any person and approaches them by saying do you like
your neighbor? The player responds with saying I like the player to the right of them if the
player says all right everyone must move to the spot to the right of them. If the player says all
left everyone must move to the spot to the left of them. If the player says all mixed up the
players must run around and find a new spot.
8. Thumpety Thump Thump!
One person stands in the center of the circle and picks one person in the group out. The person
that is picked must say the person to their lefts name, but if the person in the center says
Thumpety Thump Thump before they can do so then that person that was picked is now it and
must go to the center of the circle.
9. Do You Know Everyones Name?
Have the group go around and name everyones name around the circle. Keep in mind that if
someone has a hard time remembering names that you can ask the group to say something
interesting about yourself to help that person remember their name.
10. The Wind Blows Those
Have enough circles for everyone in the group except for the person that is going to be starting
in the center. The person in the center says my name is .., the wind blows those who..
they have to fill in the blank with something about themselves. Anyone who can share
something that the person in the center says has to find a new circle. They cannot move to the
spot right beside of them. The one person who doesnt have a spot has to go to the center and
repeat this same system. Do this until everyone or almost everyone has been I the center of the
circle so you can learn about your group and they can learn about themselves.
Play Games
11. Caught Green Handed (need a big green hand and something to set boundaries)
You have one person be the one guarding the green hand. That person will face away from the
rest of the group. When you say go the people trying to get the green hand will run up towards
the hand but once the person guarding it turns around you cant move if you do move then you
have to go back to where you started. If the person guarding the hand notices that the hand is
gone he or she gets one guess at who has it if the guess is wrong then you turn around and they
try to get the hand back to where they started. If the guarder of the hand guesses right then the
person he or she guessed that had it now becomes the guarder of the hand.
12. Earth Ball (you need a shot ball that is easy to bounce in the air)

Get a huge ball and the goal is for everyone to hit it at least once and to never let it hit the
ground. The number of times you hit it only count if everyone touched it during that try. This is a
game you can play to keep track of progress. For example if you have a group for the weekend
you can do it the first day and the last day and see if they can beat their score. Fun game to play
while waiting for the next activity.
13. Captains Coming
You as the leader are the captain giving the commands and if someone fails to listen they are out of the
game for example you say captains coming they salute you and if you say man overboard and they move
they are out because you didnt say at ease.
CAPTAIN'S COMING: salute with feet together, stay there until AT EASE (no matter what else is called)
AT EASE: stop saluting, feet spread
MAN OVERBOARD: two people, one crouching one standing, both peering out to sea
CROW'S NEST: three people in a circle with elbows locked facing outward and spinning around
CAPTAINS TABLE: four people in a square, each face down pretending to spoon food into their mouths
WALK THE PLANK: five people in a line

14. Ring Toss (rubber rings)

Group size needs to be no larger than 15. You have your group stand in a circle and the leader
throws the ring to one person and they throw it to a person you do this until everyone has been
thrown too. Then you add another ring and do the same thing to the same people you throw to
before. You add another ring but this time you work backwards and throw to whoever threw to
you. And the last ring is added and it also is going backwards. So total you have rings being
tossed at one time.
15. Elephant Ball (a ball that rolls good)
You have your group stand in a circle and they are feet to feet. You tell everyone to put one
hand behind their back and the other hangs down to smack the ball from going between their
feet. You have to keep that one hand behind your back. If the ball goes through your feet then
you have to receive the ball and also run one lap around the group. The reason its called
elephant ball is because you look like an elephant trying to smack the ball away.
16. Yee-Haw
For this you form a close or tight circle and a person starts out by saying Yeehaw this is done in a
motion to the right or left. The person they Yeehaw to now has to say Yeehaw, Down diggity
4

dog, 4 shifter gear box, or hoe down. The motion for down diggity dog is you point at someone
across the circle. The motion for 4 shifter gear box is like you are changing gears in a vehicle. The
motion for hoe down is you dance in a circle.
17. Lifeguard (parachute)
Have your group grab the edge of the parachute around the whole thing. Ask for one volunteer
to be a lifeguard and one to be the shark. The lifeguard will be walking around the edge and
helping the people who are taken under by the shark. The shark will be under the parachute
pulling the legs of the people sitting on the outside of the parachute and bringing them under
which then they will become sharks as well.
18. Power Of 10
The goal of this game is not to be the person who has to say 10! How this works is your group
stands in a circle and one person starts it off by saying 1 but you can say just one number, two
numbers, or three. You cant say more than three in a row and they must go in order. If you land
on the number 10 im sorry but youre out. This game is a good game for passing time.
19. Ninja
You have your group stand in a circle and one person starts the ninja game off by making their
move you can only move once and then its the next persons turn the objective of this game is
to try to smack both hands of any person. With that being said it is allowed for your move to be
a roll across the circle, but at the same time the order of which you move is still the same.
Anyone playing this game can be out at any point of time. If you get one of your hands smacked
you have to play with that hand behind your back.
20. Dragon (#1 Fan)
You have each person find one partner. Once they have had that you tell them to play rock
paper scissors. The winner will look for another person who has won. If you lose then you are
that person you lost to biggest fan. You follow the person you lost to around and if they lose to
someone else than you are now their biggest fan. You will have 2 people left and thats where
you have your finial dual for the champion.
21. Shoe Relay (you need to have something to put everyones shoes in)
Have group broken in half however you like. Once that is done have everyone take off their
shoes and untie them all the way, and place them in the item you are putting the shoes in.
everyone forms a line and one person from each group goes down at a time and finds their
shoes and puts them back on completely. This is the same thing as a relay race but with using
your shoes as the obstacle.
22. Ring Toss Pivot Relay (rubber rings)
Find one partner. After this is done each group gets one rubber ring. You toss the ring at your
partner and they have to catch it by their hand going through the ring it cannot just be caught. If
5

the catch is clean you take one pivot back and keep doing the same thing. You make a line that
shows the winner if they can get that far.
23. Ring Toss Team Relay (rubber rings)
Have the group split in half and standing about 3 feet from one another in a single file line. The
goal of this is to toss the ring like a relay race but it cant hit the ground. And has to be caught by
your hand going through the ring it cant be caught by grabbing it. And from there its a relay
race to see which team can win.
24. Ultimate Ring Toss (1 rubber ring)
Split your group into two teams. You try to score a touchdown by advancing the ring into the
end zone but you can only take one step with the ring and when it is thrown it can only be
caught by your hand going through it. If it hits the floor then its a turnover. You are smack it to
the ground playing defense then it will become your ring and chance to score a touchdown.
25. TP Shuffle (low element outside: telephone pole and balls)
Have the group spilt into half and stand on each telephone pole, facing the same direction. The
balls are used as a relay race. You see who can get the ball to the end the fastest. The make
things a little harder depending on if you think your group can handle it, make them close their
eyes. Explain that if they feel like they are going to fall to just fall off dont fight it.
Tag Games
26. Toilet Tag
Pick one person from the group to become the tagger. The rest of the group is running around
trying to avoid being tagged. If you are tagged then you have to go to one knee and one hand up
and someone must come by you and flush you back into the game.
27. Bandana Tag (bandanas for each person)
Have one person start out being it. Everyone else must put their bandanas hanging off of their
side. If your bandana is pulled then you have now become a tagger. To speed things up during
the game you can change rules or the boundaries.
28. Alligator Tag (bandanas)
Have the group chose a partner. Once they have done that have them decide who will be in the
front and who will be in the back. Person in front is trying to pull the bandanas from other
groups. While the person in the back is wearing the bandana and trying not to have it taken
from them. You must hold you partners shoulders without losing contact or you are out.
29. Chetto Tag
Have one tagger. They go around and tag the rest of the group. If you get tagged then you have
the hot chetto dust on your hands you have to wipe your hands together until someone comes
by and pours water on your hands, they just have to tag your hands.
6

30. Blob Tag

Have one tagger and they will tag the rest of the group. If you are tagged then you now join the
blob and interlock arms with one another. You are trying to tag as many people as you can. If
the blob gets too long and hard to turn you can change the rule to where they can call a switch
and move around to face the other direction.
31. Circle Of Doom
This is a rule change you can do to make the game speed up or just more interesting. The people
who are out make a circle of doom around the remaining teams and bring the boundaries
closers and if that isnt enough then they can help pull bandanas or whatever the game is using.
Trust exercises
All of these exercises need to be carefully looked at before you start the game you want to make
sure you have good balance, good technique, speech, eyes always on participant, and proper
spotting technique should always be used to ensure the safety of everyone.
32. Trust Lean
Groups of two or three can be used here. You always make sure you go through your commands
before you lean back. The two people spotting are using proper techniques and spotting
correctly. After all commands are given you have the green light to fall back into the spotters.
33. Wind In The Willow
Group size of about 6 can be used here. One person goes into the center of the tight circle. That
person is going to be the faller. The rest of the group is in the spotting stance and always paying
close attention to the faller. The person falls into the group and the spotter pass them around
the circle. You go at the speed that faller wants you to go and also at which you feel comfortable
passing them. (not for every group)
34. Trust Run
Have group from a tunnel at which you can have someone run through it. The runner gives
commands before they run. Everyone forming the tunnel has their hands out in the path of the
runner and you pull them up right before they run through the tunnel. The runner gives
commands and runs as fast as they feel comfortable going through them.
35. Trust Lift
You need groups large enough to hold a person in the air and enough people to spot them while
they are in the air. You have to pay close attention the whole time you are doing this. Not for a
second can you take your eyes off of the climber. And always in the spotter position ready for
the worse. Lift the person up and see how far they can reach on a tree or anything you have
they can climb.

Initiatives
36. Circle The Circle (hula hoop)
Have group stand in circle holding hands. Take the hula hoop and place in the in group between
the arms of two people. You have to get the hula hoop around the circle with everyones whole
body going through it. You can time them and make it a race to beat their best time.
37. Pipeline (pipe & marble)
Have group stand in straight line going towards the basket. The marble starts off at the front
and once it leaves your pipe you go to the end of the line. Once the marble is on your pipe it
cant go backwards it can only go towards the basket. Pipes can never touch each other and
participant cant touch the marble.
38. Save The Baby (cone, tennis ball, and ropes)
You place the rope in a circle and put cone in center of that with the tennis ball sitting on the
top of it. Group has to get tennis ball off cone and outside of the circle without the tennis ball
hitting the ground. You cant move the cone, you cant have your hand cross the rope or you will
be punished and lose a resource. Save the baby!!!
39. Walking Partners
If you are waling from one station to another and its a walk that takes some time make use of
that time by having a walking partner and have them talk about whatever is related that what
you are doing or what you just did. Its like them summing up how they are feeling about the
activities. You can have them tell the group what they talked about or you can just leave it at
that. As a leader you need to decide that based on time.
40. Going To The Moon
This game is fun and can be used to kill time or start the morning off and wake everyone up.
Have someone say im going to the moon and taking a . This needs to be something that
has a word pattern that everyone can figure out over time. And everyone in the group can try to
figure it out and say im going to the moon and taking a if that fits your word pattern then
they can go with you and if it doesnt fit the word pattern then say im sorry you cant come.
Challenge by choice
1. You can introduce challenge by choice by having the group circle around you and tell them this
course operates under challenge by choice. And explain what that means, that way everyone in
the group understands that they are not going to be forced to do an activity but will be
encouraged. This is appropriate at the beginning of your program and this method can be used
with any group.
Pros- You can be short and sweet and get the point across to everyone.
You dont have to be creative about how to introduce this.
8

You can introduce this method within minutes and everyone understands clearly.
This method takes no time or material to create, so you can pull this off with anything at
anytime.
Cons- This method isnt very creative and might not grab your groups attention.
This method doesnt show off your skills as a leader to make the program interesting.
This method sets the standard for your group and shows what to expect out of the
program and you might lose the interest of everyone from the start.
2. Have you group form a circle and have everyone take a step back. Once that is done have them
with their foot draw a circle around themselves and once that is done have everyone take a
small step out of the circle they made. Explain that the circle represents the comfort zone and
we want you to push yourself to get out of your comfort zone but only if you want too.
Pros- This gets the group active
Allows the group to understand what it is you want them to do during program
Everyone should have fun during this activity
Cons- Group might not be good at understanding something along those lines
Group might pay too much attention to the circle and not gather the information
Group might miss understand how far they need to come out of circle during circle
This is a good way to frame the challenge by choice because it allows you to be creative
and show that you are interested in having a fun time. It also is a good reference, because
children will remember a circle better than just being told. It gives the group something to refer
back to during the program. It also can be a good way to set you debrief up. You can have
everyone draw the circle again and go around and have each person set out of the circle they
made if they tried something new or went out of their comfort zone during the program.
3. Out of rope make a circle and have your group stand inside of the circle. Explain that the rope
represents everyones comfort zone. Make they say something that they have never done on
the course before and once each person says it tell them that today they have the chance to set
to the outside and reach a new goal but only if they want to try something new.
Pros- This is something new
This is a way to explain something and have a visual behind it
This allows everyone to see that they can step outside of their comfort zone
This will have everyone interested in where you are going with the program
Cons- This way might single some
You might not get true answers while asking the question
Some people might not like talking in front of the whole group
This will maybe put someone on the spot
9

As a leader this shows off that you can think outside the box and apply it to your
program. This method will grab the attention of your group and have them see what you want
of them throughout your program. This method could be used anytime on any group.

Experiential learning cycle

Experience
Reflect
What?

Apply Now
what?
Analyze
So what?

Experience- An event happens and the participant are going through the experience.
Reflect- The question What? is brought up. During this time you are looking back onto the
activity you have done and reflecting upon it.
Analyze- During this the question so what? is brought up. You are looking into or digging
deeper into what you have done to get an overall view.
Apply- During this the question now what? is brought up. When you apply you actually
apply what you have talked about and make it happen. You can take what you have learned
in the program and apply it to your life.

Processing/Debriefing
1. Have the group stand in a circle and go around to everyone and have them say
something they have learned.
Pros- You have made a quick and easy way to see where everyone is at
You dont need any materials for this method
Cons- Its not creative
Might single someone out of the group

10

2. Have group create a circle and have a rope with two knots one stands for something
they liked and the other stands for something they didnt like.
Pros- You get both good feedback and negative feedback.
You get both feedback at the same time
Cons- Everyone might not get a chance to answer
Might single someone out
3. Blank sheet of paper. And have everyone write one word that describes how they feel.
Pros- Everyone has a say
You get feedback about how they feel
You can open up conversation with this method
Cons- Maybe everyone cant spell
People might not want to write in front of others
People might not like sharing feelings with others
4. Make a scale. Have group place themselves where they stand on the scale.
Pros- You get a visual of where they place themselves
Everyone gets to place themselves where they fall
This can be done with no one saying a word
Cons- Maybe everyone will not place themselves
Group might not understand where to place themselves
5. Popcorn it around. During this everyone in the group will be able to talk about how they
feel whenever they want too.
Pros- It will usually lead to good conversation
Energy level usually gets high during this
Knowing that its a free conversation people want to join
Cons- Certain people might like to talk more than others
Heat might start between certain people

Full value contract

11

1. You can introduce the full value contract by having the group circle around you and you
tell them that the goals for the day are to try something new, be positive to new
activities and each other, and have fun.
Pros- Get the point across very clearly
Its a quick and easy way to start of your program
No tools needed to perform this method
You dont lose the groups attention span
Cons- Its not creative
You show your group that you might be setting a wrong tone
Group might not respond well with a short introduction they might want detail
2. The five finger contract. You have group circle around you and you tell them the
contract. The pinky finger represents that you promise to do your best. The ring finger
shows that you comment to the group and its efforts. The middle finger says that you
will not use negativity throughout the program. The pointer finger stands for not
pointing anyone out unless its followed by a thumbs up and pat on the back.
Pros- It is creative
It will grab the attention of the group
Shows your leadership style in a manner at which you will follow up with
Makes the first part of the program fun for the group
Cons- Depending on the group they might not find it appropriate
Group might think that they dont want to follow silly finger rules
3. Have the group decide 3 goals they want to reach during the program. Once that is done
have the 3 goals presented to everyone and after each goal tell how they are going to
make sure that that goal will be reached.
Pros- It allows the group to set the standards for each other
It holds the group responsible for helping everyone reach the goals that were set
Letting them decide the goals makes it more meaningful for the group
It makes the group get active and think about what they want out of the program
This will not single anyone out it would be a group effort
Cons-This is an approach that can only be done by a group that understands what they want
Only certain groups will be able to critically think in this manner
Goal setting

12

Goals are a huge part of having a good experience. Goals can be different for each group
and also each person. Setting goals allows you to see where they are and where they want
to be after your program. Having goals lets them work towards a finial objective. Purpose of
group goals might be used to bring the group closer together, work more efficient together,
and or communicate with one another better. Purpose of individual goals might be used if
your group has a different range of skill. Individual goals allows them to go at their own pace
and work towards what they want and when it is all said and done even if they didnt
participant in as many activities as someone else they still reached their goal and leave with
the same satisfaction level as someone who might have had a higher goal. Overall goals are
what keeps us going as humans always wanting to better ourselves and challenge ourselves.
The beauty of goals is we set them every day and work towards them without noticing
them.
If you are making an exercise to make goals for the group first you need to know your group
and skill level. That might mean ask them if they have ever had any experience with the
skills you will have them doing. You can have a scale on the ground and have different things
related to your program on it. You can ask that everyone put their name where they want to
be at the end of the program. And after your program you can pull that out and see where
everyone fell at on the scale. You can also just go around the group and ask what their goals
are for this program and tell them to keep up with that and work to accomplish those.
Group Briefing
Once your group has arrived you gather everyone up and have them form a circle. First
thing is tell everyone who you are and the other leaders everyone introduces themselves.
You tell them who is putting the program on RU ABLE and what is stands for Radford
University Adventure Based Learning Experience. Make sure everyone is wearing
appropriate clothing, look and make sure everyone has closed toe shoes, big dangly ear
rings are out, and neck leases are taken off and or tucked in their shirts. Go into the safety
concerns for the program. At this time you can introduce challenge by choice and the full
value contract. This is a good time to have the group set a goal they want to reach as a
group or individually.
Reflection for 5 day training

Always state the hazards before you start an activity

Speak up when addressing the group
Be able to adapt any issue on the spot to smooth the event up
Be aware of facilitator who always wants to be center of attention.
Experience-Reflect-Analyze-Apply
The course is always inspected by ACCT annually
PVM- professional vender member
13

Dynamic rope has about a 5% stretch so it smooths your fall

How to process- put blank piece of paper on ground and have group write on word
to describe how the activity made them feel. You can also place yourself on a scale
with this everyone had a say so.
The three primary questions you can ask are what, so what, and now what
The three classic goals of orientations used by challenge course facilitators are
education, therapy, and recreation.

Quicksliver:
1. The four basic elements of an Adventure experience are Trust, Communication, Cooperation,
and Fun. As a facilitator it is our goal to see that these all happen.
2. The A.P.P.L.E facilitation model is a five step process to adventure leadership; the five steps are
assess, plan, prepare, lead, and evaluate.
3. Elements of a good debrief are boundaries, permission, purpose, focus, responsibility, structure,
closure. These all tie into one another because it takes all of them to come together and bring
the group to a proper closure.
4. Sequencing is a key skill because the flow of the adventure experience greatly impacts its
success for the participants. This is making the flow of your program to how you want it. There is
no wrong and right way to sequence a program.
5. The DDADA model is a step by step guideline for presenting any game. It is used to teach people
about leading activities.
6. A bad challenge course experience can go wrong when leadership style, sequencing, participant
behaviors, and logistics are not working smoothly for the facilitator.
Chapter provide on challenge course programming:
1. The history of a challenge course started in England, from military training course. Outward
bound had the first course in America which had a 35 foot forbidding rope ladder into the
entrance.
2. A full value contract has been a traditional tool used in adventure based programming is helps
bring the group together. Full value contract is the group making a promise to each other and
themselves to do their best.
3. Challenge by choice gives the participants the choice to be active in certain events. They are
allowed to stay within their comfort zone.
4. The ACCT is a non-profit educational organization of governing boards. The ACCT is responsible
for sending a professional vender member out to every challenge course to inspect everything.
They inspect all gear, and also every piece of equipment or objects used for their course.
5. The four basic functions are full value contract, challenge by choice, sequencing, and processing.
6. The three classic goals of orientations used by challenge course facilitators are education,
therapy, and recreation.
14

The guide for challenge course operation:

1. To belay is to secure a rope with S or figure 8 turns around a belaying pin. A static belay refers to
a system in which a short section of rope or webbing provides a secure connection between the
climbers harness and an anchor. A dynamic belay requires a longer rope and a second person to
serve as the belayer.
2. The SRD is a stationary belay system that has been in use for many years, it has traditionally
been used in conjunction with jumping elements.
3. The classic signals are on belay, belay on, climbing, climb away, up rope, slack, tension, thank
you or ok, off belay, belay off. These are used for the climber and belayer to commination with
one another.
4. A LEAP anchor is a anchor that supports a 12 or 14 mm rapid link. It requires a swaged back up
cable.
5. A cable grab system requires the installation of vertical cables that are essentially similar to
belay cables. They are most useful for courses installed on utility poles where the relative
straightness of the poles and lack of branches or other obstructions.
6. The need for gloves will vary depending on the friction created in the rappel system. While
gloves are commonly used they are not always required for a rappel.
Outline RU ABLE emergency procedures:
1. Assess the situation. Lead facilitator will be in charge unless they are the one that is hurt at this
point it will be the next lead. KEEP CALM!
2. Contact campus police at 540-831-5500
3. Tell dispatcher that you are at RU WEST 6226 University Drive
4. Send at least 2 people to direct the RU Police and emergency vehicle to the appropriate site
5. Ensure the rest of the group is safe.
6. Provide appropriate first-aid. Do not move person if they have back or neck injury
7. If the injured person must be moved to a medical facility, transport will be done via ambulance
or other emergency response vehicle. DO NOT transport anyone In private vehicle.
8. Everyone in the group must remain in place until the severity of the situation can be
ascertained. The injured person must be attended to at all times.

During this experience I learned so much from new knowledge and about myself. I
learned that I could climb every element and do everything at the course once I trusted my gear.
I learned how to tie different knots, set up and take down the high ropes elements course at RU
West. I also learned about all the equipment that is used to run a challenge course. Another
thing that stuck with me was the strength of the equipment that we use. Once you see the
numbers you can trust your life on your equipment and do your job better. One last thing I
learned was that the ropes we use to climb on are logged after every use and replaced once
they reach a certain number of climbs on it.

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When you have the title challenge course facilitator it means you are in charge of the
lives of everyone on your course and you have to ensure their safety. Also having this title shows
that you have experience running programs and should have people skills. For me the biggest
part of being the facilitator is making the right choices. That can branch off in so many different
directions but most important as I mentioned earlier is ensuring everyones safety on your
course.
Risk management issues that need to be considered are keeping you gear you use up to
date. Making sure your staff understands your course and is good with working with people. You
need to make sure every year that you are approved and everything is working properly. You
need to make sure that you have everything written up for your safety; for example when you
shared that story in class about the child who wanted to feel like superman and clipped in the
wrong part of his harness. That is information you need to have record the write way to go
down the zip line.
Inspections are huge in this type of recreation. You have to have inspections done every
year to ensure that your course is safe for everyone to use. What I found to be interesting is the
depth of the inspection. They dont just look they climb on your equipment they look at your
anchors. When you are anchoring to a tree the tree is then inspected. This type of inspection is
just a safe habit and makes your groups feel safe knowing that everything has been tested to
the maximum level.
To ensure a positive experience you need to first of all make everyone feel welcome and
comfortable. This will allow them to participate in more of your activities. Dont single anyone
out in any form. Let the individual set a goal for him or her, my doing this they can have a
positive experience and maybe not do all the activities that everyone else did. If they try
something new as a leader you should tell them good job for going outside of their comfort
zone. I think the last part of ensuring that everyone has a good time is staying positive to
everyone that way they will feel good about themselves.

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