Rope Courses: More than Just a Giant Playground

Rope courses can be constructed anywhere. Parks, forests, jungles, and shopping malls- name it. These courses have become a crowd favorite because of the thrill and adventure. Composed of trees or poles, find out why rope courses are more than just a giant playground.

High ropes course construction is no easy feat. Aside from having solid planning, materials should be made of superior quality and be able to pass the standards set by different rope course associations such as the Philippine Ropes Course Association (PRCA) in the US. Construction companies should always put the participants’ safety as the #1 priority more than anything else.

Participants need to have both physical and emotional strength. Whether the rope course is high or low, ropes course are usually designed with roadblocks and obstacles which the teams are required to complete with or without a time limit.  A strong physique is an advantage, but sometimes, a well laid out plan is stronger to withstand a rope course challenge.

They are safe. Highly trained facilitators encourage and assist the participants to complete the rope course. In rare cases of emergency, they are also knowledgeable of first aid even as early as the high ropes course construction phase. In line with this, children under the age of 18 are required to have guardians or parents to guide them inside the “giant playground.”

The learning never stops. Aside from having built differently, no two aerial parks are the same. This means that you can always try new courses at your own discretion. Some courses even have ascending levels of difficulty to build greater stamina. Each time a participant switches to a new ropes course, he also learns new tactics and at the same time accomplishes new goals.

The "learning by doing" principle improves one's problem solving skills and increases the trust levels of the participants. Sometimes known as experiential activities, the method refers to learning from direct experience. When it comes to outdoor adventure, rope courses are one of the most chosen experiential adventure exercises. In fact, the Wiley Interscience publication "Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy,” explains that the outdoor ropes courses are a means for facilitating personal growth and at the same time promoting individual coping skills. This principle is applied in ropes courses and make them more than just a giant playground.