Ropes course: Encyclopedia II - Ropes course - High course

Ropes course - High course

A High Course can be a pre-fabricated course, built of utility poles, cables, and bolts, that is built by a contractor, or it can be a course that is hand built in a wooded area, where ropes and wire is attached to different trees.

Ropes courses can also be described as static or dynamic. With a static course, participants are attached to an upper wire, belay cable, with ropes and carabiners for safety. If the participant dangles, they will be caught by the wire. On a dynamic course, participants are connected to a rope, which someone on the ground will be holding onto and belaying the participant on the course. Advantages of a static course include the ability to need less facilitators, and to be able to get more participants up on the course at one time. However, a dynamic course allows for participants to be lowered to the ground much more easily.

Usually participants must sign a waiver before being allowed to participate on the course. Some participants may have a hard time completing the course due to its height and the physical challenge. Courses usually range from 25 feet through 50 feet tall. In order to climb up onto the course participants usually must climb, such as by using a cargo net, ladder or an artificial climbing wall.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "High course", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki