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Ropeways and other rope events

Ropeways | ©: www.youthwork-practice.com

Rope events in experimental learning activities have proven to be best executed in small groups. Participants will learn in a playful manner to overcome fears and to discipline themselves for a reasonable period. At the same time, they exercise muscles all over the body and ideally build positive team working experiences. The young people learn all those skills rather casually because the climbing activity rules the experience. If this climbing experience can take place as an outdoor event, the kids will get to know nature from a very different perspective.

It all depends on the technique

Although a safety rope always protects the participants from above, none the less, first you have to learn the basics of climbing. This is taught on the ground. Therefore, an experienced supervisor is needed to teach them necessary rope and safety techniques and shows them how to engage properly on a rope up in the air. An important issue is to learn how to quickly and safely shift the gravity of the body. The latter is particularly important when balancing on the thin rope. It is important to know that one single wrong move can bring the climber on the rope to fall.

high rope course | ©: www.youthwork-practice.com

Once the participants have reasonably well internalized the techniques, they can start testing their strength on the rope and carefully start climbing. Even with only gentle exercise on the rope all muscles will be trained. Particularly the upper body and leg muscles will get a great workout.

high rope course ©: Jacek Chabraszewski - Fotolia

Overcoming fears

For participants who are afraid of heights, abseiling is limited. It all depends on how high their fear is. With the right approach, however, anxiety can be remarkable reduced. For example, the kid can start with climbing rocks or platforms in trees in the climbing park. As soon as fear arises, the young person is encouraged to come down again. This “giving up” should be discussed with all other participants of the climbing group. To say “No I can’t do this” only appears on the surface as giving up. In reality, it requires a good amount of courage and self-control, to know and admit one’s limitation. Particularly in a group it is not easy to show this weakness and overcome one’s fear where it could be seen as a failure.

Even kids, who are not afraid of heights, have to overcome a few things before venturing on the ropes. After all, you leave the safety ground. Even more so you have to rely only on yourself and if needed on your partner. All that several meters above ground. Afraid of heights or not, in both cases, self-confidence will be strengthened by this group adventure.

Ropeways and other rope events

It all depends on the technique

Overcoming fears

More informations and ideas concerning outdoor education