7 minute read
High Expectations
KristallTurm ® high ropes course in Flumserberg Switzerland.
Having installed its first high ropes course in Australia at the Melbourne Cable Park, KristallTurm is looking to expand across Australasia
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For years, an activity used for corporate team building, high ropes courses have exploded around the world over the past decade.
The adrenalin pumping activity, delivering challenges and fun, offers experiences categorised as being in the adventure leisure, adventure-based education or ‘soft’ adventure space.
Linking with the ongoing rise in nature-based tourism and the growth in popularity of recreational climbing - with sport climbing set to make its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games - high ropes courses allow people to explore their sense of adventure.
KristallTurm ® High Ropes Course at the Melbourne Cable Park.
In use, guests are usually given training advice by guides,
then clip themselves into a form of carabiner or belay system (ensuring they are always connected to the course) before undertaking high and/or low elements. Low elements take place close to the ground while high elements - sometimes constructed in trees - see users undertake features such as giant swings, rope ladders, bridges and abseiling.
Famous for its forests, mountains and gateau, as well as its ‘b’s’ - beer (and bierfests), BMW and football’s Bayern Munich - the southern German state of Bavaria is well known in business for its production of high quality and innovative products as well as a commitment to safety - Germany’s DIN standards program being one of the most respected in the world.
Based in the town of Lenggries in the Alpine foothills, KristallTurm ® was founded in 2010 by master carpenter and
graduate in technical business administration, Heinz Tretter.
Inspired by the hexagonal structure of ice crystals, Heinz Tretter developed the idea for KristallTurm’s modern and unique concept for high rope courses, with a multitude of advantages for visitors, operators and investors.
With a commitment to precision engineering, maximum safety and highest quality standards - not only applied to the material used, but also to the production process and customer service, KristallTurm’s innovative design, not only of the main high ropes course structures, but also of the small details, such as themed climbing elements, have made it a global leader.
Every course is constructed in accordance with the EN 15567
INNOVATION IN HIGH ROPES COURSES
SPACE SAVING · ECONOMIC · ADVENTUROUS
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KristallTurm high ropes course SOAR Adventure, Franklin, Tennessee, USA
standard and certified by Germany’s TÜV SÜD inspection and product certification services prior to operation.
KristallTurm high ropes courses are generally made from galvanised steel and waterproofed-larch wood, which makes them robust and weather-resistant.
In certain areas, such as those with salt content in the air, an additional special corrosion protection is applied to the steel masts to protect the ropes course from weathering and water.
Designs vary from four pole two-level installations through to towering 18-pole four-level structures offering features such as giant swings, tube slides, climbing panels, abseiling station along with decorative elements and features such as rowing boats, beach baskets or life saver rings.
With platforms even able to feature event spaces, the courses can be themed to the region and/or the customers’ branding.
KristallTurm also prepares site analyses as well as a calculation of profitability for interested parties in advance of orders to determine whether a facility at the desired location is recommended.
Explaining this potential, Tretter advises “amusement and theme park operators are always on the search for additional offerings to complement their rides and attractions” highlighting that “in contrast to other attractions, high ropes courses usually require physical exertion” as well as “dexterity, coordination and strength.”
He adds “the capacity of a high ropes course can be an attractive factor for many operators as they allow for high guest counts despite a compact footprint.”
“A high ropes course from KristallTurm covering 900 metre² allows for approximately 160 people to climb simultaneously (while) low staffing requirements are also a benefit on the operational side.”
KristallTurm high ropes course at Cliimber, Flumserberg, Switzerland
Since its creation, KristallTurm has secured numerous awards and patented its system, while growing to serve a worldwide market.
Installed in more than 50 locations across 20 countries and five continents, KristallTurm attractions have been constructed in locations including hotel roofs, shopping centre developments and urban green spaces as well as being incorporated into ski resorts looking for year-round revenue, adventure parks and recreational facilities.
High profile installations around the world include attractions in KristallTurm’s native Germany as well as in the Chinese city of Shanghai, Japan, Russia, Switzerland, Israel, Denmark, Spain, USA and the Melbourne Cable Park.
Of the more than 50 facilities the company has built worldwide, 10 have been indoor, with indoor facilities especially popular in the Middle East and Arabian Gulf where people prefer climatecontrolled spaces due to the high summer temperatures.
In Shanghai, its Magic Jungle installation occupies a highprofile site at the International Cruise Ship Terminal on the banks of the Huangpo River.
The attraction, which opened in 2018, consists of 13 hot-dip galvanised and painted steel masts with climbing stations, a 400 metre² covered platform for events, a giant swing, a tube slide that leads from the platform down to the ground, climbing panels attached to the steel poles and an abseiling station.
Its sole Australasian installation to date is an 18-pole facility at the Melbourne Cable Park, which first opened at the beginning of 2017 with a wakeboard lift and a large open water aquatic playground.
Located in the south eastern suburb of Bangholme, the attraction added the 18-pole facility at the end of that year offering varied climbing elements, such as the Rainbow and the Bird (which sees climbers ‘fly’ from platform to platform), the high ropes course includes a giant swing, abseiling station, kids course, ground platform, observation deck, fast track and a slackline.
It was developed thanks to a $600,000 grant from the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments as part of the Tourism Demand Driver Infrastructure Program.
As KristallTurm expands its sales all over the world, it has established a global network of sales agents, who act as a local contact to serve regional markets.
Mindful of the market potential, KristallTurm has established a base in Rotorua to supply the modular system in Australia and New Zealand.
Entrepreneur Alex Schmid of 4nature NZ Ltd, who is wellknown to the New Zealand tourism industry due to his role in the development of Rotorua’s popular Redwoods Treewalk, is keen to talk to operators and investors about how the attraction could complement existing product portfolios.
He explains “the biggest advantage of the system is that it is highly adaptable so (is) suitable for a wide variety of sites.
“It is brilliant for urban areas such as central business district waterfront sites, but can work equally as well at the top of a gondola where it would serve to attract additional customers to an existing product.”
Schmid, who is also the New Zealand representative for ecotourism and soft nature adventure attraction Fly-Line®, pointed to business events as another potential market for the product.
He adds “one of the options available as part of the system is the inclusion of an events platform at the top of the attraction making it a great option for corporate events or team building.”
KristallTurm products are suitable for all ages with climbing experience or a high level of physical fitness not necessary. Alex Schmid can be contacted on +64 21 084 01156, E: schmid.alex@kristallturm.co.nz.
www.ticketrocket.co.nz www.ticketrocket.co.nz
