By Kim Cassell
High Ropes Courses: Challenge Yourself! EXPERIENTIAL CAN BE DEFINED AS INVOLVING OR BASED ON EXPERIENCE AND OBSERVATION. IN THIS CASE, THE EXPERIENCE – THE CHALLENGE – INVOLVES ROPES.
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“In general, a challenge course is like an obstacle course for adults – but one that comes with more than just physical fitness benefits,” according to Learn Through Experience. “A challenge course is typically a physical challenge to complete, and these challenges often require teamwork to reach a goal. Challenge courses often have elements of difficulty that may cause some participants to feel fearful.” Employers, for example, put their employees in an unfamiliar – and perhaps uncomfortable – environment where they must rely on each other. “It’s a whole new way of thinking about professional development because it gets at the heart of the human experience by asking your coworkers to understand themselves and their peers – and then to use that insight to solve problems, discover strengths and weaknesses and take new interpersonal skills back into the workplace to apply them to your business,” Learn Through Experience says. “Done properly, team-building on a challenge course can be a turning point in your workplace.” High and low rope obstacle-type courses are designed using wooden poles and platforms with cables and ropes strung between. Low ropes courses are usually one to 12 feet in height and may utilize traverses (movements), mazes, bridges and balance beams.