New High Ropes Course for Our Team Building Program

Our high ropes course has been a favorite among our team building program activities and leadership development exercises. The naturally anchored tree course has been adored by all ages, all year round, since its construction in 1990. We have guided many participants to brave our Ponderosa pine canopies from summer campers to corporate retreats in Colorado.

The beautiful facility will be hosting its 33rd season this year, and has endured a fair amount of alpine weathering. Director of The Nature Place, Martie Jones, has been with the Colorado Outdoor Education Center for eight years now and took on the challenge of updating and creatively improving the course. From her previous experience of over 12 years in the outdoor industry and passion for all things adventurous, Martie’s new perspective for the build is one we are all excited to see come to life.

The ‘new’ high ropes course will be a mixture of popular industry experiences, as well as some innovative elements. One new feature “is to add a dual line zipline so two people can go down a zipline right next to each other,” according to Martie. In addition, there will be a ‘vertical playpen’ and ‘quadrophenia’ installed. The quadrophenia is a unique adventure course installation that will be similar to the existing ‘pamper pole.’ The pamper pole is a telephone pole that participants ascend, then has the option to stand on top and jump off with their team supporting them. The quadrophenia has the capability to hold multiple people at once to climb and dismount together. With this new adventure course, a collaborative option will be a great asset to the current training programs as it will facilitate further opportunity for teamwork and personal leadership development to occur.

Aside from necessary structural updates, the primary reason for the high ropes remodel is to ensure it continues to meet standards monitored by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT). All permanent fixtures are closely monitored for common signs of wear, and have passed all inspections from prior seasons. Inspectors certified from the ACCT at Leahy and Associates Inc. visit annually to properly assess what is invisible to the eye, “they decide what needs to be retired, what needs to be repaired, and what’s good to go,” says Martie.

Experiential Systems, Inc. is overseeing design and construction. Construction is slated to be completed by the end of spring 2022, with the only expected delay being the acquisition of supplies in the materials market. The Nature Place anticipates that retreats in Colorado will not be affected by the installation of the high ropes course, as the construction is designed to give priority to any team building program using the course, so that it is always available for partial use days.

Participants from Sanborn Western Camps and High Trails Outdoor Education Center also look forward to the new and updated course this year. Martie describes, “the most fun part was getting to look at different designs and dreaming big, and getting to see what really was the potential for our space and for our variety of uses because we welcome guests from young kids to adults to experience this course.”

To explore an experiential learning opportunity in Colorado or book a high ropes course adventure with us, please get in touch with us here! We’d be happy to discuss our current schedule and availability for a team building program, family reunions, or corporate retreats in Colorado!