Adventure Programming Facilities

1
Adventure Programming Facilities

• Chapter 18

2
Why a Climbing Wall?

• Integral part of an adventure program
• Use a climbing groups or individuals
• High-profile architecture
• Efficiently use an underutilized area of a
  facility
• Training facility for climbers
• An additional fitness development opportunity

3
Planning Questions

• Who will be the users?
• Will the wall be a stand-alone entity?
• Will the wall be used in conjunction with other
  facilities?
• How will the project be funded?
• Is this a new or retrofit of an existing
  facility?
• How much space is available?

4
Planning Questions

• How important are aesthetics?
• What type of flooring will be best for the
  facility?
• Do the design features promote safety, minimize
  maintenance problems, and meet program needs?

5
Design Factors

• Wall surface real rock look, seamless cement,
  panels, wood
• Wall height bouldering wall 12 Commercial
  height 25 to 35 competition wall 35
  training wall 40
• Portable walls
• Climbing treadmills
• Wall features number, type, and location of
  handholds, cracks, aretes (corner), depressions,
  overhangs, caves, ledges, etc.

6
Design Factors

• Wall structure wall sub-structure must be
  designed to hold weight of climbers, movement of
  climbers, and impact of climbers
• Security
• Storage
• Flooring movable landing mats, thickly padded
  carpeting, 6 of rubber pieces or gravel
  flooring extends 6 out from furthest protrusion
  of the wall

7
Climbing Wall Types

• Homemade
• Prefabricated panel system
• Portable walls
• Climbing towers

8
Climbing Equipment

• Ropes
• Harnesses
• Helmets
• Belay system
• Locking D carabiners
• Climbing shoes

9
Safety Standards for Walls

• Supervisors are qualified instructors
• Emergency equipment available
• CPR and First Aid training for personnel
• Periodic in-service training
• Policies and emergency procedures must be posted

• Climbers must show proficiency in belay
  techniques, rope-handling skills, and climbing
  signals
• Facilities regularly inspected
• Negative air pressure maintained in indoor
  facility
• Wall surface moderately abrasive

10
Challenge Ropes CoursesLearning Objectives

• Commitment
• Communication
• Fun, exhilaration, challenge
• Risk taking
• Fear management
• Team work
• Leadership
• Ability to follow
• Problem solving

• Safety education
• Trying ones best
• The joy of effort
• Exceeding ones perceived limits
• Trust
• Cooperation
• Compassion
• Physical fitness
• Coordination

11
General Elements of Low Ropes Course

• Rope swing on knotted rope
• Spiders web
• Hanging tire
• Traversing and balancing the swinging log
• Tension traverse on low cable wire with overhead
  rope

• Traverse the diverging cable wires
• Balance beam traverse
• Low wall
• Higher log beam
• Swinging tires traverse
• Catwalk or twin cable wire feet only traverse

12
High-Challenge Ropes Course

• Vertical rope ladders, cargo nets, or log rungs
• Centipede poles with staples, firecracker ladders
• Inclined log, fidget ladder, or beam
• High and low cable bridge traverse

• Zip wire on a pulley
• Trapeze dive
• Pamper pole or high pedestal
• Trapeze or knotted rope swing
• Twin wire cable or rope traverse
• Cable traverse with hanging rings or vertical
  ropes for hands

13
Ropes Course Maintenance

• Use pressure-treated lumber
• Weatherproof wood parts
• Use only healthy trees with a solid root system
  as support trees
• Use wood chips or bark mulch around the base of
  trees

• Immediately replace dead or insect-infected trees
• Trim and clear broken or overgrowing limbs
• Remove splinters and rough edges on all wood
  parts
• Replace and repair all rotten or cracked wood

14
Rope Course Maintenance

• Reset protruding mails
• Check for rotting of the poles in the ground
• Use only galvanized metal items (i.e., bolts,
  cables, cable locks, rapid links)
• Tighten nuts and bolts, turnbuckles, and clamps

• Temporarily cover all frayed cable ends
• Cover all frayed areas with permanent sleeves
• Inspect cables for smoothness
• Cables should be 3/8 wire rope that is 7 x 19 (7
  stands with 19 wires per strand)

15
Challenge Ropes Course Equipment

• Use Union International Association of Alpinists
  certified climbing ropes and screwgate locking
  carabiners
• Install only stainless steel or galvanized
  hardware
• Have participants wear an adjustable harness

• Maintain positive security while on the ropes
  course using lobster claws
• Minimize rope wear and damage by using a shear
  reduction devise
• Have a first aid kit available
• Store equipment in cool dry place

16
Challenge Ropes Course Equipment

• Lightning protection on high ropes courses
• Require helmets be worn on high or dangerous
  elements
• Use a gravity break on a zip line element