Facilitator's Corner

Putting the challenge course to bed for winter

Chris Ortiz — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:49:00 GMT

Many of you out there who manage a challenge course live in a climate in which we have this thing called winter or "the off-season" This is the time of year when it is no longer fun to be out climbing on the challenge course for the average participant. I do realize that there are many areas of the world in which challenge courses do not need to hibernate until the feeling comes back to the finger tips of the instructors. I also have worked for a number of programs who basically decide to just ignore that winter exist. You can often spot these programs by the oversized staples that allow for Sorel clad climbers to ascend the trees or by the brooms and shovels teathered 40 feet in the pines. If your challenge course is in a climate in which you need not worry about cold seasons or find the need to own a pair of pants that extends below your knee, you need not read any further, but if you have deal with a dreaded "off-season" I thought I might offer some tips for tucking your course in for a long winter's nap.

Let's be clear right off, you do not need to "take down" your course every winter. Is it a good Idea, yes for the most part. If you have the time in your schedule and possibly the knowledge of self belay systems... it will extend the life of your equipment and allow you the opportunity to do some in house inspection of your challenge course both on the winter take-down and the spring set-up. Not taking down your gear leads to 3 things; a longer time in between close visual inspection of your challenge course, potential for winter nesting in your equipment shed, and increasingly more difficult to open rapid links and other hardware. The choice is yours really but if you decide to put your course to bed for the winter... here are some things to think about.

Don't climb alone. When the time comes to take all your gear down...the days will be getting increasingly colder and the staff will possibly be getting increasingly less interested in climbing. Always try to climb with a buddy. You will likely be up in areas of your course that rarely get climbed on and struggling with wrenches and pliers to get stuck rapid links open, fatiguing yourself more than you may be accustomed to on a typical challenge course day. Mistakes happen to the most experienced climbers. It is nice to have someone around who can help you out of a jam or through you up a prussick in your time of need. At very least... have a cell phone handy to call someone in your time of need.
Now that we have that out of the way, lets look at your climbing ropes. When you are preparing to store you ropes for the winter, be sure that they are completely dry... especially if you decide to wash them at seasons end. More on that later. When it comes to locations for storage, consider a place that you can secure from moisture, extreme temperatures and critters. Moist basements - Bad... Hot attics - bad. Stacked on top of the lawn mower and next to the gas can - Worst! For the official word let me post a few notes straight from New England Ropes on the subject
- Rope Cleaning - A clean rope is less susceptible to internal abrasion from dirt and rock particles. To clean a rope, place it in a pillow case or mesh bag, then wash the rope in a mild detergent, like Woolite or Ivory Snow, on the gentle cycle. Always allow the rope to dry thoroughly out of direct sunlight. (My thoughts- in most situations, if you are taking good care of your ropes throughout the season, it is rare that you need to wash your ropes. If you do wash them... hang them loosely inside somewhere to thoroughly dry before storage.)
- Storage - Store all ropes in a cool dry place away from heat, excessive moisture, humidity, and exposure to UV and/or chemicals which can reduce the lifespan o f the rope. (Nuff said I think)
Harnesses fall into a similar category to ropes. I would clean and treat them almost the same as your ropes. So just read above and replace rope with harness.
Helmets are pretty easy too. Wipe them out with a clean cloth and if need be, some warm water and mild soap won't hurt. Dry them out and be sure when you choose a place to store them that critters can not get into this sweaty salty treat (speaking from the mind of a mouse there). Rubber bins with secure lids work for most of these storage needs. Maybe big clean trash bins for you folks with 20+ helmets.
Hardware (SRD, Pulleys, Rapid links, carabiners, Belay devices) The benefit of climbing up and taking down all that belay gear out ways the hassle, in my mind. When you bring it down, find a way to keep your hual cords together with your belay gear and labled so that when you go to set up next spring... there is little guess work to be done. Give the rapid links a good lubrication before you put them to away. A syliconized lubricant works great but most lubricants are fine if you are careful to wipe away any excess so it does not get onto your other equipment later on. Anyway, get it down, lube it and store it away.
Hawser laid 3 strand type ropes used on your course for hand lines swing ropes or lanyards are really your call. If they are easy to disconnect and bring in for the season, great, but don't go crazy here. You are not likely to add that much life to these ropes by bringing them in. Many of you already store this stuff when it is not in use for access reasons on your low elements. Store them like you would other ropes above. So if you can take them down easily, go for it. Otherwise... you will see them come spring and they will likely look like they do now.

So as the snow has officially flown in Brattleboro, VT, I need to get climbing. So if you are walking through the hills of Vermont and you hear Holiday music playing and the gentle clicking of metal on metal, don't look up for Santa, wave up to me in the trees... and bring some hot cocoa. As for my friends in Alaska, I know I am about 4 months late with this post... sorry, stay warm.

Don’t Let Regulations Become the Program by Jim Grout

Chris Ortiz — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:15:00 GMT

Below is an article by High 5's own Jim Grout. Jim brings a unique perspective, having been a member of the committee that drafted the ACCT Practitioner Certification Standards and his 28 years in the field. Jim offers up a much needed reminder of why we all do what we do. Thanks Jim ~Chris Ortiz

Over the last several years the challenge course industry has been in the midst of some of the most significant changes in its three decade plus history. Practitioner certification guidelines and governmental regulation are changing the way we do business more than ever before. Whether or not we agree with these changes matters little, for change is inevitable. We all must now decide how to best adapt to these changes. As we enter the second year of Practitioner Certification influencing the way we do business, it seems a bit of reflection may be in order.

It’s a given that we all must use our technical skills to deliver challenge course experiences within a safe environment. But in this era of growing requirements and regulations coming from many directions, administrators, insurance companies, government regulators and our industry itself, it is important not to let all of this become the program. Over my 28 years in the field of adventure I have always thought that experiential education can be defined simply; it is an educational tool for helping people develop as a person. When I’ve found myself challenged with what feels like too much information and regulation, too many details and demands, I go back to that simple definition for perspective.

Most skills based training workshops contain an enormous amount of information to absorb. It can feel overwhelming at times for participants to remember how to tie the right knot, choose an appropriate game or initiative, facilitate a debrief, set up a belay or put on a harness properly. Program managers are also taxed with the additional responsibilities of training and managing staff, developing local operating procedures and staying current with trends in the field.

It is because of all this that I end my training workshops by telling participants, “When in doubt, give them your heart.” Hopefully it reminds people that the essence of what we do as adventure educators is to provide people with a powerful learning experience that is engaging, challenging, thought provoking, fun and safe.

It is our job as skilled educators to try to achieve the magical balance between technical skills and thoughtful facilitation, to create the best and most powerful experience for our audience.

So by all means dot the I’s, cross the T’s, learn your skills and learn them well. But then make sure to connect and inspire those with whom you work.

~Jim Grout

Maintenance in between your yearly inspections.

Chris Ortiz — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:57:00 GMT

I was going to include this in my last post but that one was getting sort of long and I felt like there was enough information about this that it deserved its own posting. Here are some tips for keeping up on the maintenance in between your annual challenge course inspection by a qualified challenge course professional.

In addition to the annual inspection, programs should conduct their own inspections on a regular basis. In this instance regular means two things, seasonal and daily.

Seasonal inspections or those done as conditions may dictate due to weather (on outdoor courses), high volume of use, etc. should be assigned to your course manager or some staff person who is familiar with the course construction. Many things can occur that can alter the condition of the course between annual inspection dates. Other daily inspections are the responsibility of all staff utilizing the course. It is recommended that you have a means for communicating any problems with the course to all staff whether they are in-house full-time people or adjunct staff who use the course occasionally. At High 5 we use emails and a white board posted in our equipment shed. Issues and concerns can be readily posted for the next facilitator to see before the next program begins.

Wood Chips - Without a covering of wood chips or some other type of organic mulch, a high volume of foot traffic on a challenge course will cause soil compaction which is a detriment to tree health. Six inches of organic material spread over all areas of consistent foot traffic is recommended. Because of ongoing decomposition, this should be done annually.
- Many sites, including my own, have a difficult time keeping up with wood chips. Here is one of the most simple and ingenious ways I have heard of keeping up with this tedious task. Keep a pile of wood chips at the entrance of your course along with a bunch of 5 gal. buckets. Each group that is going out on to the course takes a bucket of chips with them. They then dump the bucket at the element they are going to use. One bucket is not much but over the course of the year... Besides who really enjoys that sweaty buggy "staff day" of hauling and spreading wood chips. Thanks for the tip whatever site originally told me about this technique... I don't remember who you are.
Eye ka-bobs and widow makers - Make an effort to keep up with the removal of any loose, dead limbs that overhang an area where participants will be congregating or are passing. These hanging widow makers can come down in a strong wind and be a serious hazard, but don't forget the low level branches that stretch out into the path or activity area trying to poke an eye (my old friend Cathy is cringing somewhere if she is reading this, visualizing the eye-ka-bob.)
Vandalism - No matter how remote or protected your challenge course is... if people know about it... it is an attractive nuisance. Keep an eye out of dropped haul cords, moved or missing equipment as they could be clues to more significant damage you haven't yet found.
- While we are on the subject of attractive nuisances, simple measures can be taken to make your course unattractive. Challenge courses can easily be built with "put up/take down" cables or element access (which should be locked away when not in use). Has anyone thought of putting those fake security signs up... my father-in-law has them on his doors, little signs that say this house is protected by ABC security systems. No such company but I think would be a deterrent if I was just passing by and had nuisancy thoughts. That or just electrify your cables when you aren't there.... Just kidding... DON'T do that, I shouldn't have even joked!
Critters - Challenge courses provide numerous nooks and crannies for critters to find a home. Squirrel nests in tires are a common one. Give those tires a thump now and again to make sure there is no build up of nesting material inside. Another spot to be aware is in the shed. Our High 5 shed has had mice make a home in just a few short days and on one occasion ate partially through a belay rope. Such damage would only be detected by the watchful eye of the facilitator conducting the days’ program. Of course insect critters are also a concern. Keep an eye out for nest on towers or other elements and make sure you have wholes drilled in the bottom side of tires for water drainage so as not to create standing water for mosquito or other insects.
Weather - As I mentioned in the intro to this post... weather can reek havoc on the course. Be extra attentive after big electrical storms and high winds. Look for down branches and tree condition. If lightning strikes one tree on our course it can travel through cables or through the air to other trees... come check out our old zip line at High 5... 5 trees in one strike including the 2 primary trees on that element.
What is that Metallic grinding? - Be aware of points on your course were you have metal to metal contact... I know, that is everywhere, so keep your eyes open everywhere.
Cable ends - It is not uncommon for serving sleeves to slide out of places. Loose cable ends may seem like a cosmetic issue but they are sharp little buggers. Get skewered by one of those and you won't soon forget. If you can not replace the serving sleeve, a healthy dose of duct tape is a good band aid until it can be properly fixed.
Record Keeping and storage - Walking into a well organized, clean shed just makes you feel confident in the program on some level. It would follow suit that other aspects of the program are also thoughtfully cared for. Some form of rope log that could include such things as date rope is put in service, hours of use, days of use, number of participant, etc is also an example of conscientious management practices. Of course, such record keeping does not actually dictate the retirement date of a rope (though ropes do have a manufacturer suggested maximum shelf life). The most accurate measure of this is a regular visual and tactile inspection with every use and how your ropes have been used.

Wow, that is a lot of stuff to look at and pay attention to. There is even more but if you get nothing else from this post... be mindful of the equipment you handle on a daily basis. It is so easy to go into auto pilot and mindlessly hang ropes and attach carabiners. Notice the carabiners operation and wear points, inspect ropes every time you hang them and pay attention, period. (was that period redundant)

Chris Ortiz

Additional thoughts... on my last post

Chris Ortiz — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:46:00 GMT

Hey, A quick addition to thelast post... I had this article in mind when I wrote that post and I couldn't find it. But alas, I found it. Sylvia Dresser (ACCT Executive Director)wrote "ACCT’s Accreditation Program and Practitioner Certification Challenge (Course) Standards: What Do They Mean to Camps?" in the Winter 2008 CampLine Publication from ACA, in which she does a great job summarizing the framework of the ACCT Practioner Certification Standards and relates them to ACA's veiws. In my post I refer to certification and put a large emphisis on training, as does Sylvia...

The type of training for camp staff who supervise a challenge course is something to be taken very seriously. We know anecdotally that equipment when used properly does not fail, and human error (sometimes attributable to lack of proper training) is the cause of most accidents on the challenge course. Training concerns cannot be taken lightly in this industry. A definite focus exists on challenge course “staff” being trained by a professional trainer in first generation training versus the often seen “in-house” training.

In that same Publication, Recommended Zip Line Procedures and Protocols are given with content from Bobby Tod of Ropeworks, Inc. Some great thoughts there too.

Special attention to the “critical points” of activity. Staff may fall into an assembly-line stupor when sending participants on the zip line one after the other after the other. Action must be taken to prevent staff members from “zoning out” while facilitating this or any adventure challenge.

This is exactly my point when I to referred, what I called "Repetetive Strain Injury". This article references operating procedures and maintenance... and of course training.

Here is the link to this newsletter I am referring to at the ACA website where you can also view pdf's of archived CampLines as well as subscribe to the publication. Next post on Challenge Course Maintenance tips to come soon. Have a great summer.

Chris

Why does your summer camp(or school, college, etc.) have a challenge course?

Chris Ortiz — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:40:00 GMT

After finishing a whirlwind of camp trainings to kick off the summer, I thought maybe I could put together a top 10 list of tips for the summer challenge course program. I am realizing that this may be a bit off the mark timing wise as the programs are already in full swing but it could be food for thought and reflection.

I have spent the better part of my career in outdoor education and summer camp adventure programs. That is where I cut my teeth in the adventure world as many of you have in the past or are doing now. In my experience, running challenge course programs in that summer camp setting can be more of a challenge then some programs may care to discuss. But these troubles are not relegated to the Camp world... they are just an easy target. So hopefully, the broader challenge course world can glean some information from below.

So here it goes... (approx.) 10 tips for the summer challenge course program.

1. Why do you have a challenge course? This is a bigger question than it might seem. Do you have one just because the camp down the road has one or do you have an intentional adventure program that utilizes the challenge course as a tool to achieve an end result. It is easy for the camp world to get caught up in the game of keeping up with the Joneses. A challenge course without a program is a big jungle gym with a whole lot of liability and risk. I would repeat... Why do you have a challenge course?

2. Who is your Challenge Course Manager? If you have a challenge course as part of your program someone needs to manage it. The question of who is a bigger issue. This should be someone who has adequately training in both the appropriate technical skills and in those skills necessary as a challenge course manager. If this is the year round Camp Director, great... make sure you have the background knowledge to make good decisions for your adventure program... maybe check out a Ropes Course Management training in the off-season.

3. Build a better staff, not a bigger challenge course. Wouldn't it be great if some of that capital development went into staff training and development instead of building the super cool, fast, exciting glitzy element. Make the challenge course you have the best it can be before you go for the 600' zip line over the lake with a ring of fire in the middle. That translates to fund available to staff to get the training they need to succeed.

4. Do you have a training plan for ensuring quality programming? A camp analogy that has been kicking around lately is the comparison of your challenge course program to your waterfront program. You would not open your waterfront without qualified lifeguards and well thought out procedures. We have spent considerable time coaching programs to develop the proper procedures and training so that you can feel confident with your challenge course staff and the program they are delivering to your clients in an equally high risk program area. You should notice I did not say “certified lifeguards” (but we know that is what they are). Let’s take it one step at a time. That is a blog for another day. Certification may be a buzz in the adventure world but the heart of the issue is quality training and thoughtful program

5. In-house training vs. Professional training.

Trainings by outside individuals or organizations are a vital piece of every organization's training plan. Additionally, in-house trainings that refresh and re-visit the various skill sets are invaluable to maintaining good practices among staff. However, it is not a good practice for a program to conduct internal trainings only. Often a staff person who attends a professional training provided by an external vendor may want to come back to train others on her staff. Too often these efforts include only a fraction of the time and content of the original training. They also tend to focus on technical skills only with insufficient time spent on the broader but equally important topics such as program design, proper sequencing, program philosophy, etc. These “second” and “third” generation trainings can result in diminished quality over time.

6. Where is your Annual Inspection report? Know what your annual inspection from your qualified challenge course professional says and make sure it does not just get filed away in an office somewhere. That inspection report should have information to inform your program about future repairs and maintenance issues.

7. Develop Local Operating procedures. Assure that your program has a set of Local Operating Procedures and that all staff are well versed in them. This is the key to continuity in the world of high turn over of camp staff. Have your challenge course vendor look over your LOP's and give you suggestions. You don't need to start from scratch either. There are plenty of organizations who will share (attention: Shameless High 5 plug), take for example the new High 5 Guide by Jim Grout and Nicki Hall with an accompanying sample LOP CD.

8. Challenge course maintenance tips- More on this to come in my next post but in addition to the annual inspection, programs should conduct their own inspections on a regular basis, both seasonal and daily.

On a daily basis, all staff who are facilitating on your course should be attentive to the equipment they are using. Run ropes through your hands before you hang them, look at carabiners and belay devices before you use them. Wear on this hardware could be a sign of a bigger issue.
Seasonally, your course manager or some staff person who is familiar with the course construction can due more thorough checks as many things can occur that can alter the condition of the course between annual inspection dates.

9. Repetitive strain injury (RSI) - while this is a real medical situation, I am using this more metaphorically. If you program design dictates that staff members repetitively send people of the zip line for hours on end or belay the climbing tower for hours at a time... fatigue sets in and mistakes happen. Unchecked harness, lazy belaying, miss clips on the zip platforms, Stuff that keeps you up at night as a Camp Director or Challenge Course Manager. I guess this one goes back to why the "Why do you have a challenge course?" question. 6-8 hours of trapeze jumps does not sound like creative, sequenced programming. It sounds a bit like an amusement park.

10. Love what you do and do what you love. Okay so I was running out of ideas here and felt obligated by society to not leave the list at 9... had to be 10. But seriously, with all of this...this... stuff, it is easy to forget that it is fun to run an adventure program. Fun. When all the details are in line... we get to have fun. and get paid. Not a bad life really.

Okay so that is 10. I hope you find some piece of information useful. Obviously my opinions on certain subjects will be skewed by my role as a trainer at a Professional Vendor Member of ACCT, but as I mentioned, I have spent the larger part of the last 15yrs in Adventure in the Camping world. I hope I speak from that perspective too.

Keep an eye out for another post soon with tips for challenge course maintenance between inspections.

Chris Ortiz

Welcome to the Facilitator's corner

Chris Ortiz — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:21:00 GMT

I am thrilled to be part of the Outdoor Ed community blog-o-sphere. The intention is for this to be a place for facilitators to pop in and get some new ideas, points of view, activities, resources and whatever else the facilitators of this community need.

As a trainer at High 5 Adventure, I am most familiar with issues in the realm of challenge courses but in varied career in outdoor education, I have been a trip leader, environmental educator, challenge course practitioner, program director, bird handler, director of education, carpenter, furniture builder...wait wait...to much information I think on my background, but the point is that I am hoping to bring my varied experience and dare I say expertise to the community.

I will admit that at this point, I have no idea where this blog will go and that is exciting on some level. It also means I will need your help., direction and input. While I will be the primary contributor to this blog, I would welcome your submissions and will act as an editor in that respect.

My hope is that this blog will give you ideas, resources and maybe your occasional educational story of learning and humor. I also hope you will leave thinking... so I will finish this first post with this simple true or false question...

True or False: "This statement is False."

Did I mention I have found a recent interest in Philosophy...

Chris Ortiz