Low ropes present:
- A level of physical effort, no more than a couple of feet off the ground – all of which require support from teammates through spotting and verbal/emotional encouragement:
- Balancing on metal cables with the aid of rope “hand lines”
- Negotiating obstacles
- Passing teammates through openings in a giant “spider web,” etc
- A play upon perceptions of risk which directly feeds into:
- Building trust among group members
- Making personal choices
- Confronting perceived personal limitations
Risk plays an important role in adventure education
In the case of OWLS activities, the risk is overwhelmingly perceived risk: when our mind sees something as dangerous even though most of the true danger has been removed. Perceived risk is valued in adventure education because it allows for significant personal challenge without significant potential for physical harm.
By introducing a higher degree of physical effort, participants:
- Remain engaged and interested
- Are challenged to develop new skills while continuing to develop the skills they acquired earlier through ground based initiatives.
- Reveal learning and leadership styles that are not as readily apparent intraditional working and educationalenvironments,allowing for leadership from unlikely places.
These experiences also allow the OWLS staff to gauge the readiness of the group for increasingly challenging activities. For some groups, failure to achieve sparks more learning than success, helping individuals see that the problem-solving process is as important as the end result.
Low ropes as an introduction to OWLS’ high elements
Some of the key issues at the high ropes course and climbing tower are introduced at low ropes elements – such as proper use of and respect for safety systems, confronting perceived risks, and self and team-reliance. Participants are given an opportunity to learn skills, test them out, and hone them for future use.
Descriptions of Low Ropes Elements:
Nitro River Swing Crossing – A multi-step problem where participants begin on a small, low wooden platform on the ground and must first figure out how to retrieve a long rope. Once in possession of the rope, they will be challenged to swing from the platform, over the ground (where the “nitro river” runs, don’t fall in!) landing in team-assigned spots often marked by hula-hoops and given labels that reflect the groups’ goals.
Common learning outcomes:
- Teams develop plans for rope retrieval
- Teams utilize spotting commands and techniques to assist one another in swinging and landing
- Leaders naturally emerge and others follow as only deliberate planning and total support/participation will result in success
Grapevine – The group divides itself into smaller teams of three and attempts to cross a space between two trees balanced on a metal cable one foot above the ground. The trios have only “grapevines” for support, hanging down at intervals ranging from three to seven feet apart. The small groups must work together to support one another, balance and traverse the cable, without losing contact with each other or touching the ground.
The remaining members of the team, who will also have opportunities to attempt the crossing, act as spotters and cheerleaders to ensure the physical and emotional safety of the participants who are off the ground.
Common learning outcomes:
- Teams learn to adapt to the different degrees of ability among participants
- Teams learn the importance of giving support and attention even when not actively problem solving
Spider’s Web – As a team, the group figures out how to get from one side of a giant spider web (8 feet high by 12 feet wide, large and small openings,) without making contact with the web itself. Once a participant has passed through an opening in the web, it is considered off-limits to the remaining team members who are waiting to pass through the web to the other side.
The activity requires planning, physical coordination and persistence for one single touch to the web can result in a person needing to be re-sent through or the whole team beginning again.
Common learning outcomes:
- Teams learn that one person’s lack of focus/participation can be the difference between success and frustration
- Teams learn to make and stick to a plan in order to achieve objectives
Electric Fence/Portal – A rope, tire or hula hoop is suspended several feet from the ground and the team must figure out how to get each member over or through the element without touching it. Once a person has been passed from one side of the element to the other, they may not return to the original side, thus making the last few participant’s journey from one side to the other a real challenge for the team.
Balance Log – Much like a teeter-totter, this element requires the team to load everyone onto the beam without it ever touching the ground at either end. A successful experience on the element requires focus, trust, physical support, communication, leadership and willing followers.
All Aboard – This element is a simple platform ranging from one foot to three inches above the ground. The team’s goal is to get everyone on the platform at one time without using the ground or anything around them for support.
Other low ropes elements include:
- Acid River
- Personal Challenge Course
- Kitten Crawl
- Space Loops
- Wobble Log
- Tension Traverse
- Trolleys
- Incomplete Bridge
- Combination Lock
- Birthday Line Up
- River Crossing
- Ladder Falls
- Magic Ladder
- 12-Foot Wall
- Nitro
OWLS is committed to addressing the individual goals and needs of each group that comes through the program. Because of this, we strive to create original and appropriate programming and grant access to activities and elements that will best address the specific group goals as established by the client. An OWLS leader will set different parameters and make special programming choices for each group he or she leads.