What’s up, Summer Campers?
Some of the activities that you’ll participate in at summer camp may challenge how much you thought you were capable of achieving. The thrill of seeing just how far you can go can come as you calmly sit behind a canvas or it can strike you alarmingly as you traverse a Ropes Course at high altitudes. Today I’m talking about the latter.
Ropes Courses are a challenging outdoor experience with elements that may have ground level obstacles along with portions just above the ground as well as elements that are rather high up, constructed in trees or made using utility poles with the participants suspended for safety with anchored ropes called belays.
An extension of ground-level obstacle courses, Ropes Courses have been a part of military training since the days of the Ancient Greeks. They were used as a means of training Herculean individuals into states of physical fitness—now able to be experienced when you head to summer camp!
And sure, this activity is one that can whip you into shape, but its benefits far surpass the physical level. As campers conquer the Ropes Course at their summer camp, here’s a list of ways this exercise can help build your character as well as mental—and even emotional—maturity:
- Problem-Solving
- Brainstorming Ideas
- Goal-Setting
- Decision-Making
- Self-Confidence
- Positive Risk-Taking
- Leadership
- Enhanced Cooperation
- Teamwork
- Trust
A couple people were quoted in ‘The Mirror’—the official student-run news site for SPASH, the Stevens Point Area High School. Ryan M. said about his experience on his school’s Ropes Course “I enjoy the course very much. It has taught me to face my fears.” Eliza S., a former student, remarked that “The course gives you amazing opportunities to find yourself.”
Maybe you’ll find yourself on a Ropes Course this coming summer camp season. Good luck up there! And have fun attaining awesome character traits as you swing from rope to rope! And, as always, have fun!
- John