The Ropes Challenge Course is a great new addition to BEAR's outdoor adventure programming and is waiting for you at Hieronymus Park in Hamilton! These exciting and dynamic elements can be adapted to fit the needs and goals of any group and are available to the entire community.
The Ropes Challenge Course is a big accomplishment for BEAR and our Bitterroot Valley community. It's a true representation of community collaboration, vision, and charity at its strongest!
The combination of Low and High Ropes elements enable participants to grow at both the team and individual levels by exploring leadership and communication concepts, problem-solving, and coaching. Participants come to value and maximize their own leadership styles, ideas and strengths in the team context, while promoting cooperation and trust, developing self confidence, and recognizing the worth of each member of the group.
The Ropes Challenge Course is a big accomplishment for BEAR and our Bitterroot Valley community. It's a true representation of community collaboration, vision, and charity at its strongest!
The combination of Low and High Ropes elements enable participants to grow at both the team and individual levels by exploring leadership and communication concepts, problem-solving, and coaching. Participants come to value and maximize their own leadership styles, ideas and strengths in the team context, while promoting cooperation and trust, developing self confidence, and recognizing the worth of each member of the group.
Games & Group Initiatives
Ice breakers & cooperative games
These games are designed to introduce group members to each other, reduce inhibitions, warm up minds and bodies, and set the tone for having FUN together! They also introduce participants to the educational facilitation style that's used throughout the course, which aims to identify specific skills or lessons from each activity and help participants integrate their use into the rest of the course and even into daily life.
Group Initiatives
Participants will need to evaluate and pool their team resources and problem solve a variety of different tasks on the challenge course. All of the elements contain some level of group initiative or challenge, but is especially present in our ground and low elements.
Trust Initiatives
This planned progression of exercises allows group members to "tune in" to each other's minds and mindsets, developing a foundation of both physical and emotional trust based on a mutual understanding of safety precautions, transparent boundaries, and how group members can best support each other throughout the course.
Ice breakers & cooperative games
These games are designed to introduce group members to each other, reduce inhibitions, warm up minds and bodies, and set the tone for having FUN together! They also introduce participants to the educational facilitation style that's used throughout the course, which aims to identify specific skills or lessons from each activity and help participants integrate their use into the rest of the course and even into daily life.
Group Initiatives
Participants will need to evaluate and pool their team resources and problem solve a variety of different tasks on the challenge course. All of the elements contain some level of group initiative or challenge, but is especially present in our ground and low elements.
Trust Initiatives
This planned progression of exercises allows group members to "tune in" to each other's minds and mindsets, developing a foundation of both physical and emotional trust based on a mutual understanding of safety precautions, transparent boundaries, and how group members can best support each other throughout the course.
Ground elements
These are structures made principally of wood that rest directly on the ground, such as the TP shuffle, A-frames, Whale Watch and Spider's Web. Various initiatives or challenges are given to the group to problem solve and perform, often with a few twists to vary the level of challenge based on the group's goals.
These are structures made principally of wood that rest directly on the ground, such as the TP shuffle, A-frames, Whale Watch and Spider's Web. Various initiatives or challenges are given to the group to problem solve and perform, often with a few twists to vary the level of challenge based on the group's goals.
Low elements
The low ropes course, or Adventure Walk, focuses on collaboration; the challenges call upon every member of the team to participate, and they present unending opportunities for self-discovery and team growth. The course consists of 5 unique traversing elements, where participants walk on wires, ropes, or bridges 12 to 18 inches above the ground to cross from one point to another. The elements are connected by four cedar poles in a square shape with one element passing diagonally through the middle. The low course also offers a Nitro Crossing swing as another element that combines team work with individual challenge.
The low ropes course, or Adventure Walk, focuses on collaboration; the challenges call upon every member of the team to participate, and they present unending opportunities for self-discovery and team growth. The course consists of 5 unique traversing elements, where participants walk on wires, ropes, or bridges 12 to 18 inches above the ground to cross from one point to another. The elements are connected by four cedar poles in a square shape with one element passing diagonally through the middle. The low course also offers a Nitro Crossing swing as another element that combines team work with individual challenge.
High elements
The newest addition to BEAR's Ropes Challenge Course are the high ropes elements, emphasizing healthy risk-taking, trust, and coaching. The challenges enable participants to expand their comfort zones—sometimes dramatically—and recognize fears that may block personal achievement. Each moment is rich with discoveries, whether a person is climbing, encouraging a team mate or “on belay.” Consisting of 4 traversing/crossing elements, 2 vertical elements (including a climbing wall), and 1 leaping element, the high course offers varying levels of challenge that also test strength and endurance. Using a team belay model, group participants assist the trained facilitator on the ground while their teammate(s) face the challenge that awaits them 30ft in the air! Most elements can be traversed or climbed solo or in teams of two.
The newest addition to BEAR's Ropes Challenge Course are the high ropes elements, emphasizing healthy risk-taking, trust, and coaching. The challenges enable participants to expand their comfort zones—sometimes dramatically—and recognize fears that may block personal achievement. Each moment is rich with discoveries, whether a person is climbing, encouraging a team mate or “on belay.” Consisting of 4 traversing/crossing elements, 2 vertical elements (including a climbing wall), and 1 leaping element, the high course offers varying levels of challenge that also test strength and endurance. Using a team belay model, group participants assist the trained facilitator on the ground while their teammate(s) face the challenge that awaits them 30ft in the air! Most elements can be traversed or climbed solo or in teams of two.
The Ropes Challenge Course at Hieronymus Park provides groups with a uniquely different growth experience. Safety is our primary concern and our “challenge-by-choice” philosophy allows each participant to determine their own degree of personal challenge on the course. Each participant is encouraged to attempt each of the elements offered. Once the commitment to at least try has been made, our staff will encourage and aid participants in reaching, and in most cases, exceeding their intended goals.
ALL PARTICIPANTS UNDER AGE 18 WILL NEED TO HAVE A PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN SIGN A LIABILITY WAIVER PRIOR TO USING THE COURSE. ADULTS MUST ALSO SIGN A WAIVER.
For your convenience, you may download a waiver here to bring signed the day of the event. Waivers will also be available on the day of the event at the welcome table.
ALL PARTICIPANTS UNDER AGE 18 WILL NEED TO HAVE A PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN SIGN A LIABILITY WAIVER PRIOR TO USING THE COURSE. ADULTS MUST ALSO SIGN A WAIVER.
For your convenience, you may download a waiver here to bring signed the day of the event. Waivers will also be available on the day of the event at the welcome table.
The course is open to the community for group facilitation by appointment only.
Please see our COVID-19 guidelines for more information on how we're keeping our staff and community safe while operating the ropes challenge course.
FAQs
Please see our COVID-19 guidelines for more information on how we're keeping our staff and community safe while operating the ropes challenge course.
FAQs
- Facilitation of the course typically focuses on team building, communication, leadership, and choice, and can be tailored to meet the goals of your group.
- Time slots are generally flexible from 9am - 6pm and can be scheduled Monday - Saturday from Memorial Day to the end of September, and possibly later, depending on weather conditions.
- Groups have access to the course for up to 3 hours, though we can shorten the time to meet your needs.
- Flat rate facilitation fee of $189 per group.
- Scholarships are available for up to 50% of facilitation fee to keep this programming financially accessible.
- Groups of any size are welcome to participate from schools, churches, clubs, businesses, organizations or other community groups. Larger groups may require more than two facilitators and may need to be divided into smaller groups during the facilitation to maximize the experience of participants.
- The minimum age limit for the course is 8 years old, but keep in mind that participants must be able to follow directions, including safety instructions, and age limits may be higher for the high ropes elements. If you have children under the age of 8 in your group, please let BEAR staff know when making your reservation and we can discuss how best to accommodate you.
- All fees collected from the ropes course are directly reinvested in course maintenance, curriculum development, staff training, equipment, and other ropes course related expenses.