Inspections & Maintenance
The current industry standards require an annual technical inspection of all Challenge Course elements and equipment for reliability. The Challenge Works team are all ACCT certified inspectors and are experts at inspecting a wide variety of course elements, structures, design and equipment. It is vital that the person inspecting your course have a thorough knowledge of the current standards and can interpret those in relation to your course.
Once the inspection is completed, a written report is issued which details the condition of all elements on the course and safety equipment. Included with the report are any recommendations concerning alterations to the course to bring it up to current industry standards, repair work needed and suggestions to streamline the operation of your course.
Employing an ongoing maintenance schedule is a necessary component of Challenge Course operations. This will help to ensure that your course is always performing optimally, any safety issues are dealt with promptly and your course continues to meet current industry standards.
An effective way to organize this maintenance schedule is to incorporate it with the annual inspection. This allows for an accurate evaluation of your course and an immediate solution to any issues that may arise.
ACCT Certification & Training Information
UPCOMING TRAINING
ACCT Level 1 & Level 2 Certification- Advanced Skills Workshop for Aerial Adventure Professionals
Location: Mission Springs Scotts Valley, CA
Dates: April 8th - April 12th, 2024 - Click here for flyer
Please Click Here to enroll in this training
Please call or email us for specific questions.
Here are some basics for you to read before registering. Please email training@challengeworks.com with any specific questions
What we’re doing:
We’ll be training and having a certification testing event. Over the week we’ll cover 40 hours of curriculum, culminating in practical and written assessment for either a Level 1 or Level 2 Course Practitioner Certification, accredited by ACCT. We’ll cover a range of curriculum, and L1 and L2 cohorts will be training independently and together at various times. Key focuses will be course administration and emergency procedures
Who is This For?
L1 candidates in this training will be operators who’ve spent some time working on a course, and are looking to up their level of training. Operators with a level one should be able to operate independently on a course, supervised by an L2. L1 candidates do not need a portfolio, or any previous experience - however - the format of this training is as such that those with no experience will not gain as much as those who’ve been operating for a short time.
L2 candidates are operators who have been operating at an ‘L1’ competency for sometime, and are seeking development in course administration, work-at-height techniques like access climbing and rudimentary maintenance, and rescue principles and techniques. Operators with a level two are Lead Facilitators or are managing or help to manage a course. L2 candidates need to submit a portfolio documenting 200 hours delivering programs, and 40 hours of training - in any format, as long as it relates to aerial/challenge course operations.
Where We’ll be:
We’ll be at Mission Springs Camp and Conference Center, in Scotts Valley CA. Mission Springs is located at 1050 Lockhart Gulch Rd. Scotts Valley, CA 95066. If you’d like to arrive early or have any special considerations or dietary restrictions, please email training@challengeworks.com
Fees:
Tuition: $975
M-F lodging and meals package for $375
Extra nights: $75 for each additional night.
Proof of Vaccination will be required for attendance. COVID-19 mitigations will be implemented during this training.
TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK THE LINK BELOW!!
Challenge Works Open Enrollment Registration NORCAL
Some of the specific skills covered in this workshop are as folows:
Goals of the challenge course
Group development theory
Goal setting
Team challenges
Debriefing Sequencing
Spotting
High/Low course set-up/take-down
Course components
Daily inspections
Equipment inspection
Group management
Emergency procedures
Belaying
Platform skills ?(transfers, zip line, etc.)
Lobster claws
Equipment and hardware
Knots
Documentation
Requirements to participate in and complete a FULL Level I Certification:
Must be at least 18 years or older.
Be able to complete a 40 hour, 5 day training for a Level I Full certification
Pass a written test with a score of at least 80%.
Pass a practical skills test.
No portfolio required.
Level II:
Level II is an “intermediate” credential that shows that a practitioner has not only mastered the fundamentals but also has more specialized skills, the ability to handle the unexpected, and can provide leadership for less-knowledgeable staff. Level II is designed for the more experienced facilitator seeking a greater degree of responsibility with program delivery and staff supervision. This certification lasts 3 years.
What you'll learn:
This course is an advanced challenge course operations workshop. It is designed to help practitioners reinforce and improve the requisite technical and facilitation skills needed to effectively operate a low and high challenge course program. Emphasis will be on developing a deeper understanding of challenge course systems, program planning design and facilitation skills, and cultivating a critical eye for risk management.
Some of the specific skills covered in this workshop are as follows:
Review of basic skills: knot tying, proper use and maintenance of equipment, belay skills
Enhancing program outcomes through thoughtful program design, sequencing and processing activities
Self belay techniques for challenge course access, set up and gear retrieval
Risk management
Emergency action plans
Basic rescue procedures
Facilitation tips for dealing with difficult group situations, creating positive group norms, working with diverse populations and managing large classes
Creating a positive environment for learning, facilitating involvement and ownership of learning experiences
Specialty element operations such as Flying Squirrel, Pamper Pole/Plank, Zip Line, Rappel, Giant Swing
Requirements to participate in and complete a FULL Level II Certification:
Must be at least 18 years or older.
Completed a Level 1 Certification
Portfolio documenting at least 200 hours of facilitation experience as a Level 1 Facilitator
Be able to complete a 40 hour, 5 day training for a Level II Full certification track.
Pass a written test with a score of at least 80%.
Pass a practical skills test
Course Design
Tree Courses
Pole Courses
Low Elements
Indoor Courses
Climbing Walls and Towers
Accessible Courses
Challenge Works Inc. is pleased to offer high quality ropes course design and installation services, based on your needs and the possibilities inherent to your site. One of the first and most important decisions to make when considering the addition of a challenge course to your facility is whether to build the ropes course in existing trees if available, or to install utility poles on which to build the course. During our initial site visit, we will consider with you the potential of your site in regards to: what type of challenge course is most appropriate; where and how the course can be laid out for maximum value and minimum impact; what combination of ropes course elements may work well for you; your program needs; budget; and the long-term vision for your challenge course. One thing that sets Challenge Works apart from other challenge course companies is our focus on individual client attention and our commitment to your needs and satisfaction!
Tree Courses
If you are lucky enough to have a healthy stand of appropriate trees on your site, we can use the natural terrain to build your challenge course into the existing trees. A ‘live’ ropes course lends a feeling of magic to the participants and the program. Ropes courses built in trees tend to be less expensive to build since the major structural elements are already in place. We take great care in our construction practices and program recommendations to make sure that the trees remain healthy and scenic. A challenge course built in living trees provides an entirely unique experience to the participants, many of whom may never have even climbed in a tree before.
Pole Courses
The use of utility poles allows for completely custom challenge course design and placement. Ropes courses built on poles tend to require less maintenance than ropes courses built in trees and waylay the concern for the impact your course may have on the health of your trees. Properly treated poles can remain in service for up to 50 years. Utility poles can also be combined or integrated into a stand of trees, thereby preserving the natural setting for the participants and increasing your design options while minimizing impact on the trees.
Low Course Elements
Low ropes course elements are generally designed to present challenges to an entire team or group. A low challenge course can be integrated ropes courses built in trees or poles. They can also be designed to stand alone or as portable elements which can be moved from place to place in order to accommodate different programming needs. The addition of low ropes course elements will add flexibility and scalability to your program.
Indoor Courses
A possible choice for facilities with limited outdoor space or special environmental conditions such as weather. Indoor challenge courses require special design and construction considerations. Element modifications are generally necessary to adapt to the structure of the building.
Climbing Walls and Towers
A fabulous supplement to your challenge course, or an exciting activity area on its own; a climbing wall or climbing tower is an excellent addition to any adventure program. Climbing walls can be built inside of existing buildings or on their own free-standing structure. A climbing tower can be multi-faceted, providing opportunities for a wide range of experience and skills. Various materials, textures, inclines, overhangs and combinations of holds can be used to simulate different rock climbing experiences and modify the challenge.
Accessible Courses
In a continuing effort to serve all populations, we are able to provide our clients with a variety of universally accessible ropes course elements. Building your challenge course with the special needs in mind of wheelchairs and individuals with other physical challenges makes your adventure program available to those who otherwise would not be able to participate and who may benefit a great deal from the challenge course experience. Challenge Works is happy to offer experience in designing and building accessible low and high ropes course elements and to discuss with you the possibilities and considerations involved in including universal challenge course elements into your course.
Facilitation
When it comes to professional facilitation of experiential learning programs, we refer that work to our friends at APEX Adventures.
They work on many of the courses we build, or they can come to you with their indoor or outdoor programs focused on teamwork, leadership development, and building community.
For further information contact Shaw Dunton direct at 1-800-549-0388 or via their website at www.apexadventures.com