Aerial Trekking
Aerial Trekking – the future
of Rope Courses!
 Aerial
trekking courses are great fun. They consist of a number
of adventurous activities which are undertaken
consecutively at height. These courses are tremendously
popular in Europe but unlike the European courses (where
the health and safety rules aren’t as stringent as the
UK), our courses remove the need for participants to
clip and unclip between the different elements.
 The
advantage of this design is that it allows just a few
instructors to cater for hundreds of people in a day,
secure in the knowledge that once participants are
clipped on, they are completely safe and can’t drop off.
There’s a range of activities that can be added to the
aerial trekking course but the aim should be to provide
a progressive challenge. Crucially, all the challenges
are mental rather than physical. If you believe you can
complete the course, you can.
An example is walking along a big fat balance beam. On
the ground, this is quite easy. But transfer the beam to
the equivalent of walking between two fourth story
buildings and the task becomes very different. It ceases
to be a physical challenge and becomes a mental one.
 This
encapsulates the beauty of ropes courses because the
greater the risk, the greater the reward. Crucially, all
the risks are perceived but the rewards are real. This
makes the whole activity hugely enjoyable.
Aerial trekking courses can be build in a number of ways
using either cables or trees. Each has its advantages.
Pole based aerial trekking
course - ‘the RUNWAY COURSE’
 The
Runway is the only true freestanding public access
course. These impressive structures can form a focus for
a venue. Vertigo has constructed these courses in venues
ranging from shopping centres to holiday camps. They
have proved hugely popular, attracting participants and
audiences too.
The courses operate by attaching participants to a
safety rail from either a platform or tower from where
they step into fresh air to start the course - very
scary, but good fun!
Courses
can be of any size or shape, span buildings or rivers or
going from inside a building through a wall to the
outside before re-entering through an adjacent wall.
There really are no limits. They are fool proof, great
fun, exciting and guaranteed to get you noticed.
This course was built at Butlins Holiday camp in
Somerset. It’s a double-decked course with integrated
climbing tower. The tower also houses the
Fan Descender
and will be a great starting point for the
Zip Wire Butlins is planning to install.
 The
aerial trekking course sustains interest by employing a
range of elements from the simple balance beam to the
extremely challenging tippey top. The elements can also
be double decked to create a progressive challenge
enticing groups back for a second go.
If you decide on a runway course for aerial trekking,
you have a wide range of add-ons and options. Once the
main frame is constructed, it’s a hugely flexible
structure that can accommodate anything from giant swing
to team building high ropes.
Tree based aerial trekking
courses
 Tree
based courses operate in the same way as runway courses
but, as in the walk over Sydney Harbour Bridge, the
steel safety rail is replaced by cables.
The best thing about tree courses is the environment
they create. Without getting too hippy about it, they
inspire something in people. There is something
comforting about trees and, combined with an adventurous
trail, it is a truly terrific activity.
The only disadvantage with tree based courses is that
there are few mature trees in the right places for their
construction. Trees to poles is not an option.
If you’re interested in tree based aerial trekking
courses, please contact us for more information. |
