As a family-owned summer camp for boys, Camp Caribou is dedicated to building positive relationships and helping campers to discover what they can do. Essential to this mission is the ropes course, complete with high and low elements, that lies at the heart of Camp Caribou.
High and low ropes courses have a lot in common. They both cultivate cooperation, communication, trust, and the ability to lead, as well as follow. A ropes course of any level of intensity requires that all members of a team work together and encourage one another in a positive manner, avoiding both criticism and pressure.
Of course, a high ropes course involves being farther off of the ground. Whereas the activities of low ropes courses range from ground level to 12 or 13 feet in the air, a high ropes course is typically 25 to 50 feet high. This extra height is more challenging on both a physical and mental scale.
A high ropes course allows participants to face and overcome their fears. It can also help the participants and his supporters to deal with elevated emotional situations, and relate in new ways to their surroundings. It is intended as a challenging experience and safety is at the core of the operation.
A low ropes course is designed to be a collaborative and non-intimidating experience. The focus is on solving problems and surmounting obstacles as a group, drawing on each person’s particular strengths and knowledge. These exercises are less of a challenge on the individual level, but demand a great deal in terms of a team's ability to cooperate and encourage outside-of-the-box thinking.
