2012
Ropes Course
Alex Neerhof
Outdoor Adventure Industries
9/29/2012
Table of Contents
Overview
Part 1- Industry Barriers



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History and Development
Trade Organizations
Certifying Bodies
Laws and Regulations
Barriers to Start up
Part 2- Geographic Scope




Size of industry
Regional, National, and International Health of Industry
Regional, and National l Map of Operating Area
International Map of Operating Area
Part 3-Competition Profiles & Marketing









Market Structure
Big Players
Factors for Success and Promotion
Distribution
Profitability
Capital Investment
Strategy Canvas
Growth Stage
Seasonal Issues
Part 4- Demographic Profile



Target Market
Participation rates
Physiographic ‘s
Part 5- Staffing Profile
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

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
Demographics
Training Level and Source of Training
Pay
Average Life-Span of Employee
Personality Profile
Part 6- Environmental Issues
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
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Environmental Issues
Land Management Conflicts
Industry Environmental Impact and Mitigation Strategies
Contributions to Environment
Part 7-SWOT Analysis
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Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
References
Pages 2
Pages 3-13
Pages 14-19
Pages 20-29
Pages 30-32
Pages 33-37
Pages 38-41
Pages 42-46
Pages 47-55
Page | 1
Overview
This is a report on commercial High Ropes Courses in the outdoor adventure industry.
Data was collected from various sources, including online websites, manuals, and professionals
in the industry. Commercial operators were analyzed, governing bodies examined, and
professionals within the industry interviewed. This report is the final collation of all the data,
displayed as an overview of the industry from the operator’s standpoint. It is not intended for
clients to use to evaluate ropes courses; instead, they should refer to the sources referenced
and also go to specific company’s websites.
Page | 2
Part 1- Industry Barriers
 History and Development
 Trade Organizations
 Certifying Bodies
 Laws and Regulations
 Barriers to Start up
Retrieved From: http://pixabay.com/en/wall-brick-black-cartoon-castle35707/
Page | 3
History Highlights of Ropes Courses
Ancient Greek
Society
1939
Ropes courses were used to train soldiers during WW II
1962
Outward Bound opened a commercial ropes course
1970’s
The First Ropes course companies were formed
1980’s
1993
Ropes course companies began to spread
ACCT (Association of Challenge Course Technology) Formed
2003
PRCA (Professional Ropes course Association Formed
Earliest Traces of Ropes Courses
The exact start of ropes courses cannot be pinpointed to a specific day or even to a particular
year. For hundreds of years, military groups have used rope style courses to train their soldiers and test
their skills. Ropes courses were initially used to train only the best solders. It was dangerous to attempt
doing a ropes course. Today we care more about safety; back then, however, injuries and deaths were
an accepted part of training. Ancient Greece is the first known army that used rope systems; since then
evidence has been found of most armies using some variant of high ropes element [to some extent] to
train its army. Over time some safety measures were set in place, e.g. instead of attempting challenges
over hard ground some armies set up courses over bodies of water and some would tie you in. However
it was never really safe.
Page | 4
It wasn’t until WW II that
ropes courses as we know them,
began to take shape. Georges
Hebert a French naval officer
developed his own personal
apparatus system for training men,
which is now considered the
1943, Obstacle Course Training:
Retrieved from: http://theparkourmind.blogspot.ca/2009/06/origins-of-parkour-part-1-mind-behind.html
‘original’ of all modern ropes courses (21). Herbert created what he called the ‘Natural Method,’ which
focused not only on physical ability, but also one's mental ability, as well as your determination to the
task at hand. He created a series of obstacles out of what was at his disposal on a ship. This became the
basis for all challenge course training in the France military and then spread, becoming the modern
standard in the entire western world.
In the 1962, Outward Bound opened up what is assumed to be the first commercial
ropes course, in Marble, Colorado (19). Throughout the 60’s, Outward Bound begun pioneering ropes
courses; experiential education and adventure education were on the rise and ropes courses fit in
perfectly. In 1963 Paul Petzol was the chief instructor for outward bound in Colorado; he was the one
responsible for the next evolution in ropes courses. He brought in safety as we know it today, and he
was a good man to do so. He is considered one of the grandfathers of modern mountaineering and
accredited with the voice recognition system climbers use to communicate. A true legend: at 16 he
stood on top of Wyoming’s Grand Tetons, and then in 1934 he made the challenging double traverse of
the Matterhorn in just one day. He later went on to climb in the Himalayas accomplishing feats which no
one had done before (19). Needless to say, he was an experienced climber; being so knowledgeable, he
was the right man to bring safety into ropes courses. He incorporated climbing safety systems to create
Page | 5
the safety systems we still use today. Now ropes courses are more consumer friendly and no longer just
for the fit and daring; instead anyone could potentially go do a high ropes course, and, although there
are still challenges, the risk had been monumentally reduced.
In the 70’s the first few commercial companies began to appear. Project Adventure and Tree
Line were really the first of their kind. Project Adventure was an offshoot of Outward Bound. It was used
as an in-school learning activity. Ropes courses were used as education tools to challenge kids, to push
folks out of their comfort zones, and to accomplish a task they could feel good about. These two
companies took ropes courses and added the last major modification to them which separates our ropes
courses from those of the ancient Greeks. They made obstacles based on what the military had already
invented, but they separated the ground from the aerial obstacles. This created high and low ropes
courses. High ropes courses are used more as a personal challenge to manage feats that are generally
not too hard, but that have the added sociological factor of being placed up in the air. Low ropes are the
more traditional obstacle course style. This is generally designed to test either a combination of your
physical ability to overcome an obstacle with your mental ability to figure out the strategy to each
obstacle, or your teamwork skills requiring you to get through the course.
It wasn’t until the 80’s that more companies began to take an interest in ropes courses and
business started to boom. With the increase in interest, safety also became a pressing issue. Climbing
harnesses, overhead cables, and friction devices became more common. There was a demand to offer a
safe system for all people to use.
The concept for ACCT originated in 1988, but it wasn’t until 1993 that ACCT became an official
organization. The ACCT was made up of builders and workers from some of the first ropes courses. Their
intention was to create a basic standard for how ropes courses should be built. They issued their first
standards of installation in 1994, after which they created new standards that also included how to
Page | 6
operate a commercial ropes course. The ACCT’s newest standards were realized in 2008, becoming the
7th edition of standards. These standards cover: installation, equipment, inspection, operations,
practitioner certification, and qualifications for challenge course professional. (8) Today the ACCT is
recognized as a world’s leader in standards for challenge courses. Their standards are what most
insurance companies require; it is also the peer standard (Sharpe, B.).
Then in 2003, PRCA was created to provide additional guidelines, especially for the zip lines
which were being added on to conventional ropes courses. It was created by ACCT members who saw a
gap in the ACCT standards (zip lines). They created a new system to govern them, so that people
wouldn’t get hurt anymore and ropes courses could stick around. PRCA is a not-for-profit organization,
which is devoted to the creation and development of ropes courses. However, the PRCA is only
accredited by ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and thus not credible [recognized] in
Canada. Because Canada had no zip line standards on January 1st, 2009, the Ontario government created
a law declaring zip lines 'amusement devices’ (Ontario E-laws). This requires an inspector authorized
under the technical standards act, to certify a zip line in Ontario. These inspectors are not ropes course
inspectors, or even climbers; instead their back ground is elevator inspectors. That’s the way Ontario has
dealt with the problem of zip lines, but Canada as a whole is still working through how to properly
regulate them.
So although the idea of high rope courses has been around for thousands of years, modern
ropes courses have only been in use for a couple of decades. It’s still a growing activity and is trying to
sort itself out, deciding what it will be and how to ultimately gain traction in the outdoor community.
There are still problems with the regulation of it that are being worked out. Right now its potential is
unknown.
Trade Organizations
Page | 7
ACCT
PRCA
ACCT is based out of the USA but holds the
standard within all of North America. It is the
largest representative group in the industry.
The PRCA is based out of America, although
standards are looked at within Canada, they are
only accredited within the USA
The ACCT provides standards for the operation
and instillation of a ropes course and all the little
details that goes with that. They have set the bar
for what ropes courses should look like in north
America. The ACCT has been recognized as the
industry standards in almost every court case
(within North America) setting the precedence
that their standards are quality in the eyes of the
law. Currently ACCT services as facilitators to
course builders, insurance representatives,
attorneys, course managers/ operators, university
professors, school teachers/ school boards, park
personal, camps, and any other challenge course
related personal. The ACCT has greatly influenced
for how ropes courses are run in North America
and is a well-recognized business.
The PRCA is recognized by American National
Standards Institute. The PRCA is a non-for-profit
organization that is committed to supporting the
development of ropes courses in a safe manor.
They offer standards in training, instillation,
inspection, operations, and certifications. Although
not recognized officially in Canada some choose to
use their standards as they are ‘safer’ than those
of the ACCT (Sharp, B.). The PRCA does focus a lot
on zip lines. They try to manage and regulate zip
lines because they saw a hole in the standards for
them.
The ACCT and the PRCA are similar in many ways. They both have similar standards and goals. The few
key differences are: the ACCT is more mature and more globally recognized. The PRAC has stricter
standards and regulations for zip lines. The PRCA has instructors directly affiliated with their
organization. The ACCT has private vendors which makes them more accessible but less consistent in
their training and thus harder to control their standards. They are both very young organizations that
want ropes courses to succeed, so they will be continuously developing in the near future.
Certifying Bodies
In Canada there is one main guideline that the most trusted certifying bodies adhere to, and
that is the ACCT. The ACCT does not always certify directly but in many cases the ACCT has private
vendors which are certified under the ACCT. The ACCT sets standards in the following areas:

Installation Standards - Minimum strength standards for various parts of a course.

Inspection Standards - What should be covered in an inspection, some retirement criteria, and what a
report should include.
Page | 8

Operations Standards - Course management specifics and facilitator competencies.

Practitioner Certification Standards – outlines the requirements for a certification program and the
requirements for each level of certification.

Qualified Challenge Course Professional – outlines the criteria for a certification trainer/tester.
(About ACCT. 2012)
Other companies do certify ropes courses that are not accredited by the ACCT; however, it is the
ACCT’s standards that set the precedence for what a ropes course should look like.
Major Certifying Organizations
Company
Based Out
of
Ontario +
Some of
Alberta
Area of
certification(s)
-Ropes Course
Instructor
Adventure works
Ontario
-Ropes course
instructor
Canadian Ropes
Course Company
Ontario
-Ropes course
Instructors
-ropes courses
and their
individual
elements
Experiential
Systems
-Quebec
-Ontario
Ropes course
inspection
Challenges
Unlimited
Overview of what they
do
Build skills in the
following areas to allow
you to instruct on a
ropes course:
 Technical skills
 Rescue skills
 Risk
Management
skills
 Facilitation &
program
management
They teach you how to
safely run a ropes
course by giving you
belay techniques,
equipment knowledge
and rescue skills.
-Give you in-depth
technical knowledge
that will allow you to
safely run a ropes
course
-Inspect your ropes
course to ensure it is
safe to operate
-Insects and certifies
your ropes course
Credibility
Accredited by ACCT
Accredited by ACCT
The CRCC is a credible
company. They have been
operating for 12 years and
are recognized as a
certifying body within
Canada.
Their standards are based
on those set by ANSI
Page | 9
-Manitoba
-United
States
Onsite training
Anywhere
-Ropes course
instruction
-Inspection
Any
Engineers in
Canada
Canada
Certifies/
stamps a ropes
course
insuring it is safe to
operate
Accredited Standard
Developer as well as the
standards set by the ACCT.
-Gives you the basic
knowledge to run a
course and to see if
anything is wrong with
it
the initial safety and
structural design of a
ropes course is
approved by an
engineer
Generally instructor will be
ACCT level 2+ and you will
get a ‘certification’ that is
only recognized within the
organization.
Certified through Engineers
Canada, they are licensed
professionals
Laws and Regulations
Amusement Devices: Zip Lines
Zip lines have been classified as amusement devices in 2009. This means that in ONTARIO to operate
a zip line one must have it inspected by an inspector who is licensed under the Ontario Amusement Act
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_010221_e.htm#BK16
General Insurance Regulation
"All clients with an Adventure/Challenge Course/Ropes Course will be required to have annual course
inspections by a certified independent consultant. All staff must have annual training refresher courses
from the recognized consultant group. The insured must have written training and operating procedures
for the course. Examples of acceptable consultant vendors include ACCT (Association for Challenge
Course Technology - www.acctinfo.org) with PVM designation (Professional Vendor Member); AEE
(Association for Experiential Education - www.aee.org); and PRCA (Professional Ropes Course
Association - www.prcainfo.org)." (2009. K&K Insurance)
http://www.prcainfo.org/insurance
Peer Practice
To have the course compliant with at least the standards set by the ACCT. Your head instructor should
be ACCT level 2 + or an equivalent
http://www.ontariocamps.ca/documents/parents/Challenge%20Ropes%20-%20final.pdf
Page | 10
Building Permit
Building permits are obtained through the provincial government. They are required before you start
setting up a course. You must also adhered to any local bylaws that may be in effect in the area your
building in.
Ontario- http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page7393.aspx
Human Resources/ Employee Management
You need to operate a ropes course legally. The Canadian government has set out the guidelines for how
employees are to be managed.
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/labour_law/index.shtml
Barriers to Start-up
When opening a company, there are always hurdles that one must overcome. For a ropes
course these barriers can be broke up into four main categories: legal barriers, resource barriers, human
resource barriers, and market barriers.
:
Legal barriers pertain to the initial set up of a ropes course. Legal barriers are overcome by
dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s; making sure all the paperwork is in place, and that you are
protected if anything goes wrong. Firstly, you need to register as a business and make sure everything is
settled with revenue Canada, so that you don’t end up getting fined. Secondly, you need a location to
have a course. Thirdly, that course needs to be built, which will require building permits, an engineer’s
stamp, and certified inspection. After that you will need to set everything up internally within your
company. That includes insurance and waivers, as well as finances. A lawyer is advised to help with all
the paperwork and to ensure that everything is legal and meets every requirement.
Page | 11
Resources are one of the most important requirements when setting up a business. The first
part of resources is physical, usually in the shape of money. Without adequate finances you cannot do
anything. You need money to set up the course, to acquire or rent land, to purchase equipment, to get
certified, and to pay employees. Without money, your ideas cannot become a reality. What goes hand in
hand with money, is a good knowledge of resources. It does you no good to have all the money in the
world, if you waste it on useless purchases. You need to know what you’re doing, or at least who you
can consult to tell you what to do. Starting up a business is a complex and stressful endeavour, so
knowing what the steps ahead are, is imperative.
Human resource barriers involve employees and contractors. In order to run a ropes course you
will need employees. You will need people who either know what they’re doing already or you will need
to provide training. But that’s just front line operations. Behind the scenes you will need to manage all
the employees. You need to have systems and perhaps other employees in place to deal with their pay
and their benefits (if applicable).
The market itself can perhaps be the biggest barrier of all. You can have a perfect business set
up but if you can’t find the proper market niche, you cannot operate. There are thousands of ropes
courses around, and a limited number of available clients. You need to be able to distinguish yourself
from every other ropes course, whether it is a by a location away from everyone else, near a unique
geographical feature, by a bigger or innovated course, by bonuses included, or maybe by just having a
Page | 12
better marketing strategy. Whatever it is, you need to be able to go into the market and claim a sector
of it for yourself, otherwise your start-up will fail.
Page | 13
Part 2- Geographic Scope
 Size of industry
 Regional, National, and International Health of Industry
 Regional, and National l Map of Operating Area
 International Operators
Retrieved from: http://1esoeiesramonllull.wordpress.com/category/video
-
activity/page/2/
Geographic Scope
Page | 14
Size of Industry
Ropes courses have become a growing industry within the past couple of decades. According to
the American Camp Association, a few years ago hardly any camps had ropes courses, but by 2009 over
37% had high ropes courses. In America alone, it is estimated that there are around 7,500 ropes courses
and hundreds more are being built each year. The idea of modern ropes courses was grown and pruned
in the 80’s; then it just became something that took a hold of people and spread. They spread so quickly
that laws and regulations are having trouble keeping up. Ropes courses are still being built; however, it
has slowed a bit with new restrictions in place. Currently ropes courses are ‘cheap’ to run and they are a
great activity. Ropes courses are marketed to almost every demographic, from kids to elderly, men and
woman, the fit and the lazy. Ropes courses are designed to be simple for everyone; even if you are
afraid of heights, they are used as a tool to help you overcome that. Sure, there are a few restrictions in
place, like in Ontario on a school trip you need to be grade 7 + to go on a ropes course, according to the
Ontario School Boards. Or you are barred from the activity if, because of an injury, you cannot make it
across the apparatus. Nonetheless, for the most part, ropes courses are for everyone. Ropes course are
literally everywhere, it doesn’t take much to install a course. Really, if you have enough capital, all you
need is a small plot of land and you’re good to go. It isn’t like kayaking where you need rapids, or skiing
where you need a mountain, all you need is a little space. With so few barriers to overcome, many
existing companies have added ropes courses, so it has become impossible to tell the exact size of the
industry.
Page | 15
Health of Industry, Regionally, Nationally, Internationally
Ropes Course Opeators
1%
1%
As seen on the chart, the camp
0%
1%
19%
78%
British Columbia
major operators
world has dominated the industry of ropes
Ontario Main
Operators
course. They have incorporated ropes
Alberta Main
operators
courses into their curriculum and now they
Treetop Trekking
ON, QB
are a great tool that camps use to build up
Ontario Camps
kids' confidence and to provide them with
Camps in Americia
some excitement. They have really seen the
benefits of ropes courses. However, there are
other companies that offer the Aerial experience for adults. Some other businesses, such as Blue
Mountain or Rafter Six, have adopted ropes courses either as an activity for the off season or just an
additional activity that will attract people to their business. Businesses that specialize in just ropes
courses are rare. Treetop Trekking is one of the few to do so. With 7 different locations in Quebec and
Ontario, they are a leading businesses in the ropes course industry.
Although there are a lot of ropes courses, it is challenging to tell the overall health of the
industry. There is no database registering how many ropes courses are in use. It is estimated that
America has 7,500 courses, and that more than 130 can be found within Ontario camps alone. All we
know for certain is that a lot of ropes courses exist, but for the most part they are not a stand-alone
industry. They have been incorporated by adventure businesses and camps that just offer ropes courses
as additional activities. Therefore ropes courses don’t have a huge niche in the overall adventure world;
instead they are leeching off clients from other activities. Only a few small companies are purely ropes
courses operators, and even many of them incorporate sidelines, such as building and inspecting ropes
Page | 16
courses and training operators. So it appears that right now the ropes courses industry is reliant on
other outdoor industries to survive; if you kicked away that support, ropes courses would lose most of
its clientele and would need to be rebuilt from the ground up. So what it comes down to, is that the
ropes course industry is flourishing, and it appears that it will continue to do so, as long as it continues
to be associated with other popular activities.
Regional and National Major Operators
The biggest ropes course company
around Ontario is Treetop Trekking. They
have seven locations throughout Ontario
and Quebec. On the west coast Wild Play
dominates the ropes course world. They
have five courses set up in BC and one in
the Yukon. Both companies are just ropes
course operators. They make their bread
and butter by offering 'real adventures. '
As seen on the map, ropes courses
tend to cluster primarily in BC, Ontario and Quebec. This map does not show every ropes course, but it
does show the bigger players. The main reason for these clusters is because that is where clients can be
found: most of the companies gear their market towards corporate groups or team oriented
organizations. They use ropes courses as a tool to build up trust and confidence within teams. Simply
put, the ropes courses are located where the population is. Ontario has around 39% of Canada’s total
population, Quebec has about 23% and BC has around 13% (Stats Canada. 2012). Since these are the
Page | 17
three largest provinces by population in Canada, it makes sense that an industry that is not limited by
geographic location would be naturally attracted to the larger consumer bases. Ropes courses are for
the most part a one day activity, so it’s not worth it to try to get people to come and stay at a resort like
they would for skiing. On its own it’s a short activity. The second reason for there being a cluster of
ropes courses in Ontario, Quebec, and BC is because that’s where the majority of adventure companies
are based out of. A lot of adventure based companies are already attracting people to do their regular
activity, so companies have adopted ropes courses as something to do in their off season or as an
additional activity to offer. For example, Blue Mountain has built a ropes course as an off season activity.
Rafters Six, on the other hand, has also built a course as an additional activity to do when you are done
rafting.
International Operators
Ropes courses
exist throughout the
world. They are however
most prominent in North
America, Europe,
Australia, and New
Zealand. All these places
are all popular tourist destination. So they don’t need to try and generate hype about coming to their
location to go on a ropes course, because tourists will already be there. They just have to sell them on
taking half a day to enjoy the trills of a ropes course. So, just like in Canada, many operators have ropes
courses in addition to other activities that they offer.
Page | 18
Examples of Global Ropes Course Operators:
Europe


Free River
Park Jungle Adventures

High Ropes Fosdinovo
For more check out: http://www.erca.cc/cms.php?id=1590&lng=english
(European Ropes Course Association)
Australia & New Zealand



Highzone
Mount Tamborine Adventure Parc
Rock’n Ropes
America



Terrapin Adventures
River Vally Ranch
Big Sky Resorts
Other Places around the World


Forest Adventure- Japan
Movers & Shakers- South Africa
Ropes course are truly a global attraction. It is a perfect little extra for business to add on to produce
a little extra revenue.
Page | 19
Part 3- Competition Profiles & Marketing









Market Structure
Big Players
Factors for Success and Promotion
Distribution
Profitability
Capital Investment
Strategy Canvas
Growth Stage
Seasonal Issues
Retrieved from: http://buyhomesindetroit.com/competition-for-detroit-investment-properties-is-rising-daily/
Page | 20
Market Structure
The ropes course industry has a pure competition market structure otherwise known as
a perfect market structure.
Pure competition:
“The market consists of buyers and sellers trading in a uniform commodity such as wheat,
copper, or financial securities. No single buyer or seller has much effect on the going market price. A
seller cannot change more than the going price, because b u y e r c a n o b t a i n a s m u c h
t h e y n e e d a t t h e g o i n g p r i c e . I n a p u r e l y c o m p e t i t i v e market, marketing research,
product development, pricing, advertising, and sales promotion play little or no role. Thus,
sellers in these markets do not spend much time on marketing strategy.”
(Scribd. 2012 retrieved from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/4676452/Different-Types-of-Market-Structure-Comparison)
That is the perfect definition of pure competition, but, while the ropes course industry is not a
perfect example, this is the category it falls under. No matter what ropes course you go to, you get the
same product. Sure the apparatuses may vary, but the overall experience is essentially the same. There
is no substantial effort in the overall market being put into creating a unique aerial experience. The
reason for this is all the camps. The camps don’t need to sell clients on ropes courses; they already are
getting clients and instead sell them on the overall camp experience. The exceptions to this are
companies like Wild Play and Treetop Trekking, who only offer ropes courses. They are the ones who
vary their courses up and sell the unique geographic sites. However, these companies are a minority and
do not significantly affect the overall curve. In fact, there isn’t a single company or consumer who
influences ropes courses in a major way. There is such a large amount of consumers and businesses that
no one is big enough to influence the overall market. Investopidia defines a perfect market as: “The
industry that is characterized by freedom of entry and exit”. This describes the ropes courses industry to
Page | 21
the letter. It really doesn’t take too much to enter the market; people are not fighting hard for market
shares. If you look on YouTube for a ropes course commercial the only Canadian one you will find
without spending a while searching is by Rafter Six (link below) but ropes course are seen for only ten
seconds in 2:26 video. It is in no way an exclusive market. Likewise no one will care if you leave; there
are enough ropes courses out there that you will not really be missed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6lXiT78O2g
Big Players
Two Big Player:

Treetop Trekking
o Huntsville, ON
o Ganaraska, ON
o Barrie, ON
o Mont-St-Gregoire, QC
o Rigaud, QC
o Rawdon, QC
o Duchesnay, QC

Wildplay Element Parks
o Kelowna, BC
o Maple Ridge, BC
o Nanaimo, BC
o West Shore Victoria, BC
o Whistler , BC
o Yukon, BC
Other Notable companies:




Rafter Six Ranch- Alberta
Little Cove Adventures, Ontario
Blue Mountian, Timber Challenge- ON
Camp Kandalore- Ontario
Page | 22
Factors for Success and Promotion
Treetop Trekking
Treetop trekking is the largest ropes course operator east of the Rockies. Established in 2000 they
are a fairly old and well established company. They have innovated the business of ropes courses,
providing a safe experience for their clients. Their multiple locations set up in touristy areas have
allowed them to flourish. They really market to everyone from school groups, to corporate groups, to
the average family for a day’s outing. So because they have something for everyone and really
marketing towards the variety of people and groups within Ontario and Quebec they have been able to
become a bombing company and an Industry leader.
http://treetoptrekking.com/home.html
Wildplay Element Parks
Wildplay Element Parks is the biggest ropes course operator west of the Rockies. They started in 2006
by two rock climbing guides. That gave them a competitive advantage right from the start. Since both
owners knew the equipment already, and they were familiar with the business of instructing in the
outdoor world. They currently have six parks located in touristy locations. They market the beauty of the
west coast, selling people on exploring the forest from in the trees. They have a variety of aerial
activates for every one of all ages.
http://www.wildplay.com
Because Treetop Trekking and Wildplay Element Parks are focused purely on providing the aerial
experience, they have become the major industry leaders in Canada They both have multiple locations
and a wide range of program activities.
Rafter Six Ranch
Rafters Six Ranch started out over 30 years ago, their main two activities are horseback riding and
rafting. They did not have a ropes course until recent years. Even now though their ropes course is not a
main attraction. Instead their ropes course is just a side activity that helps them expand their business,
giving people more options to choose from and differentiating themselves from their competitors.
http://www.raftersix.com
Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain Resort was started in 1941 as a ski resort. Today they are a year around resort offering
a plethora of activities to do, as well as accommodations and dinning. They opened timber challenge
high ropes as an additional activity for their booming business. Their ropes course is for anyone 10+
years of age. They really focus on getting people to their resort for a vacation and their ropes course is
just one of many activities you can participate in during the green season.
http://www.bluemountain.ca
Page | 23
Camp Kandalor
Camp Kabdalor was founded in 1947 as a tripping and adventure based camp. They are one of the
best outdoor camps around and are really committed to adventure based learning being one of the few
camps around to still do tripping. They do also offer a ropes course as something to do while there.
Unlike other camps that have only a few apparatuses Kandalor really went big, with over 20 elements
that one can combine to make a limitless number of challenges. Kandalor has become one of the bigger
ropes course operators within the camp scene.
http://www.kandalore.com
Rafters Six, Blue Mountain, and Camp Kandalor all added ropes courses as another activity to
do. For them ropes courses are not their bread and butter activity; however they are still some of the
biggest operators around.
Little Cove Adventures
Little Cove adventures is a small ropes course company located in Tobermory. Unusual for just a
ropes course operator, little cove adventures offers accommodations. It is because of tis they work with
local business around the area to provide clients with a relaxing vacation. They are not just trying to sell
you on their ropes course, but they are trying to sell you on a vacation in Tobermory that begins with
staying at their lodge and doing their ropes course.
http://www.littlecove.ca
Little Cove Adventures is purely a ropes course company, but they use surrounding attractions,
partnering with other small time tourist operations, to become a known business. While not having a
huge overall effect on the industry, Little Cove Adventures is still a prime example of how a small time
ropes course operator can use what’s at their disposal to make a name for themselves and differentiate
themselves from their competitors.
Promotion:
Promotion is not a major concern to most operators. They simply rely on the internet. Ropes
courses generally use their websites to get their names out to the public. If you go to a specific region
though, they will usually have brochures in the tourism offices. TV commercials, newspaper and radio
ads are too expensive for ropes courses businesses, since they are not big or lucrative enough for that
kind of advertising. Ropes courses are generally not a stand-alone operation and, as such, do not need
Page | 24
to advertise to get clients, because potential clients will already be in the area. Even the few companies
that only offer ropes course activities mostly rely on their websites to generate interest and on local
advertising, like brochures, and maybe a magazine ad, to attract your attention, inviting you to take
some of your vacation time to go enjoy an aerial experience.
Distribution
Ropes courses have two main channels of distribution: walk in’s and internet bookings.
Businesses that offer just ropes courses do a lot of business with walk in’s. They do also take
bookings, but if you’re just a small group of people going on a three hour course, there is no real point in
booking anything; they can easily accommodate you. You can just show up and participate.
Larger businesses, particularly ones that offer multiple activities and/ or accommodations, will usually
require bookings. You may be going as a corporate group or maybe just going to camp, either way you
will be required to register ahead of time. Most of these places use online booking to start the process.
If a really big group is involved, some companies will follow up with personal phone calls to sort out
logistics, but for the most part, with today’s technology, most people prefer to do everything online.
Profitability
It is impossible to find hard and fast numbers of how profitable each company is. All of these
figures are estimates based on known information provided along with some logical estimation.
Page | 25
Companies
Treetop
Trekking
Wildplay
Element Parks
Rafter Six
Blue
Mountain
Camp
Kandalor
Little Cove
Adventures
Profitability
Final Estimated
Figure
20 people per ½ hour Average price $20 Ontario $60 Quebec (55).
$89,600
20*16*7*40= $89,600 per week from ropes course sales for each of their per week
six location. This also assumes that they are running at full capacity by
Before any
does not factor in that groups of 20+ can be processed together every 30 deductions
minutes.
Wildplay Element Parks shares no financial information nor do they share
how many people go through their site each year. They are a franchise
business so the profitability will vary from location to location. Their
price is around $40 and they have a similar set up to treetop trekking.
The population around BC is less dense than in Ontario so that’s defiantly
a factor to consider, however loosely speaking their profitability would
be similar.
It takes about 2 hours to get 6 people through their course (64). Working
at maximum capacity they can process 24 people per day, 7 days a week
at $72 per person that’s 24*7*72= $12,096 per week. That is working at
maximum capacity.
Blue mountain resort does not publicly share any financial information,
or the number of participants. Also when emailed about both they did
not respond. However checking popular tourism sites they are ranked on
average about 4 stars. So they are a popular destination and have a good
reputation and although there ropes course is a small part of what they
do it must be worth it for them to still keep it around.
Receiving hundreds of kids each year Kandalor is a popular summer camp
for kids. Ropes courses and rock climbing is one of their fundamental
activities however camp is paid for as a bundle. It is impossible to
separate ropes courses to evaluate its individual profitability.
Little cove adventures is still starting out and are expanding. At this point
they run 3 groups a day (29) with around six people per group at $37 per
person. 3*6*37*7= $4,662
Roughly
the same
as above
figure.
About
$12,000
per week if
full before
any
deductions
?
?
About
$4,700
before any
deductions
Page | 26
Capital Investment
Ropes Course can really have a wide
range of start-up costs. There are numerous
elements to choose from, the accessibility of
the initial location and the overall size of the
course and how many people it is designed to
handle, all play a factor within the capital
investments. Starting costs for a simple 4
Retrieved from: http://ropescourse.co/gallery_courses.php
element dynamic set up in a field is roughly $8,000 - $12,000 (Ropes Course Construction). That is just to
build the course itself. You then need equipment which is around $3,500 - $7,000 (Dare-To-Grow).
Those are just the base figures for a cheap and small operation. There will always be additional costs of
things such as upkeep, land management, and employees. You can also build bigger course where you
will require more gear to operate, and more harnesses and helmets for clients. You can spend
thousands and thousands of dollars building a bigger and better ropes course but for starting up you are
looking at a minimum of $11,500- $19,000.
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Strategy Canvas
9
8
Worst to Best
7
6
5
4
Trretop Trekking
3
Wildplay Adventures
2
Rafters Six
1
Blue Mountain
0
Camp Kandalor
Little Cove Adventures
Axis Title
Growth Stage
The ropes course big operators are currently transitioning between the growth and the
expansion stages. They are making money and have established themselves; however, ropes course
businesses have merged with other companies. They are not just operating high ropes courses, they
have diversified themselves and have latched on to existing companies and are now part of bigger
organizations. They did move up rapidly in the first few stages, but that is because existing companies
adopted ropes courses rather early on as a way to expand their own company. This allowed the ropes
course industry to reach the expansion stage. Wildplay Element Parks is big enough to even franchise
Page | 28
out, but camps on the other hand are still working on trying to transition out of the growth stage.
Through R&D ropes courses can evolve and become more unique from company to company.
However, as an industry, the ropes courses are still in the inception stages. Laws and regulations
are just starting to catch up and it’s not clear what this industry will turn into. While the industry leaders
are progressing well through the growth stages, there are such a vast amount of small time operators,
that overall the industry is a tangled mess that has yet to sort itself out.
Seasonal Limitations
Like most outdoor industries, ropes courses are very weather dependant. The ropes course
season runs from around May to Thanksgiving. There are some operators who have small indoor
courses, but for the most part ropes courses run outside in the warmer seasons. This is not a problem
for a place like Blue Mountain, which only has a ropes course to make some extra money during their off
season, but the average operator needs to make all of their money during the warmer months by
attracting clients who are on holidays or are on a weekend outing.
Page | 29
Part 4- Demographic Profile
 Target Market
 Participation rates
 Physiographic ‘s
Retrieved from: http://www.hcedp.com/AboutHenryCounty/DemographicProfile.aspx
Page | 30
Target Market
Camps
Non-camps
Ages 8-15
Ages 7-18 & 30-50
Camps are focused on marketing towards kids.
Most camps are marketed towards kids as summer
camps so it makes scenes that their target market
is to kids.
Non camps focus most of their marketing on
families. This includes two age ranges; first you
have the kids whose age range is larger than that
of camps. But you also now have the parent’s age
range to market to.
Although kids and parents are the main two demographics
that rope course operators market to, ropes course are really for
everyone. In my short time instructing ropes courses over the summer, I
instructed around 20 different groups of people and I have seen a 4 year
old and an 80 year old on our course, and every age in between. There
are a couple of secondary groups, though, that ropes courses focus on as
well. They focus on young people from late teens to mid-twenties,
people who are looking for excitement and want an adventure with their
friends. The other secondary demographic focus is on corporate groups and teams. Ropes courses love
getting groups of people at one time. It allows them to have a full day’s work, so they try to appeal to
business groups, sports teams or community programs.
Really, just about anyone can do a ropes course. There are a few limitations in terms of size and
age, either being too young and small or being obese, or one may not be physically able to walk due to
an injury or age. Apart from that anyone is eligible to do a ropes course. What dictates the target
demographics then, is money. Families on vacations are great at spending money on a day’s adventure.
Also, parents are willing to pay to give their kids a fun time on summer break and it gives them a break
too. So families with dependent children tend to be the main target demographic. Secondary groups
Page | 31
make an excellent target market, whether it is a business or a local sports team, you get a guaranteed
group of paying customers.
Participation Rates
At this point the exact number of people participating in high ropes courses is unquantifiable.
The industry is in too much chaos to really pinpoint numbers, especially since ropes courses are being
mashed together with other activities. Personally, working at a small ropes course part time over the
summer, I helped facilitate more than 800 people. That was just how many people went through a
camp's simple four element ropes course when the summer camp wasn’t in session. Multiply that by the
hundreds of ropes course around, and then expand that number for all the larger companies out there.
There are a lot of people who participate in ropes courses each year! This conclusion is supported by
Google's recent internet traffic on ropes courses, which has boomed within the last six years. Ropes
courses have become a more popular activity, and, although there are no studies yet disclosing the
participation rates of the industry, it is safe to assume that it receives a lot of traffic due to its ease of
access, affordable prices, and few demographic limitations.
Physiographic ‘s
Based on the above data the average ropes course user is:






Male or Female
Ages 7-16 or 30-50
On vacation, either from work or school
In a family
Makes between $62,000 and $89,000 a year
Doesn’t plan ahead on doing ropes course, but just does it at a camp, resort, or a place their
vacationing at
Page | 32
Part 5- Staffing Profile





Demographics
Training Level and Source of Training
Pay
Average Life-Span of Employee
Personality Profile
Retrieved from: http://biocutis.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/
Page | 33
Demographics
Position
Age
Gender
Job Description
Job Requirements
Management
or supervisor
25 +
Male
-To plan, direct and
supervise the
running of a ropes
course.
-To acquire staff and
assure the have
adequate training
-Make sure the
course is up to code
and is run safely
- one to two years’ experience
with ropes course programs
or business degree (depending
on size of company and
position from supervisor to
general manager)
-Certified by a reputable
organization
-Basic managerial skills
(communication, planning,
organization ect.)
Logistic Staff
20-50
Female
-To provide
management with the
support they need to
run a ropes course
-Dealing with
bookings, finances,
and paperwork
-Organized
-Preferred experience,
training, or education within
the business logistical world
Instructor
18 +
Male/
Female
-To operate the ropes
course, set up and
tear down of course
-Briefings and
gearing up clients
-18+
-Basic first aid
-Physically able to do the
course
-Group management &
communication skills
-Challenge course
certification/ experience or
the ability to learn and
demonstrate the skills in a safe
manor with an understanding
of the equipment.
The above chart is an average of the ropes course industry as a whole. Some specific companies
may have employment demographics that look entirely different.
Page | 34
Training Level and Source of Training
Manager/ Supervisor
On the Job
Training
Problem Solving/
Common Sense
Prior Education
Prior Experience
Management training consists mostly of
previous knowledge and problem solving
skills. To get into the manager/ supervisor
role you need to have previous experience in
a position of responsibility and/or have
formal education in the matter. On the job
training is minimal, you will receive some
basic company specific, or maybe even
industry specific training however it will be
minimal training at this level.
Logistics Staff
The logistic staff requires a lot on their personal
knowledge and common sense to overcome the
challenges in their job. They do receive some
specific training on how the business is
operated, and what protocols they should be
following. Prior experience or education is a
bonus and defiantly recommended however it is
not required.
General Instructor
On the Job
Training
Problem Solving/
Common Sense
Prior Education
Prior Experience
On the Job
Training
Problem Solving/
Common Sense
Prior Education
Prior Experience
An instructor relies mainly on training.
There are a few things that can be solved
by common sense but mainly it is training.
As an entry level position no real training is
required and on the job training will teach
you everything you need to know from
equipment, to safety briefings, to belay
techniques. Prior experience e or training is
an asset especially if one desires to be a
more senior instructor.
Page | 35
Pay
Pay varies from company to company dependant on a variety of factors. As a basic instructor or
a logistical staff person you can expect to be paid around the minimum wage mark. The longer you
work, the higher your pay. Managers can expect to be paid on average $61,000. (42)
In addition, there are always little perks, such as free use of the course, or any other activity that
the organization may run. So the pay and benefits may vary greatly from organization to organization, as
some may pay a bigger salary, but others may offer lodging and food or other perks.
Average Life-Span of Employee

Management/ Supervisor- Management/ supervisors generally last a while. It mostly depends
on the company profile as to exactly how many years. In the smaller companies, this is the
owner so they are around indefinitely. In bigger companies or camps, the managers tend to stay
for just 2-10 years, as they often seek a better, more important position than just a ropes course
manager. However, some do stick around for a while, especially if there are other
responsibilities, and it is a full, year-round position.

Logistics staff- The life span of logistics staff is also entirely dependent on the organization. With
some organizations the logistics person(s) have a personal relation with the company, or may be
the owner themselves, so they would then be there indefinitely. In big organizations where it is
a year-round position, the staff also tends to stick around for 2-10 years, as it’s a good place to
make a living. However, with the mid-sized companies and summer camps where someone is
just hired for seasonal work, they tend to only be around for 1-3 seasons.

General Instructor- The average instructor lasts 1-3 seasons. It is a basic job that is fun, but not
something to make a career out of. Typically it is a young adult who is looking for summer work
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while they are in school, but once they're done they go and get a full time job. A select few
make a career out of it, however, they move on to become supervisors, trainers or inspectors
and do not spend their lives as just front line instructors.

Personality Profile: Typical Ropes Course Instructor
o
18-24
o
Inexperience
o
Young adult
o
o
In school, no defined career path
o
Immature and naive to all the involved
risks
Casual Adventure
o
Minimum wage or close to it pay
o
Looking for a good time
Page | 37
Part 6- Environmental Impacts
 Environmental Issues
 Land Management Conflicts
 Industry Environmental Impact and Mitigation Strategies
 Contributions to Environment
Page | 38
Environmental Issues
Environmental Issue
Initial Impact
Long-term Impact
Course Construction
Destruction of natural habitat
either through cleared forests or
being built right onto trees
Scares animals away, and some
may need to be removed or
killed, like woodpeckers if they
peck holes in course poles
Daily Operations
Interferes with wildlife’s activity,
people begin to bother and
agitate animals around
Brings heavy traffic to landscape,
pollution occurs as garbage
builds up
Ropes Courses generally occur within wooded areas. This means that, for the course to be built
either its attached right onto live trees or a section of forest is clear cut so a course can be put up. No
matter what, paths will have to be cut and the canopy will be trimmed away so it does not interfere with
the course. Once the course is built, “heavy” traffic will be brought to the area, disturbing the wildlife.
This is fine for the operator who doesn’t need animals compromising the structure of the course or
having someone hit an animal, so it is in their favour to clear out wildlife from the immediate area. Also,
with a lot of people in one area, pollution is going to occur. People are going to litter and spray
chemicals like bug spray, sunscreen, and deodorant around. There is nothing you can do to stop the
disruption of nature within the area.
Land Management Conflicts
Fortunately for ropes courses, they do not run into much trouble over the land they use. Ropes
courses are on a confined plot of land. They do not require an entire mountain to ski or climb, a river to
run, or a long trail to bike. Instead, all you need is a comparatively small plot of land. This being the case,
ropes courses are generally built on private land, so there are no conflicts from the stakeholders of the
land. There are some companies, however, like Chutes Coulonge, who is leasing their land from Hydro,
Page | 39
Quebec. In cases like that, the ropes course operator is not the direct owner of the land; however they
have a contract to dictate what they can do and they are pretty much left alone. It works out well for
ropes course, because no one with any true claims to the land can object to the building and operation
of the course. Some environmental groups may protest against some of the bigger companies, which is
an inherent issue with building anything commercial in the forest, but the environmental groups have
no legal claim on the land.
Industry Environmental Impact and Mitigation Strategies
The ropes course industry does not have a huge impact on the environment in the big picture.
As with any business, you are, of course, affecting nature and destroying some part of the environment,
but ropes courses are still a fairly green activity. Trash and recycling cans are available to minimize
waste. When they build the course they do clear areas and trails, but most of the activities take place in
the air, minimizing ground traffic, and what ground traffic does occur, remains within localized and
controlled areas. Hydro poles are generally used to create them, ensuring long lasting courses that will
not need constant modification. Animal habitats are usually protected, as they make an additional good
attraction for people. After the initial paths are cut, everything is fairly carefully maintained. If the
course was built in a field, it has a smaller environmental impact, but if it was built in the woods, it is in
the operator’s interest to preserve it, in order to keep the natural beauty and wildlife alive to keep
attracting clients.
Contributions to Environment
If a ropes course is built near a geographical feature or in the woods, it preserves that
landscape. Companies want to protect any unique geographical features that serve as an attraction.
Likewise, the forest itself becomes preserved as a background environment, even though people do not
generally go exploring through it. By making the course and paths, the companies are designating
Page | 40
certain spots that will receive damage, while the rest of the wildlife is preserved. It is those who rely on
nature, who fight to preserve it.
Page | 41
Part 7- SWOT Analysis
 Strengths
 Weaknesses
 Opportunities
 Threats
Retrieved from: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Ideas_and_Decision_M_g409Strengths_Or_Weaknesses_Directions_p67194.html
180x&LCID=&PartnerID=99999&PromoID1=3&EligibleLicense=MLK&CNTRY=&RID=
Page | 42
Strengths
1. Easy to get into - From an operator's standpoint, to build your own ropes course is a simple
endeavour. It doesn’t take much for a business to add a ropes course to their list of activities. It
requires few resources, a relatively limited amount of training (especially for bottom line
employees), can use up only a small plot of land, and is relatively cheap to build. This has
allowed ropes course to become an activity that is offered at an enormous amount of places. It
has become an easily accessible activity, and has been able to gain some traction in the outdoor
world rather quickly.
2. Supported By other Industries - Ropes courses are easy to build and run, so existing companies
have adopted them into their businesses. This has given the ropes course industry support, by
tying it in with existing leaders in other outdoor industries. This has given the ropes course
industry traction within the outdoor community. Since it was tied in with existing leader in other
outdoor industries, the ropes courses business gained much support and traction within the
outdoor community. Overall it is not a struggling industry trying to grow; instead it obtains
clients from other activities as well as new clients and so is growing rapidly and becoming a
notable industry.
3. Preserves the Environment - In general ropes courses preserve the environment in which they
function. The general landscape that is around helps as, from a marketing perspective; it is an
additional selling point. As such operators preserve the environment and all its beauty in order
to allow customers to have a very scenic and majestic aerial experience.
4. Offers something for Everyone - Ropes courses appeals to almost every demographic. It has few
restrictions on eligible clientele, so it has a very broad range of potential clients to attract. It is a
basic activity, so no previous experience is needed and even if you are scared of heights, ropes
courses help you overcome that fear.
Page | 43
Weaknesses
1. Minimal Regulations - While this makes it easy to get into the business from an operator’s
standpoint, from a risk management standpoint this is very bad. This is where all the problems
come from. Because there are few regulations currently for ropes courses, amateurs are coming
into the business. As a result greater chances of incidents are likely to occur. Operators do not
always have the skills, knowledge, and ability to safely run their course. This will bring scrutiny
into the industry and professional operators may end up suffering the consequences of the
amateurs' mistakes. This has the potential to give ropes course a bad public image and to
impose restrictive rules that would it too costly or challenging for the normal operator to
continue.
Opportunities
1. Regulating Body Within Canada: Canada still uses the ACCT standards. While that has worked
fine up until this point, there is an opportunity to design a governing organization that
accompanies ropes courses and zip lines for all of Canada. It can also take into account that
Canadian law works different from America, and as such the priorities of the regulations will be
in different. In America they may be more worried about being sued but in Canada it’s a lesser
concern.
2. Influential Business: While there is no big regulating body, there is also no influential business.
There is a room for a business, new or existing, to step up and become the industry leader. They
would need to distinguish themselves as an industry leader by having the safety systems to back
it up. If a business starts to set the standard for how courses should be run then they will have a
huge competitive advantage. They would become the big player and be able to rapidly expand
and rise above all the minor players.
Page | 44
3. Competitions: Right now ropes courses are a fun activity, but they are not a sport. There is an
opportunity for someone to make more challenging ropes courses and have competitions with
it. After all, shows like Wipe Out and Ninja Warrior are fairly popular and they are just big
obstacle courses, which is very similar to ropes courses. There is an opportunity for someone to
create ropes courses that are more challenging, ones that have different degrees of difficulty
that would allow for people of a variety of skills levels to challenge themselves. With these
degrees of difficulty, competitions can occur by seeing who can get past apparatuses the
quickest. This will not only keep attracting the tourists who will come and may only try the
easier ones, but it will also generate more repeat business. Harder courses give people a reason
to come back and new goals they can constantly keep striving to achieve.
Threats
1. Up-rooted - Ropes course do not yet have real roots in the outdoor world. They are a young
industry still trying to settle in some ways. First of all, they were grown on the backs of other
industries. They grew rapidly because they were set up at places that already had outdoor
customers, so doing a ropes course wasn’t a big stretch. If those businesses decided they no
longer needed a ropes course or if it became too much red tape for them to have a ropes
course, then the ropes course industry would be back to square one. They would no longer have
the well-established organizations' names to advertise for them. The ropes course industry right
now is set up to mainly run off of other businesses: it’s not yet a stand-alone activity as only a
very few companies actually do it. So if the industry lost its support from other established
businesses in the outdoor industry then the ropes course industry would have to work that
much harder to find clients, to build up brand awareness and to be easily accessible.
2. Unregulated - With so few regulations in place, there are businesses that are not the best at risk
management. With limited risk management in place, incidents are bound to happen. As more
Page | 45
incidents occur, the government is going to intervene and regulate the industry. New
regulations have the potential to raise expenses, and create more red tape. This means it will
make it harder to run a course. Smaller operators may go out of business because it could
become too expensive, other companies might decide to shave off their ropes programs
because it becomes too much of a liability. So all it might take is one serious incident for ropes
courses to become over-regulated, thereby collapsing the industry.
Page | 46
References
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