High ropes activities involve a belay system that allows participants to safely climb heights through challenges with beams, tires, ropes, and cables. These activities are very popular and offer a great challenge for new and returning campers alike.

At Canterbury Hills, our high ropes course is expertly built into the trees in the forest, making for excellent views as you climb and safely descend back to the ground.

Participation in High Ropes, or our outdoor Rock Wall climbing tower, requires all participants to wear a waist harness, a chest harness, and a properly fitted helmet (all of which we provide). All gear is inspected daily by our certified ropes staff, and campers are continuously checked prior to leaving the ground to ensure all safety elements are able to perform as they should.

We are very fortunate to share Canterbury Hills site with AdventureWorks! Associates Inc. a professional consulting company that has been contributing to excellence in the adventure programming field since 1993. They provide training, equipment, and certification for adventure programs across Canada.

At Canterbury Hills, senior staff members are trained and certified by AdventureWorks! to inspect, set up, take down, and operate the course in accordance with all safety procedures, OCA, and ACCT standards. They are supported by unit leaders who are trained in belay assistance.

The term Low Ropes covers a wide variety of group cooperation and initiative activities that take place close to the ground on beams, ropes, and cables, or utilize other materials and resources. These unique challenges are fun to participate in, and help cabin mates problem solve, communicate, and develop teamwork.

This makes low ropes initiatives the perfect activity prior to groups heading to the High Ropes Course, or our Rock Wall, where cooperation, teamwork, and communication are all essential for success.

Canterbury Hills Low Ropes activities are divided into 3 Stages:

Stage 1 activities (e.g. Whale Watch, Bermuda Triangle, Zig-Zag) only require leadership from a staff member who has successfully completed our in-house training.

Stage 2 activities (e.g Cable Traverse, Nitro Swing, Low V) involve participants moving themselves through cables or ropes within a foot off the ground, and require leadership from a staff member certified at level 2 in our in-house training or a standard Level 1 AdventureWorks! certified leader. At Canterbury Hills, Stage 2 elements are often facilitated by our Head Unit Leaders, who receive extensive in-house training.

Stage 3 activities (eg. Fidget Ladder, King’s Finger, The Wall) involve lifting or moving people, and always require supervision by a standard Level 1 or Level 2 AdventureWorks! certified leader (this is typically members of our senior staff, the Resource Team).

For low ropes activities, all ages can participate! Our staff are heavily trained in selecting the appropriate initiative for their groups’ age, abilities, and personalities, as well as adapting it with themes and difficulty levels to ensure that every low ropes session is both challenging and fun-filled.

For both high ropes and our rock wall, campers six and under are unable to participate due to the sizing of safety equipment available.

Groups can choose any low ropes activity they wish, so long as the activity is included in their schedule and the necessary supervision arrangements are made between Unit Leaders, Head Unit Leaders, and the Resource Team.

For high ropes, Overnight and Bridge Camp cabin groups can choose between the climbing wall or climbing elements (tires, ropes, beams, etc.) in our high ropes area. Day Camp cabin groups have access exclusively to the rock wall, which, outfitted with three faces of varying difficulty, offers plenty of challenge for all ages.

If campers are interested in a further difficulty level, they can always ask the supervising Ropes Staff present for extra challenges that increase the skill required, but don’t compromise safety (climbing blindfolded, anyone?).