Who should attend:  Designed for physical educators, school counselors, teachers, community agency staff, camp staff, human service professionals, recreation professionals or anyone who is interested in an intensive approach to learning challenge course skills.

Even the best introductory course cannot cover all the programmatic and technical content needed to meet current industry standards and best practices.  This intermediate fast-track workshop is for those professionals who utilize a low and high elements challenge course as part of their daily adventure program and want to gain maximum immersion time in the technical skills to effectively run them.

You will:

• Participate in an intermediate technical workshop that covers core content from two PA technical workshops (Technical Skills Intensive and Advanced Skills and Standards) in a six-day intensive model.
• Build on the technical skills learned in Adventure Programming or Adventure Based Counseling.
• Gain a deeper understanding of the applications for a variety of equipment including harnesses, helmets, carabiners, ropes, belay devices and belay set-ups.
• Gain more advanced knot-tying skills.
• Learn belay team management including alternative belay techniques.
• Learn a selection of high and low element standard operating procedures (SOPs), safety guidelines, for the indoor and outdoor challenge course.
• Learn skills necessary to operate complex challenge course elements and activities.
• Receive instruction in self-belayed climbing and other methods of course access.
• Learn challenge course set-up and take down procedures including gear retrieval.
• Learn descending techniques including rappelling, partner lowers and self-lowers.
• Learn and practice rescue techniques including belay escapes, assisted hoists and cutaways.
• Be introduced to PA's latest elements/equipment and Association for Challenge Course Technology standards.
• Learn the basics for inspecting your own challenge course.
• Receive a copy of PA's Techncial Skills Intensive and Advanced Skills and Standards manuals and The Guide for Challenge Course Operations.
• Learn from PA's senior adventure technical trainers and content consultants.

This six-day workshop begins at 9:00 A.M. the first day and ends by 5:00 P.M. the final day.  Registration begins at 8:30 A.M. the first day.

Components of this workshop can be offered at your site for your staff and customized to your specific challenge course elements.  Call 1-800-468-8898 x4554 or email info@pa.org for more info.  Have a copy of your most recent challenge course inspection report available.