Ropes Course Developments to construct two new sites for Aerial Extreme.
RCD is pleased to announce that our partnership with Aerial Extreme continues and we have been appointed to construct two new urban adventure courses for 2010.
Aerial Extreme iceSheffield
The first course is complete and it is located in Sheffield; it consists of 34 exciting activities plus an adrenaline fuelled descent using the revolutionary POWERFANŽ
It is open to the public from the 17th July!
Aerial Extreme Trafford Centre The second course is currently being built in Manchester and will consist of over 30 exciting activities and 2 thrilling zip wires.
For further information and bookings please go to www.aerialextreme.co.uk
RCD lead the field again with ERCA first
RCD has become the first UK ropes course construction company to have an ERCA certified ropes course. This is the first ropes course to pass its independent inaugural inspection and receive the official certification to confirm it meets all of the criteria of EN: 15567 Ropes courses part 1: Construction and safety and Ropes courses part 2: Operation requirements.
The first certificate of its kind was issued on the 7th July for a ropes course we have built for Funtasia Water Park in Ireland we then had a further certificate issued on the 25th August for Kingswood Learning and Leisure ltd.
This is a milestone for the ropes course industry and once again RCD are leading the way.
RCD to construct innovative ropes course @ Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo Gardens has announced plans to open an aerial ropes course within its grounds this summer which is to be built by the founders of the European ropes course industry, Ropes Course Developments!
The course will give visitors the chance to swing alongside some of the Zoo’s most popular inhabitants – gibbons, gorillas and lemurs.
It will be the first ropes course in Europe that is accessible to children as young as five and set within a zoo.
Planning permission has now been granted for the new adventure activity, which will be called ZooRopia.
The course will take participants on a route around the centre of the Zoo, traversing 17 sections themed around tree-dwelling animals. The course will include a net ramp, a plank bridge, hanging tyres, looped vines, hanging logs and a balance beam, and finishes with a zip wire onto the Zoo’s main lawn.
Jo Gipps, director of Bristol Zoo Gardens, said: “This is sure to be an exciting new activity which will give visitors of all ages a unique opportunity to swing next to some of our most popular primates as well as offering fantastic views over the Zoo. We are very much looking forward to opening ZooRopia to our visitors this summer.”
The course will be around five metres high and participants will use an innovative, continuous belay system so that, once fastened into a harness by an instructor, the adventurer remains secured to a rope and completely safe at all times. It also gives participants the ability to move freely and at their own speed.
Rod Baber, managing director of Head 4 Heights, the company operating the new ropes course, said: “ZooRopia at Bristol Zoo is the first ropes course of its kind to date. It will offer a fantastic opportunity for young and old alike to experience moving around like primates in a totally safe environment.”
Chris Proud, general manager of Ropes Course Developments, said “We are very pleased to be working with Head 4 Heights on this innovative new Aerial Ropes Course at Bristol Zoo Gardens; ZooRopia will be a unique and memorable experience for all participants”
ZooRopia is suitable for visitors aged five and over, there is no maximum age limit. Participants must be over 1.1 metres tall. ZooRopia is designed so that adults and children alike can take part (charges and restrictions will apply). The course will be staffed by trained instructors at all times.
Work constructing ZooRopia is now underway, with an expected opening in late June (2009).
UK Ropes Course Guide – ready for downloading now
The Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC) has produced a very comprehensive guide for all those involved in the ropes course industry. This guidance document has been compiled in co-operation with:
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Adventure Activity Licensing Service (AALS)
European Ropes Course Association (ERCA)
Recreational and traditional ropes course operators
Ropes Course Constructors
Ropes Course Trainers
Ropes Course Inspectors
The Guide reflects the requirements of the new European Ropes Course Standard (EN: 15567) but with specific reference to established good practice in the UK. It is an essential point of reference for all those involved in the UK ropes course industry. It can be downloaded as a PDF document from the AAIAC website: www.aaiac.org.uk.
The document will be updated each year and people are invited to submit comments on the document. The process for submitting comments is contained within the Guide.
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THE EUROPEAN ROPES COURSE ASSOCIATION & THE EUROPEAN ROPES COURSE STANDARD
The European Ropes Course Association (ERCA) was formed over three years ago from what had previously been the German Ropes Course Association.
Prior to the name change most members were from Austria and Germany. It was realised that there was a role to be played as a European wide Association as well as the strength that can be gained from members from diverse nations.
Currently ERCA has more than 200 members in Austria, Belgium, The Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
Membership of ERCA is wide and varied; however, English and German are the two languages in which all documents are currently published. The broad diversity of membership, from across Europe, brings with it a healthy cross section of trainers, constructors and operators.
You may, or may not, be aware that a European Standard for Ropes Courses is now available from the British Standards Institute. There are two parts to the standard: prEN 15567-1 ³safety requirements and test methods² and prEN 15567-2 ³operational requirements². The enquiry stage lasts for five months. ERCA¹s contribution to the provisional European Ropes Course Standard has been immense. Six members of the ERCA board have attended the meetings in Germany and France over the last two years representing their home countries.
So what are the benefits of ERCA membership?
All members receive a copy of the ERCA standards. This is an excellent source of reference which is regularly improved and updated to ensure compatibility with European Standards, European Directives and ropes course operating principles. The ERCA manual incorporates:
The most valuable aspect to ERCA is its members - all of whom represent the European Ropes Course Industry. Such solidarity is essential in an increasingly litigious and regulated world.
The Working at Height Directive is a good example of where a formal association can provide immense credibility in the fight against inappropriate regulation.
As well as this of course you are joining a body of like minded people from across Europe who share similar ideas and problems. The annual ERCA Conference is both entertaining and informative and provides a chance for people to share their experiences, trials and tribulations.
Next year ERCA is planning to offer accreditation to trainers, inspectors and constructors and is currently establishing the infrastructure to administer this process.
It is our belief that ERCA will eventually become a NGB. We would strongly urge all those involved in the ropes course industry to consider becoming members. Further information can be obtained from the ERCA website (www.erca.co.uk).
