Last week before school officially started (woot woot!), my kids and I ventured to the Palisades Climb Adventure in Rockland County for an afternoon of adventure and climbing. I’m not kidding when I tell you that it’s the world’s tallest indoor ropes course, standing 85 feet in height, and features 75 different challenge elements, designed for all ages and skill levels. My kids are brave, after all they’ve climbed the ropes in Atlanta’s Stone Mountain course, but watching them climb four-stories was FIERCE.
The course is located right in the middle of Palisades Center, a humongous shopping center filled every department store, chain store you can imagine. We needed to do a bit of back to school shopping, so the timing couldn’t have been better. The rope course is a really good break in the middle of or after a full day of shopping. It’s also a great way for kids to bond. Mine stayed together during the entire stint, helped each other and shared the achievement of doing it. To say there are brave is an understatement. Plus, it’s good exercise and I was pleased that after a month of lazing around (with trips to the beach and pool, and lots of bike rides, but ample technology), they were using all their muscles to stay on course.
They both wore a body harness, attached to a sling line which runs into an overhead track. The sling is attached to the harness using two belay clips, one of which locks. I wasn’t the slightest worried about their safety, there was no way they were going to fall. But I was sure impressed with their abilities and one proud mama standing on the sidelines.
The course contains 75 different challenge elements, including a tremor bridge, tension traverse, a vertical rope ladder, a quarter cargo net, a two line rope bridge, an alternating spaghetti handline and a three line lumber rope bridge. Each element includes a different ropes configuration such as bridges, tight ropes, loops and balance beams, obstacles present challenges of strength, balance and agility. The course is open ended, allowing them to chart their path and make decisions on which way to go and how difficult they wanted to extend themselves. It instilled a level of patience, confidence and pride in my children and I can call that a great day.
For more information, head to palisadesclimb.com.
Disclosure: I was provided with complimentary admission to Palisades Climb Adventure but all opinions are my own.
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