Alleghany opens its ropes course

It is designed for team-building exercises

Credit: Journal Map by Jeremy Boyd

By: By Sherry Youngquist | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: July 21, 2008

SPARTA

Alleghany County has opened the first phase of a ropes course that is intended to serve students, families, corporations and other groups interested in team-building exercises.

The course, in a park between Alleghany High School and Wilkes Community College's Alleghany campus, includes a series of 15 challenges -- ranging from climbing walls to swinging logs -- that are meant to teach trust, planning, cooperation and the importance of relationships.

"It teaches how to relate to people, problem-solving skills" said Glenn Wing, the course facilitator. "What this is about is strengthening the community, the individual."

The experience puts groups of people in situations in which they must rely on each other and gain each other's trust. It has a profound effect, creating team empowerment and individual confidence, Wing said.

The Alleghany County Recreation Department opened the course last month. It's available to any individuals or groups, but reservations must be made, said David Evans, the county's recreation director. There is a fee scale, with nonprofit groups being charged a lower fee.

The course has been six years in the making.

Wing previously worked with high-risk students in an after-school program in Sparta. One day, he was talking with Jean Sparks, the program's director, about how best to serve kids who were failing in school or whose home lives were disruptive.

"I said, ‘What about a ropes course?'" Wing said. His background includes a degree in education and he told Sparks about a ropes course he took in college that they called "fun in the woods."

The experimental class taught people how to relate to people, he said.

Sparks and Wing presented their idea to the community, and the county offered to give the ropes course a home on land the county owns.

From there, they began a campaign to raise money for the project. People in the community donated $13,000.

Companies and individuals donated materials worth about $18,000.

Volunteers worked thousands of hours to move rocks and debris and to install the series of challenges.

Sparks died in 2006 after suffering an aneurism. As Wing stood outside the course this week, he thought of her and the encouragement she gave to him.

"I feel a great deal of gratitude for her support," Wing said.

■ Sherry Youngquist can be reached in Mount Airy at 336-789-9338 or at syoungquist@wsjournal.com.