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43-490: Group trust events that are part of Project COPE include standing on an elevated platform or tree stump and falling backwards to be caught by a human zipper. In another exercise designed to show the importance of leadership, teams are blindfolded as they navigate through the woods, with only the people at the very front and back of the line allowed to speak. Participants progress from simple group games to low- and high-course rope activities. There are no time limits. According to

86-558: A dynamic course, participants are connected to a rope, which someone on the ground will be holding onto and belaying the participant on the course. Participants on a dynamic course remain on a belay the entire time: climbing up to the element, doing the activity, and being lowered to the ground after. A vertical course is very similar to dynamic, except that the element is the climb up. Vertical courses can be: vertical obstacle courses with hanging logs, ladders, and tires or alpine towers with their unique hour-glass shape of activities. The M-Belay

129-437: A number of educational, developmental , and recreational goals. High ropes course and climbing programs generally focus on personal achievements and ask participants to confront their personal fears and anxieties. Challenges may be physical or emotional. In certain cases, high element programs involve the development and mastery of technical skills to manage rope belay systems used to secure other climbers as they move through

172-431: A static course, participants are attached to an upper wire, belay cable, with lanyards (ropes and carabiners) for safety. If the participant dangles, they will be caught by the wire. Advantages of a static course include needing fewer facilitators , being able to get more participants up on the course at one time, and allowing participants to do multiple elements without having to be lowered and climb back up after each. On

215-455: A study published in 2000 in the Journal of Leisure Research found that ropes courses also demonstrate higher-level outcomes, including increases in effectiveness and efficiency, building relationships, developing understanding, setting goals, brainstorming ideas and task accomplishment. The British Royal Marines have an extremely difficult ropes course dubbed the 'Tarzan Assault Course'. To pass

258-517: Is a village and community in Gwynedd , Wales , located on the northern side of the estuary of the River Dyfi . The population of the community was 878 at the 2011 census. The electoral ward had a larger population of 1,282 and includes the community of Pennal . Founded by shipbuilding , Aberdyfi is now a seaside resort with a high quality beach . The centre is on the river and seafront, around

301-662: Is by the A493 , with Tywyn four miles to the north and Machynlleth 11 miles to the east. The village is on the Cambrian Coast railway line and has two railway stations, Aberdovey and Penhelig . Trains on the Cambrian Line are operated by Transport for Wales . The local bus service is operated by Lloyds Coaches with services to Tywyn , where a connection can be made for Dolgellau , and to Machynlleth , where connections are available to Aberystwyth . A ferry used to operate across

344-477: Is closely linked to the legend of the submerged lost kingdom of Cantre'r Gwaelod (English: Lowland Hundred ) beneath Cardigan Bay , and bells which, it is said, can be heard ringing beneath the water at the beach. The Bells of Aberdovey ( Welsh : Clychau Aberdyfi ) is a well-known song referring to this legend. This song first appeared in the English opera Liberty Hall in 1785, written by Charles Dibdin , and

387-467: Is located within the Snowdonia National Park . In the 2011 census , 38.5% of the population of Aberdyfi ward identified themselves as Welsh (or combined). 59.4% of the population were born outside Wales. According to the 2021 census , 43.3% could speak Welsh with an increase of 0.7% from last time. The anglicised spelling for the village and community is Aberdovey . The Welsh Aberdyfi

430-458: Is not thought to be a traditional folk-song as Welsh words were written by John Ceiriog Hughes , during the 19th century. The legend and the song have inspired local cultural projects involving bells. A new chime of bells was installed in September 1936 in the tower of St Peter's Church, which overlooks the harbour. The ten bells, tuned in the key of A flat, were specifically designed to allow

473-599: Is now widely used locally and by the Gwynedd Council and the Welsh Government . The body responsible for providing advice on the standard forms of Welsh place-names, the Welsh Language Commissioner , recommends Aberdyfi to be the standard form for use in both English and Welsh. Some entities continue to use the anglicisation e.g. some local businesses in their name and/or address and some use

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516-443: Is situated on the river front. The deeds of 1923 state it was established in perpetuity as "a non-sectarian, non-political place of recreation, education and social intercourse including ... reading rooms, writing rooms, library, billiard rooms, concert rooms ..." Neuadd Dyfi is a community hall, conference centre and theatre owned by the village for village activities. It caters for a range of local organisations and events. Aberdyfi

559-481: Is the most complicated of the two, and involves two separate belays. Otherwise, it is very similar to a dynamic course. Usually participants must sign a waiver before being allowed to participate on the course, because of the high risk of injury. Some participants may have a hard time completing the course due to its height and the physical challenge. Courses usually range from 25 feet through 50 feet tall, though some elements can reach upwards of 150 feet plus (as in

602-676: The Commando Course , recruits must complete this and other arduous tests consecutively under a strict time limit. Despite the rapid development of ropes course programming during the latter part of the 20th century and the increasing sophistication and professionalism in ropes course construction, there remains a lack of clear scientific consensus about the many claimed psychosocial training benefits of ropes course participation. Aberdyfi Aberdyfi ( Welsh pronunciation: [abɛrˈdəvi] ), also known as Aberdovey ( / æ b ə r ˈ d ʌ v iː / a-bər- DUH -vee ),

645-767: The U.S. Scouting Service Project , C.O.P.E. originated in St. Joseph, Missouri, as a program at Camp Geiger in the late 1970s, under the leadership of Parvin Bishop of the Pony Express Council . After seeing challenge courses such as the Dalajamb World Jamboree International Encampment in Sweden, which offered a woodland pioneering course complete with zip lines and bridges, the National Council of

688-841: The Aberdovey Golf Club is Aberdyfi Football club boasting one of the best football pitches in Mid-Wales. The football team won the Welsh Amateur Cup Competition in 1934. The Aberdyfi Rowing Club rows in the Dyfi Estuary and Cardigan Bay and takes part in races all round the coast of Wales and internationally. They row 24’ long Celtic longboats, with four rowers (each with one oar) and a cox. They have three of these traditional Welsh boats with fixed seats and use these for races in Wales. The Aberdovey Literary Institute, founded in 1882,

731-560: The Boy Scouts of America was interested in offering similar programs nationwide. The first Project COPE took place in 1980. Following a three-year pilot in Missouri, the council recommended Project COPE as an optional project across the country, and tested it across six locations. Among other benefits, Project COPE was viewed as a way to keep older Scouts engaged with Scouting as they grew older. The program also helped to popularize Scouting among

774-600: The Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience ( Project COPE ) course (used by the Boy Scouts of America ). An Aerial Adventure Park (or "European-Style" Adventure Park, Tree-Top Adventure course) has a more recreational purpose. Other related terms include obstacle courses , assault courses and commando courses , although these terms also have slightly different meanings, often more associated with military training than with education and training for

817-535: The Dyfi estuary. She was unable to leave for 10 days because of the wind and could not be boarded as no suitable boats were available. An attempt to burn her was frustrated by winds and when she did leave she ended up being captured by a waiting English fleet off the Cornish coast. In the 1700s, the village grew with the appearance of several of the inns still in current use (The Dovey Hotel, Britannia and Penhelig Arms). Copper

860-559: The River Dyfi to Ynyslas . The last ferryman was Ellis Williams . Popular recreational activities focus on the beach and watersports , such as windsurfing , kitesurfing , fishing , crabbing , sailing , and canoeing on the estuary. The Dovey Yacht Club has a prominent position on the river front of the village. It was founded in 1949 and helped develop the popularity of the GP14 dinghy class. It organises races for dinghies throughout

903-615: The US, although this is highly unlikely. Patterned after a military obstacle course and similar to the course in use at the Outward Bound school in Aberdyfi , Wales, the course was constructed of hemp ropes. Belay systems were minimal or non-existent. Ropes courses were adapted for use in an education setting by Project Adventure , Inc. in Hamilton, Massachusetts in 1971. The first course built at

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946-653: The United Kingdom. Bugail Aberdyfi (the Shepherd of Aberdovey) is a poem written by John Ceiriog Hughes which has been set to music and recorded by several singers including Bryn Terfel . The children's novel, Silver on the Tree , by Susan Cooper , the final book of The Dark is Rising , is largely set around Aberdyfi, with many references to local landmarks. The novel, Megan's Game by Tony Drury, published in 2012, contains many references to Aberdyfi, surrounding areas and

989-523: The centre of the village, Pen-y-Bryn, has been claimed to be the site of fortifications in the 1150s, which were soon destroyed. The site of Aberdyfi Castle however is usually said to be at the motte earthworks further up the opposite side of the river near Glandyfi . During the Spanish Armada of 1597 , a Spanish ship, the Bear of Amsterdam missed her objective at Milford Haven and ended up having entered

1032-526: The course. In such cases, outcomes often include exploring the fundamentals of trust , craftsmanship , and coaching. Programs using low ropes course elements or group initiatives are most often designed to explore group interaction, problem-solving, and leadership. Some of the commonly claimed outcomes include enhancement of cooperation, decision making, self confidence, positive risk-taking, social cohesion, trust, self esteem, leadership, goal setting, and teamwork. In addition to these commonly cited benefits,

1075-572: The decks of ships. “Hébertism” grew during and between the World Wars, becoming the standard for physical education training for the French military . Many ropes courses and challenge course programs in French Canada and Europe are still known as Hébertism courses today. Marble, Colorado , the site of the first Colorado Outward Bound course, has been cited as the location of the first ropes course in

1118-460: The general public. It is unclear where and when the first ropes course was created. Obstacle courses have been used by the military to train soldiers as far back as the ancient Greeks . Those courses, however, were primarily used for the training of extremely fit individuals and not necessarily aimed at the development of unremarkable persons as is common practice on ropes courses today. The use of belay and risk management systems on such courses

1161-492: The original harbour, jetty and beach; it stretches back from the coast and up the steep hillside in the midst of typical Welsh coastal scenery of steep green hills and sheep farms. Penhelig railway station ( Welsh : Penhelyg ) is in the eastern part of the village. Being less than 100 miles (160 km) from the West Midlands , the area is popular with tourists. 43.3% of houses in the village are holiday homes. The village

1204-497: The participants independently run a variety of trails of increasing difficulty levels. Each trail consists of several poles or trees that are connected by different acrobatic elements. A high course can be a pre-fabricated, professionally installed course, built of utility poles, cables, and bolts, or it can be a course that is hand-built in a wooded area, where ropes and wire are attached to different trees. Ropes courses can be described as static, dynamic, vertical, and M-Belay. With

1247-460: The playing of The Bells of Aberdovey and are played from a mechanical carillon inside the church. In 2010 an art installation was commissioned from sculptor Marcus Vergette as a homage to The Bells of Aberdovey . The work is a bronze time-and-tide bell suspended beneath the pier which is rung by the action of water at high tide. It was installed in July 2011 and is one of several such bells around

1290-661: The public for recreational purposes and are generating increased publicity. Adventure Parks with a more recreational-orientation are booming in Europe and awake a great interest in the US and around the globe. They are usually designed for a larger volume of visitors. They do not follow a specific educational concept, but see the individual, physical and mental challenge as a predominantly recreational activity. Neither climbing techniques nor special/specific physical fitness experience are necessary. Typical slogans are: Have fun, Test your Courage and Overcome your Own Fears. In an Adventure Park,

1333-524: The redwoods and some jungle courses). In order to climb up onto the course participants usually must climb, such as by using a cargo net or Jacob's Ladder , which could be made of rope, or an artificial climbing wall . Low ropes courses consist of a series of real and imaginary obstacles designed to challenge groups and individuals to work together to accomplish a task. The classification of low ropes courses can be further broken into several types of activities: Ropes course advocates claim that they meet

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1376-487: The risk to end users and to the natural environment . Modern courses make use of a variety of materials other than trees, including utility poles and steel structures. A recent trend of themed courses has created a whole new genre of challenge course aimed at recreational pay-to-play users. New, mobile high ropes courses (originally designed by Jim Liggett of Ropes Courses, Inc.) and climbing walls built on flat bed trucks have made challenge courses more readily available to

1419-770: The same name stretches inland along the A494 road and includes Pennal community. The total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census was 1,282. Chapels in Aberdyfi include the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel, the English Presbyterian chapel, the Wesleyan Methodist chapel, and the Welsh Independent congregational chapel. The Anglican ( Church in Wales ) is St Peter's. Road access to Aberdyfi

1462-448: The school still stands and is in use today. Since the 1980s, ropes course sophistication has evolved considerably. Modern ropes courses incorporate sophisticated belay and safety systems using wire rope, friction devices, and climbing harnesses to manage what before were unmanaged risks. Recent technological advances in pole hardware and climbing equipment along with industry-accepted installation and design practices have greatly reduced

1505-468: The season on the estuary of the River Dyfi . The Aberdovey Golf Club, founded in 1892, is a famous 18 hole links course located near the railway station. It is world-renowned, having been described frequently and lyrically in the press by Bernard Darwin , the famed golf writer, who was a notable member of the club. In 1895, it was the location of the first Welsh Golfing Union Championship. Current members include Ian Woosnam and Peter Baker . Located by

1548-654: The two spellings interchangeably e.g. the BBC or under different circumstances e.g. the Aberdyfi Community Council. Local tradition suggests that the Romans established a track into the area as part of the military occupation of Wales around AD78. The strategic location in mid-Wales was the site of several conferences between north and south Wales princes in 540, 1140, and for the Council of Aberdyfi in 1216. The hill in

1591-587: The wider public. Ropes course A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high elements, low elements, or some combination of the two. Low elements take place on the ground or above the ground. High elements are usually constructed in trees or made of utility poles and require a belay for safety. Ropes courses are referred to using several different names, including Challenge Courses, Ropes Challenge Courses, Teams Course, and Low Ropes, as well as more idiosyncratic names such as

1634-411: Was built in 1887, with railway lines connecting it with the wharf and the main line. The Aberdyfi & Waterford Steamship Company imported livestock from Ireland which were then taken further by the railway. Coal, limestone and timber were also imported. Local coastal shipping links with Liverpool were strong, with many Aberdyfi men sailing on international voyages from Liverpool. The SS  Dora

1677-536: Was ferried across the river, as the line to Dovey Junction and then Machynlleth was not completed until 1867. Due to public demand, this section had to use a long tunnel behind the village centre, and further major earthworks and tunnels were needed along the bank of the river. This line, which became part of the Cambrian Railways , and later the Great Western Railway , is particularly scenic. A jetty

1720-500: Was limited and often non-existent. Many practitioners cite Georges Hébert as the originator of the "modern" ropes course. A French naval officer in the early 1900s, Hébert developed his own method of physical education, apparatus, and principles to train in what he called the “Natural Method,” which included the development of physical, moral, and “virile” qualities in an outdoor environment. Drawing from his naval background, Hébert patterned some of his obstacles on obstacles found on

1763-509: Was mined in the present Copperhill Street, and lead in Penhelig ( Welsh : Penhelyg ). In the 1800s, Aberdyfi was at its peak as a port. Major exports were slate and oak bark . Ship building was based in seven shipyards in Penhelig where 45 sailing ships were built between 1840 and 1880. The railway came to the village in 1863 built by the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway . The first train

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1806-436: Was one of the last ships trading between Aberdyfi and Liverpool and was scuttled, with no loss of life, by a German submarine in 1917. The jetty and wharf continued in commercial use for coal until 1959. After prolonged negotiations, redevelopments from 1968 to 1971, including rebuilding the jetty, led to their present use mainly for recreational purposes. Some local fishing still occurs. The first ever Outward Bound centre

1849-514: Was opened in the village in 1941. Many of their activities involve the river, boats and jetty. The village's first lifeboat was bought in 1837. Run by the RNLI since 1853, it has taken part in many rescues, sometimes with loss of life of crew members. The current lifeboat, an Atlantic 75, is housed in the boathouse by the jetty and is launched using a lifeboat tractor. Currently it is averaging about 25 emergency launches each year. An electoral ward of

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