AMHERST — High up in the trees in the Orchard Hill section of the University of Massachusetts campus, a zip line and a sky park are being installed for the new Leadership Challenge Course.
When completed later this month by workers with Alpine Towers of Arden, North Carolina, the ropes course will become a place where students, faculty and staff will improve their communication and trust and enhance their team-building and problem-solving skills
“It’s going to be a special place,” says Jeff Smith, executive director of Campus Recreation and Wellbeing. “We’re super excited about it.”
Being built at a cost of $800,000, the challenge course will have numerous high and low elements, and UMass will be one of two universities that will have the sky park and its wooden platforms rising to near the tree tops.
In October, when the course will be complete, staff training will begin, followed by a soft opening that will allow some access by students and others.
For several years, the only ropes course available to the university has been at The Notch in South Amherst. There, UMass Police and Amherst Police have partnered on using the site for a Youth Adventure Academy during the summer, while student athletes at UMass schedule times to go there, as well.
Smith said eventually the challenge course will be a regular place to develop leadership skills, teamwork and personal growth. While during the spring, when a grand opening happens, it will be student-focused, over the summer months and at other times it will be available to employees at area businesses and community organizations.
“We’re working on a name for it,” Smith said. “It will have fun, creative name that will have leadership qualities to it.”
The build out of the ropes course comes a few months after the nearby Orchard Hill Pavilion opened, where yoga classes have been held during the summer and where other events, both public and private will take place, offering sweeping views of the region.