Element Spotlight: Cable Traverse
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Designed as a team initiative, and often used as an
individual challenge, the Cable traverse will be our first element to kick off
our Element Spotlight series where we will take a deeper look into the ideas
behind the challenge and the expected outcomes, review safety and special
instructions, and check out some variations from our staff and beyond. Think of
these not as training, but as an opportunity to review and refresh your take on
our most popular elements.
General Overview and
Expected Outcomes
The initial challenge for this activity is often straight
forward. The participant group is asked to move their members across the cable
spans using only the foot cable, hand ropes, and each other for balance.
If presented with a span that has no hand rope at the start,
or a gap where no one can reach from one hand rope to the next, participants
typically use each other by holding hands or forearms to create a chain for
stabilization.
We will use 12 participants for our example and create four
groups of three participants. These will be our “spotting groups”, and each
person will always have the other two to act as their spotters when traversing.
Next, create three "traversing groups" of four by assigning
each person a spotting group to team A, B, and C, or whatever other fun
thing you come up with. These traversing groups will be tasked with moving
across the spans together. Now everyone has three group members, and will never
have to go looking for two spotters as only one group actively crosses at a time.
This activity draws on communication for strategy, and
sharing moves and methods that participants are comfortable with. Make mental
note of moments where participants are supportive and patient with trying new
ideas and what happens when mistakes are made.
Safety and Special
Instructions
All of the basic spotting procedures for traversing and
balancing activities are present during this activity if you are asking your
participants to be on the cable.
The general rules to share with your group include:
- Minimum of two spotters following alongside each person traversing - one on either side
- One area of motion at any time, and the facilitator shall (i.e. must) physically back-up the spotters in the prime activity fall zone
- Maximum of four participants per cable section
- No running, jumping, lunging, or swinging
- No “commando crawls” along any cable
- No wrapping hand ropes around any body parts
- No tying knots in the ropes, or tying the ropes together
- Participants should step down if they feel they are going to fall
- Spotters should not aid in retrieving hand ropes or other equipment
- If participants are going to use the help of another for balance, they should communicate all contact before it happens, and they must not interlock fingers when holding hands
Variations
Item Retrieval
If you have the group size to run this as a team challenge,
you can add resources or parts of some additional puzzle or challenge that can
only be carried by designated teams. The main idea should be that the challenge
cannot be completed without contribution from everyone. Adding additional roles
will increase your opportunity for involvement and not limit participants to
feeling as though they must climb across to contribute.
First, organize your groups and designate which materials
they are to carry. Items should be assessed for potential hazards and ideally
are not awkward to carry. Examples of items might be Teamplay Tube pieces,
Bananagram letter pieces, building blocks, and tangrams. The list is really
endless.
Pass Each Other
Participants are tasked as partners or pairs starting on
opposite ends to traverse and pass another, typically meeting towards the
middle of the span.
Backpack of Resources
Remove the handlines and offer the participants a range of resources. Some suggested items include retired climbing rope, Poly spots that can be used for resting areas, pool noodles that make functioning handrails, and written clues for using these objects. Watch as your group engages in creative problem solving. Adding new objects often leads to surprising ways to use them, and can open your eyes as an instructor for creating new variations.
When using a spotted element, consider how variations will effect the difficulty level. As instructors we look to create activities that maximize engagement, and this is often found when we balance challenge and mastery. Sometimes simply adding an avenue for creative problem solving and a way to get more hands on is the key to inclusion.
We hope you found this helpful and informative. Stay tuned for the next in our series; The Low Vee!
All Low Elements must be supervised by trained and qualified staff. This article is not intended to replace such training.
Remove the handlines and offer the participants a range of resources. Some suggested items include retired climbing rope, Poly spots that can be used for resting areas, pool noodles that make functioning handrails, and written clues for using these objects. Watch as your group engages in creative problem solving. Adding new objects often leads to surprising ways to use them, and can open your eyes as an instructor for creating new variations.
When using a spotted element, consider how variations will effect the difficulty level. As instructors we look to create activities that maximize engagement, and this is often found when we balance challenge and mastery. Sometimes simply adding an avenue for creative problem solving and a way to get more hands on is the key to inclusion.
We hope you found this helpful and informative. Stay tuned for the next in our series; The Low Vee!
All Low Elements must be supervised by trained and qualified staff. This article is not intended to replace such training.