With high ropes course, Winona State University adds adventure to campus life

WINONA – Students will be swinging, climbing and zipping their way back to campus this fall as Winona State University debuts its new high ropes course.

The 45-foot-tall wooden structure in front of the Education Village Campus was built this summer as a resource for outdoor education and student wellness. The ropes course consists of eight individual elements, including a zip line and rope bridge, designed to build strength and teamwork among students.

"I have this little plaque hanging next to my door that says, 'If you want an adventure, just step outside.'" said Scott Sorvaag, dean of the College of Education at WSU. "And I think we need to continue to invite the next generation to do that and do it in a way that increases their health and wellness."

With the $400,000 ropes course, which was funded through donations and grants, WSU is building on other investments on campus as it aims to position itself as a leader in adventure education. The school, nestled along the bluffs of the Mississippi River, already features the largest rock-climbing facility at any university in the Midwest. And this fall, WSU will launch a new sports leadership major to accompany its existing adventure education minor.

Mike Henderson, director of the Outdoor Education and Recreation Center at WSU, said the university also has plans to make the course available to some of the area's younger learners.

"We will be available to [K-12] school groups, with the hope that every kid in this town should come here to play," Henderson said. "We are healthier, better learners if we are active."

On Wednesday, a few WSU students gave the new course a test run.

Senior Jaidyn Brower, who said she has a fear of heights, said she was apprehensive about getting in the harness but by the end, she was walking hands-free on the balancing log more than 30 feet in the air.

"It will be a good way to take a break from school and be a kid again on the ropes course, and challenge yourself as well," Brower said.

Andrew Billadeau and Xavier Mogensen, both incoming freshmen from Rochester, said they came to WSU to be closer to the bluffs. They plan to participate in the Warrior Expeditions orientation program for new freshmen, which will include the ropes course, along with other team-building activities such as paddling and mountain biking.

Their advice for students getting on the ropes for the first time? Just don't look down.

"It's a mental thing; you gotta beat that," Mogensen said. "But you have people all around who will help you. … I felt really reassured by everything."

Members of the public will also have opportunities this fall to harness up and take a swing at the course. On Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 17, WSU will host six free Outdoor Adventure Open Houses. Participants will be able to play on the ropes course, try the climbing wall and take a mountain bike skills course.

Before climbing up the course, participants will be required to complete a "ground school where we have you actually prove to us that you know how to use the equipment in a controlled environment," said Henderson, who along with other instructors has completed 36 hours of training on the course.

Because the course presents varying degrees of challenges, Henderson advises participants to take incremental steps.

"First and foremost, it's challenge by choice," Henderson said. "We are not going to force anybody to do anything they don't want to. We will also encourage you to push that boundary, though, and say, 'What's one more step take?' and let's talk through that process."