Although summer is over, never fear. From swinging vines to climbing rock walls and zip-lining, adventure abounds at the University Student Recreation Complex’s newest challenge course addition.
The challenge course, located by the UREC, was moved from its previous location on the River Road fields.
The space the course once occupied will be clear to make way for eight multi-purpose fields and four softball fields with a wagon wheel configuration.
The $124,750 project is the first segment completed in a $5 million plan, said Director of University Recreation Laurie Braden. She said this construction will yield eight multi-purpose fields and four softball fields with a wagon wheel configuration.
The challenge course experience — lasting approximately two hours— is open to all students, whether as individuals or groups. The activities a group participates in during their session is built around the goal that the group is trying to achieve. By doing this, each group gets an individualized experience from the challenge course.
This course experience is led by UREC employees who address different leadership development topics such as leadership styles, communication, leading versus following and many more through various activities.
“We just use their experience to promote transference of skills to different parts of their lives,” Assistant Director for adventure and experiential education and Supervisor of the new challenge course Chris Bullard said.
Groups can participate in everything from spiders web, swinging vines, a swinging bridge, ziplines and a dozen more.
Bullard said he believes that students will be most excited for the Tandem Hydraulic Ziplines. These two zipline run about 95 feet and give you the same experience as using a 200 or 300-foot zipline, Bullard said.
“It gives groups a different avenue to talk about leadership development and a different avenue to talk about student development with it being such a different and unique experience,” said Bullard.
Students interested in participating in the challenge course must sign up for an open challenge course date in advance and pay a $5 fee. The challenge course dates are Sept. 15, Oct. 13 and Nov. 24.
A large group will need to contact Chris Bullard through the UREC and fill out a program inquiry form.
“We just use their experience to promote transference of skills to different parts of their lives.”

Gallery • 9 Photos

Richard Redmann

Rope Works trainer Natalie Justice works her way through an obstacle Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013 on the new LSU UREC Challenge Course.