In His Own Words

The Job
"My main responsibility is to maintain all current high and low elements and equipment. This includes quarterly inspections, making sure everything meets the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) standards. Also, I'm responisble for building of new elements and constantly researching for new ideas. I'm involved with training of new staff. I am one of two on-duty persons for rescue procedures. I help out with any logistical needs during the day and supervise staff on their scheduled maintenance days according to what needs to be done around the property."

How He Got There
"My main internship was with a ropes course. I really enjoyed the experience and thought that I would like to do more of it. My degree was in Parks and Recreation Management, with a concentration in Outdoor Leadership. After school I worked under a carpenter building houses. Then I came to Genesee Valley as an instructor and worked under the previous ropes course manager until he left and I filled his position."

How to Get His Job
"Research ropes courses in your area and look into an instructor position. It's important to have experience as an instructor/facilitator first so you know what the needs are of the group and the instructor. Having background in some sort of carpentry and/or construction is nice, but not totally necessary. Getting certified with Project Adventure or ACCT or some other challenge course organization would be worth the effort."

Pros
"Living on the farm in a really close-knit community surrounded by beautiful land and wonderful people."

Cons
"The job can get stressful at times because there can be a lot to do in a short of amount of time."

Salary Range
"It varies; here room and board is covered so the pay is less. Somewhere between $16,000 and $20,000 depending on the accommodations of each organization."

His Dream Job
"This one is pretty close. I work with ropes course equipment and building elements, it's on a huge farm and every now and then I get to teach a group for a day. Someday I would like to possibly have my own small ropes course inspecting and building company. Also, teaching appeals to me a great deal, so I haven't totally decided on that."

Do you think there's any danger in your passion becoming your career?
"Definitely."

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