Local river rafting business ups ante with ropes course

There aren't too many requirements for the new high ropes course that opened Saturday in Scanlon: you simply have to be 8 years old or older, at least 35 pounds and not over 275 pounds.

No experience is necessary.

"It's like a pace-yourself kind of course, no need to race through it," said Cliff Langley, owner and operator of High Ropes Minnesota, a sister company of Swiftwater Adventures, which offers whitewater rafting on the St. Louis River. High Ropes is a five-pole course that features 12 climbing elements on two levels. They have fun names for different challenges, including the pipe traverse, lily pads, Burma bridge, swinging vines, Indiana Jones bridge and the X-cape.

All facilitators at the course are Association for Challenge Course Technology certified. For customer safety, harnesses and helmets are required. Customers should also wear closed-toe shoes, and sunscreen is recommended.

"It's a place to have an adventure in a safe environment," said Meleah Schoenbauer, a facilitator at the course.

It offers a few packages to choose from. If a person just wants to do the high ropes course, it is $35 for 90 minutes. Sessions start after a 15-minute "ground school" training session. They also offer a "Rapids and Ropes" package for those who want an all-day adventure. This includes rafting for about two-and-a-half hours and an aerial challenge course for 90 minutes. It costs $75 per person, which is less than paying for both activities separately.

Book time slots on the course at highropesmn.com, or call 218-451-3132 or email [email protected].

The new course is located at 3200 Rivergate Avenue in Scanlon, off County Road 61, near Abra Auto Body. Use the access road offering direction to the High Ropes parking lot and not the Abra lot.

So far, people have been enjoying the challenges. "It's mostly friends and family, a mix of locals and tourists," Langley said.