Ijams launches new adventure ropes course

Ropes course ribbon cutting: (left to right) Knox County Parks Director Doug Bataille, Knox County Commissioners Mike Brown and Ed Shouse, City of Knoxville Councilman Finbarr Saunders,  Ijams Executive Director Paul James, New Horizons Director Phil Bateman and Ijams Board President Karyn Adams 

Low element: Log Walk

Last Thursday, October 24, Ijams hosted the grand opening of the park’s newly constructed ropes course.

In partnership with New Horizons Center for Experiential Learning, a Knoxville-based training and development firm with 20 years of experience in ropes course design and management, Ijams Nature Center now offers exciting, custom experiences that utilize action-centered learning to build teams, develop leaders and strengthen organizations.

Ijams’ Executive Director, Paul James, introduced Phil Bateman, Director of New Horizons to unveil this latest outdoor experience at one of Knoxville’s oldest and largest parks. The event will showcase the new course featuring live course demonstrations among the high and low elements. The course has been built to industry standards and certified by the Association for Challenge Course Technology.

Paul James, Ijams Executive Direstor

In addition to a broad range of engaging nature and wildlife programs for people of all ages, the new ropes course complements Ijams’ other outdoor adventures available to individuals and groups ranging from biking, canoeing, paddle-boarding, family camp-outs, rock climbing and bouldering.

Dozens of visitors braved the chilly gray weather to be part of the unveiling of Ijams Nature Center’s newest outdoor experience. After the ribbon-cutting, visitors were invited to try out several of the high elements, including the log walk, the rickety ladder and the pamper pole.

- Jennifer Roder

How do you get from one pamper pole to the other? Fly, Robin, Fly!