About CLAS

Mission

To improve personal effectiveness and group dynamics through comprehensive experiential challenges.

Vision

To facilitate opportunities for people to tangibly recognize and internalize their own personal worth/value and realize their fullest potential, both as individuals and as part of the group dynamic of home, work, church and society as a whole.  To assist individuals in developing leadership potential so that they may become a more positive and effective influence for good in their personal environment and in relationship to all those with whom they interact. 

Introduction

People learn more through experience than through any other method of learning.  Challenge course participants learn techniques in problem solving, leadership, human relationships, communication skills, conflict resolution, group cooperation, building self-confidence and esteem, trust, self-direction, motivation, and values. Analogies can be made to life-relevant topics, helping to increase understanding and strengthen character.

Our aim is to allow the participants to view themselves as increasingly capable and competent.  By attempting a graduated series of activities which involve physical or emotional risk, and succeeding (or sometimes failing) in a supportive group atmosphere, an individual may gain confidence in himself/herself and others.

Each activity is based on the assumption that anyone who conscientiously tries will be successful.  Success is in making an effort.  A cooperative, supportive atmosphere tends to encourage participation.  The use of teams, points, and timed competition has consciously been minimized to allow participants to succeed without fear of failure.

History

CLAS Ropes Course was built by Benjamin Allen.  He is a licensed Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with a Master’s degree in Recreation Management from Brigham Young University (BYU).  CLAS Ropes was constructed in 1994 and is just one of several dozen ropes courses built by Benjamin throughout the country.  It has hosted more than 100,000 guests in various business, therapeutic and recreational settings.

Benjamin Allen, M.A., TRS, has been trained, certified or educated by Project Adventure, Boy Scouts of America, ACCT, Leahy Associates, etc.  His credentials are extensive and include the following: a BSA COPE course instructor, trainer, inspector, and builder (1986, 1998, 2004, 2009);  certification and training by Project Adventure (1991, 2000)—two programs with some of the finest training and strictest standards in the industry; member of the Association for Challenge Course Technology; attendee of numerous conferences and workshops pertaining to ropes courses;  annual course inspector of various ropes facilities; and trainer of hundreds who have become ropes course facilitators.

Benjamin worked his first years out of college at Island Park Scout Camp, building the COPE Course his last year there in 1985.  The following year, Brigham Young University discovered Ben’s expertise in building ropes courses and asked him to build one for them at the Aspen Grove Family Camp near Sundance Ski Resort up Provo Canyon.  Since then, over a period of 20 years, Ben has constructed well over forty courses, at facilities that range from troubled youth homes to schools and 4-H Clubs.  Some of those built include courses located at Heritage School, Provo Canyon School, Utah State Prison, Beaver High Adventure Base, Snow College, and Valley Mental Health.

In 1993, Ben quit his job, bought 3.5 acres of land on West Center Street near Utah Lake and built Utah’s largest and most extensive ropes course facility.  He and his wife, Melanie, built it to provide youth and families with the multiple benefits that come from these types of ‘hands on’ experiential learning activities.

Ben emphasizes that what he does at CLAS Ropes ‘changes lives for the better.’  It is not atypical for those who visit CLAS Ropes to leave with a transformational feeling.  In the words of one female visitor of the Course, “I learned more about my life and its strengths and weaknesses during one eight-hour day at this facility than I have learned in the last eight years put together!”

CLAS Ropes has worked with myriads of group settings throughout its operation, ranging from family, business and therapy groups to youth, church and dating groups.

CLAS Ropes Course facilitates personal life success and group dynamic effectiveness through a series of comprehensive ‘hands-on’ experiential (physical and mental) challenges designed to teach and model many important life skills, principles and values, such as:  self worth, communication, trust, problem solving, decision making, leadership, conflict resolution, valuing diversity, goal setting, teamwork and much, much more.

Mission Statement