Technological Advances

The most significant advance is technology that ensures that participants are continuously attached to the security cables running around the course - known as a "continuous belay" system. This provides the "tipping point" for retail leisure courses.

Via this breakthrough alone, there are persuasive benefits for the retail leisure sector:

• large numbers of people can move through a course in less time
• the risks associated with traditional courses have been eliminated
• "induction" is no longer time-consuming
• the process requires less instructors to monitor participants around the course

The result is a fast-moving adventure experience that:

• is attractive to the public
• has economies of scale for the operator
• draws large numbers of people to adjacent attractions

Parallel technologies have provided improved functionality throughout the course, and increasingly exciting elements within the course:

• a participant can change route around a course without unclipping from the security cable
• descending equipment can simulate a parachute drop
• utilising the same descending equipment the popular Zip Wire drops are now faster, with safer landings, less limitations on the angle of descent, and needing less instructors to operate them
• as well as the traditional tree-top settings, it is now possible to locate them on stand-alone wooden poles, or within the roof of existing buildings such as shopping malls and leisure centres
• individual elements such as the climbing wall or parachute drop have sufficient draw to be utilised as stand-alone facilities in places with limited space such as malls.