Red River Ski & Summer Area, New Mexico has opened a new, three-level aerial adventure on a steep hillside.
Powered by Kanopeo’s Saferoller continuous belay system, “Hidden Treasures Aerial Park” at Red River features 25 elements, a 120m zip line & a ‘Perfect Descent’ which lowers users down to the ground.
The attraction was built by North Carolina’s award-winning aerial adventure park builder, Challenge Towers. Constructed on platforms, all three levels have been fitted with the Saferoller.
The lowest level, aimed at children, is located 20 feet above the ground and offers 5 elements and a short zipline. At 40 feet off the ground, the middle Intermediate level is more challenging, and features 10 elements. The third level raises the bar still further.
“Our third level platform, 60 feet off the ground, has 10 elements,” states Bob Henson at Red River Ski Resort. “We have our big zip line that zips riders 400 feet to the receiving platform where they then take a 52 foot step off the tower using a “Perfect Descent” auto-belay device to lower them to the ground.
“We are very happy with our Saferoller and excited about this! We highly enjoy it, because it is extremely user-friendly and provides an exceptional guest experience.”
The steep Red River site adds to the sense of adventure
The biggest challenge facing the design team was how to create a course that worked with the contours of the natural terrain.
“We wanted the course to have a very ‘natural’ feel and make guests feel like they are in the trees,” explains Henson. “To do this, our course had to be built into the hillside.”
This was no easy matter and the project took 4 months to complete. The hillside is very steep and the course is located near several ski runs. But, the terrain adds an extra layer of adventure to the attraction. At certain points, the steep site creates the illusion that the course is even higher than it is.
“We also offer a full-moon tour once a month during the summer where guests get to take on the aerial course at night with only the light of the moon and a glow stick to guide the way,” adds Henson. “Using the SafeRoller Continous belay system has made our operation very smooth and efficient and we believe it puts our guests at ease with its simplicity.”
