The University of Massachusetts’ long awaited ropes course, located by Orchard Hill Residential Area, opened on Tuesday, April 14, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Nurture, Empower, Support and Thrive (NEST) Challenge Course features 23 individual and team-based challenges with a mix of both high and low elements.
The course consists of two main sections, the Sky Park and the Odyssey Course. The Sky Park section has an individualized, choose-your-own-adventure format, while the Odyssey Course centers on team-building activities.
The course also includes an accessible ramp to the first landing deck and built-in seating, allowing for scenic views of Orchard Hill. Eight low elements at the base of the course are sprinkled around the area.
“You could spend multiple different days up in the air and not do everything we have to offer,” Jason Incorvati, associate director for programs and student development at RecWell, said.
Besides the fun aspects of adding a ropes course, Associate Vice Chancellor of Campus Life and Wellbeing Betsy Cracco said the course can offer community building. Cracco added that she finds environments such as ropes courses are powerful tools for personal, team and community transformation.
“[The course] will create connections among students, among colleagues and between our campus and surrounding communities,” RecWell’s Executive Director Jeff Smith said.
Smith said the new course is a “game changer” for building community at UMass.
“At UMass, our strategic vision calls us to foster a community where every student can learn, grow and feel a true sense of belonging,” Cracco said. “The NEST brings that vision to life and reflects the kind of environment campus recreation aims to cultivate across campus.”
Chancellor Javier Reyes also emphasized the importance of community during the ceremony. The course aims to create programs for student groups, classes, departments and community partners.
“I will always be a champion for bringing more community to UMass and more of UMass into our community,” Reyes said. “This facility checks all of those boxes and adds to the assets that this university offers.”
Brian Kellogg, who works in community outreach for the UMass Police Department (UMPD), said that UMPD and the Amherst Police Department had a ropes course that they used for leadership and team building.
“Eventually, there was a conversation with [RecWell] as they became interested in also building a ropes course,” Kellogg said. “We essentially got together and decided to go forward with trying to build a much larger ropes course.”
Incorvati said the idea for a ropes course came after RecWell launched RockWell, the on-campus climbing gym, their first adventure programming.
The $800,000 project was finished in the fall and made UMass one of two universities to have a sky park.
Logan Pagluiso, a junior building construction and technology major and student facilitator for the ropes course, got to train on the course and said he’s very comfortable with it now.
Pagluiso added that he is “Excited to get into the job more.”
Sophomore biochemistry, molecular biology and microbiology major Matt Ruccio, who works for RecWell, spoke at the opening ceremony.
“What we are all opening today is the result of years of hard work [from] people who cared enough to get it right,” Ruccio said. “UMass now includes a space that strengthens teams, develops leaders and will help bring its community together.”
The ropes course is open now and students can register for the ropes course for free through the Recreation Center website.
Isabella Kosiba can be reached at [email protected].
