Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Allen. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Benjamin Allen started his career in the Challenge Course industry when he built a challenge course for Island Park Scout Camp in 1984. 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.
Since then, Ben has constructed 150 courses, spanning facilities that range from at-risk youth homes to schools and 4-H Clubs. Some of those built include courses located at Heritage School, Provo Canyon School, Utah State Prison, Heber Valley Camp, Snow College, and Maple Dell Scout Camp.
In 1993, Benjamin bought 3.5 acres of land on West Center Street near the lake in Provo and built Utah’s largest and most extensive ropes course facility. CLAS Ropes Course (Challenging Leadership Adventure Systems, Inc.) is a unique recreational facility nestled in a park-like setting along the Provo River.
It is a series of mentally and physically challenging initiatives, simulation games, problem-solving activities, and obstacle courses designed to assist individuals, families, and other groups toward greater success and effectiveness through the internalization of personal and relationship awareness skills/concepts—ie: Self-worth and self-confidence, communication, trust, problem-solving, decision making, leadership, conflict resolution, group cooperation, valuing diversity, goal setting, teamwork and much, much more.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The first several years were very difficult as a lot of people didn’t understand what benefits to the community a challenge course could provide.
Benjamin and his wife, Melanie, encountered a lot of resistance from the community in the process of building a challenge course on what was considered a junkyard. They persevered and now CLAS has become the go-to place for Universities and Corporations to send their students and/or employees to learn leadership skills.
CLAS has helped over 1,000,000 in its 29 years of operation. In 2023 CLAS will celebrate its 30th year.
As you know, we’re big fans of the CLAS Ropes Course. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
CLAS Ropes Course (Challenging Leadership Adventure Systems, Inc.) is a unique recreational facility nestled in a park-like setting along the Provo River.
It is a series of mentally and physically challenging initiatives, simulation games, problem-solving activities, and obstacle courses designed to assist individuals, families, and other groups toward greater success and effectiveness through the internalization of personal and relationship awareness skills/concepts—ie: Self-worth and self-confidence, communication, trust, problem-solving, decision making, leadership, conflict resolution, group cooperation, valuing diversity, goal setting, teamwork and much, much more.
CLAS owner, Benjamin Allen, M.A., TRS, has been trained, certified, or educated by Project Adventure, BSA, ACCT, Leahy Associates, etc. His credentials include the following: A BSA COPE course instructor, trainer, inspector, and builder (1986, 98, 04, 09, 13, 14); 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 thousands who have become ropes course facilitators.
What matters most to you?
Benjamin 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!”
Pricing:
- $60 per person for a Corporate half-day program
- $25 per person for a half-day school, church, or family program.
- $59 Zip Tours (2 hours) Discounts available for large groups.
- $35 Adventure Park (Discounts for large groups)
- Other packages are available. See the website for more info or call 801-373-8897
Contact Info:
- Email: office@clasropes.com
- Website: www.clasropes.com
- Instagram: @clasropes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clasropes
- Twitter: @clasropescourse
Image Credits
CLAS Ropes Course
