Abseiling is fairly physically easy and extremely mentally challenging. One thing that is a great benefit about abseiling as an adventure sport, is it can be made as gentle or as challenging based on the requirements and participant’s preference. Among other adventure sports, abseiling captures a wider age bracket as compared to climbing, canyoning, mountaineering or white river rafting to name a few. This characteristic of abseiling makes it an accessible sport to almost anyone in any age category.
Abseiling is an activity that involves going down a vertical surface from great heights by rope and a rappelling and harness system, all done in almost an entirely controlled environment and method. The risks involved with abseiling may be considerably great since it involves heights ranging from 30 to over 600 feet depending on location. In contrast, these risks are skilfully managed by skilled abseiling professionals in every activity. This underlying factor makes abseiling an ideal sport for children ages 5 and above. Abseiling can be the ultimate fun sport and a great venue for physiological and psychological development for young participants. Benefits of abseiling to children include:
Enhancing Eye-Hand Coordination
The slow descend in abseiling involves a series of rope adjustments done by hand. The sport practices the technique of hand movement precision and visual observation at the same time.
Development of Observation and Social Skills
Being observant can be one of the factors that save a participant from accidents due to unexpected circumstances. Proper abseiling training and orientation, combined with keen observation, is the key to a successful and memorable abseiling experience. For minors, an abseil is commonly guided by a trained instructor. The ability of the participant to follow simple and complex instructions, as well as put trust in another person’s expertise even in the most terrifying part of the sport, is one skill that is commonly developed in abseiling.
Confidence Building
Abseiling gives a participant a feeling of achievement for various reasons. Some may be an achievement in conquering their fear of heights; others may be a sense of achievement in conquering greater heights. In abseiling, confidence building is developed even in the early parts of training and orientation. Participants are led to feel secure that all safety measures have been taken before abseiling. They learn to trust in the knowledge that they have been taught and trust skills they have acquired from such learning. In completing a successful abseil, confidence levels are boosted as one feels a sense of achievement.
Relatively, abseiling does not short list elderly people from engaging the sport, provided they have an adequate health status. The oldest person to have abseiled was recorded to be a 94 year-old female who just broke her record on her 13th abseil. The aching a participant experiences after an abseil is normally located in the lower body as this is constantly in contact with the vertical surface and harness, minor pains tolerable even by people of age. In elderly people, abseiling has proven to be beneficial in the psychological aspect, as the sport gives them a sense of self-worth, achievement and confidence.
In its entire image as an outdoor adventure sport, it is fun to know that abseiling can be everyone’s sport. You can do a lone abseil adventure or be in the company of family and friends in enjoying the one of a kind thrilling experience that abseiling can offer!