RRC Archives

For work, I have to do a teambuilding activity with about 10-12 adults on the climb wall. These people have never climbed before, and I only have about an hour/hour and a half to work with them.
My job isn't to teach them to climb (or to belay or anything like that) but rather make them work as a team to accomplish a goal or something.

I've never done anything like this before, and I've been racking my brain to try to come up with things/activities to do with them - and I keep winding up at the same place.......with nothing.

Have any of you done anything like this or have an good games/activities/ideas that I could use?? (like the only thing I can think of is to make them climb blindfolded, but even then that only incorporates a few people) They're coming in today.
Oh, and I hula hoops that I can attach to the wall, that they can climb through if that helps or gives you any ideas (like for "bouldering" or something)

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Ever heard of "add on"? First person makes three moves, second person repeats and adds three more moves, and so on. If you come off you go to the back of the line and start again. It's fun we used to play it alot in the gym.

yeah, I did think about that...and am still thinking about trying to use it somehow - but it seems more like a competitive game rather than a teambuilding making people work together thing. I'm not sure, I might try to use it somehow...thanks for the suggestion!

a group activity i have seen is untangeling ropes - it can be made fun and engaging. A wall traverse across the bottom of the wall - include a scenario of some sort is a good one to use because participants dont have to be very high up. You can set different traverse courses of varying difficulty and have them progress to different levels. Or maybe set a few holds to a point in the traverse then give them some holds and hardware and let them problem solve to set their holds in such a way as to allow everyone to cross the traverse.

FujManiac wrote:yeah, I did think about that...and am still thinking about trying to use it somehow - but it seems more like a competitive game rather than a teambuilding making people work together thing. I'm not sure, I might try to use it somehow...thanks for the suggestion!

yeah and you need a long wall too.

I like KD's suggestion. I used to do somthing similer when I worked at a teams course back in the day.

the key to teambuilding is making them rely on each other. Create a task that is slightly challenging, such as get everyone up the wall, or traverse to a specified point. But select people and make ceartain people mute, certain people blind, or a variety of other ailments. everytime one person breaks the rules, take away someones hand or add another ailment. This adds challenge to simple group tasks , and forces people to work to communicate.

rock climbing doesn't translate well to this teambuilding crap- its an overhyped bunch of bullshit, get some handguns and have someone load and someone shoot- instant teamwork with instant gratification- climbing is based on the "its all about me concept" you know "lower me two inches" "take there" "did you brush the holds" "do you have any food" " give me your grigri cuz I don't carry one because its all about me" " do you have any chalk?" are you gonna wear the jacket you carried up here"? I ain't complaining dog I'm explaining

have them simulclimb climb in pairs where the goal is to keep their crotches pressed together so that a carabiner doesn't fall out

alcohol is the best team builder.

team building + climbing wall = ????

at the top of the wall is some kind of clue. each person has to get their clue and then come down and put all the clues together to figure out what the meaning is. or instead of a clue have it be a piece to build a structure and then they have to use their piece to assemble it.

sorry i didn't realize it was today. i hope it goes well for you