SWings & Squirrel

Follow all instructions for 4-H checks and Swinging Commands.

• Each participant will be wearing a helmet, seat harness, and chest harness.

• Have the participant climb the ladder. Facilitator clips the front loop of their seat harness to the cable loop. Ask the participant to weight the system before the ladder gets moved. (ASK: Can you sit down in your harness now?) Note:  The participants are ALWAYS connected to the swing BEFORE the haul rope is attached to them.

• Instruct the participant where they can place their hands and what they can/can’t hold on to.

• Secure the haul rope to the participant and show them how to pull the rip cord once they are ready. The haul rope attaches to BOTH loops on their back (seat & chest harness)

• Remove the ladder and place it on the T-frame on the ground to ensure it’s out of the swing path.

• Be sure that swing lane and area immediately behind swing lane and Cargonet Climb area are clear.

  • At some heights, when participant pulls release, weighted ball could swing into a passerby.

• Instruct all other participants to begin pulling the rope, hoisting the swinging participant into the air.  Once the swinging participant reaches their desired height, they should say “stop here”.  All mule belay participants on the ground should hold the rope, but stop walking.

  • The facilitator should typically be assisting in pulling the haul rope so they can carefully monitor the group.

• The swinging participant should count down and then pull the rip cord to begin swinging.

• Mule team participants on the ground should then drop the rope, so that you can retrieve the pulley using the haul rope.

• Walk over and slow down the swinging participant by gently tapping their feet as they swing by.

• Once they are stopped, raise the ladder on the platform and help the swinging participant down. 

• A minimum of 2 staff are necessary for this activity. Additional staff may be included to run the activity more efficiently. 

• Have the pair of participants step up to loading platform and perform the 4-H check as outlined.

• Have participants climb the step ladders and clip them into the bar first. Check carabiners to confirm clip. Pass blue swing seats (hanging from the central connection point on the bar) behind the participants and clip them into the outside clip points on the bar.

• Instruct the participants to simultaneously sit down and back – one staff member will move the bar back using the cable/lanyard as the other staff member removes the 2 step ladders and places them on the T-frame to ensure they are out of the swing zone. 

• A staff member should retrieve the pulley rope from where it is tied to the fence post and attach the quick release to the cable/black lanyard, taking special care that the quick release pull-cord is moving freely and not pinched in the quick release mechanism.  Staff should visually confirm pulley system has no twists or crossed ropes.

  • It is easier to ensure no twists in rope if there is little or no slack.

• Discuss 3 things with the participants:

  • What to pull (the black lanyard) when it’s time to swing.

  • Tell us when to Stop raising them. (Participants often find it more reassuring to communicate “stop” to a staff member with whom they have developed a basic trust relationship.)

  • Don’t pull the quick release until a staff member gives permission to the swinging participants.

• Staff member #1 MUST take the haul rope and hold onto it at all times, ensuring it never gets entangled in the swinging participant’s feet. The first priority is ensuring the haul rope does not get wrapped around feet, legs, arms, etc.. of the swinging participants. A secondary job for this staff member is to try and keep the pulley safe from swinging back into the tree after it is released.

• Staff member #2 becomes the first puller in the line and after the initial pull remains at the upper tree and continues to hold the rope the entire time. Their primary job is to always keep their hands on the rope in case participants were to let go. This staff member is typically in the best position to communicate with the swinging participant’s as well.  

• When the swinging participants call “stop”, staff should instruct pull team to hold the rope (all pull team participants put two hands on the rope).   Staff Member #2 at top of pull lane should lock off rope in brake position with rope 90 degrees around top tree. 

• Staff should recheck that area under swing is clear of staff and obstacles.  Countdown should be given for swinging participants to pull rip-cord.  Staff member # 1 should make sure the haul rope is far away from the swinging participants’ feet/legs and hold tension to make sure pulley doesn’t bounce into tree on release. 

• After release, staff communicates to pull team to “drop the rope - step back”.  Confirm pull team participants have moved back away from the rope, then retrieve the 4x1 pulley using the haul rope. Both staff should monitor pull team participants to make sure none step on or near the rope into a high-risk area for rope burns.  Once pulley system is reset, secure to one of the boundary posts near the platform with the pulley down rope – a quick double-wrap is normally sufficient. 

• Once the swinging pair has slowed, a staff member asks the pair to cross their ankles, lets them know staff will touch the bar they are attached to to slow their swing.  Staff member taps and/or catch-and-releases the bar to further slow them down.  Staff member should take particular care of path of the swinging bar. 

• Bar is stopped over the loading platform.  The ladders are placed back in front of the swing bar on the black dots.  Participants stand up on the ladders and steady themselves. 

• Outside carabiners of blue swings are disconnected first, then the life support carabiners are disconnected from harnesses.  Participants are instructed to carefully descend the ladders, then return to the tarp/harness area and take off harness and helmet. 

• Follow all instructions for 4-H checks and appropriate commands for activity.

• Participants should be wearing helmets, seat harnesses, and chest harnesses.

• Special Setup and double checks for Squirrel:

  • After activity has been set up, cycle the activity by weighting the climber/Squirrel side of the rope (often done with rescue bag) and pull on Mule side of rope so that climber side is 2/3 the maximum height allowed.

  • Tie a butterfly knot approximately 6 feet above the Super 8 knot to prevent pulling participant into pulley.

  • Set cones so that the Mule team knows the direction to run and where to stop based off of cycle.

  • Also set 2 cones for the Squirrel so they know the direction to run (starting point and a second cone as the target to run towards).

• Any person who enters the flight area of the Flying squirrel should be wearing a helmet, including the facilitator.

• Confirm haul rope is attached to the back of the squirrel, clipping through both chest harness and seat harness.

• Confirm knot is appropriately distance from back of helmet as to avoid snagging and choking hazards.

• Have squirrel move to starting position.

• Visually confirm rope has no loops, twists, or entanglements. 

• Attach mule team – four mule team participants should be attached to haul rope clipped by back loop of harness (using large bunny ears of super eight).  Remainder of mule team should be evenly distributed on each side of the rope and should hold it with their hands.

• Have mule team slowly walk to take out slack. 

• Provide instructions to the mule team and squirrel – give them their cues to run (“Squirrel”& “Mule”).  Remind “Lead mules” that they are to yell “Stop” when they get to the stop cones, and all mules to stop in place and wait for instructions. 

• Visually recheck squirrel and mule paths are clear.  Recheck that slack is out of haul rope.

• Initiate commands with clear concise commands and wait for the response from each before moving on to the next command. The verbal cues will be:

  • “Haul team Ready?”

  • “Squirrel Ready?”

  • “Ready, Squirrel, Mule!”

• Monitor the progress for both Haul team and squirrel as they run, fly, and swing.  Mule team should stop at their respective stop marker.

• When it’s time to bring the squirrel down, a staff member should hold the rope and coach the Mule team to SLOWLY lower the squirrel to the ground, having mule team turn in place and step back slowly.  - Note: You ALWAYS need to lower the person to the ground more slowly than you feel like is necessary, particularly as the squirrel reaches the ground; ensure they get their footing.