Ropes Course & More at Northern Lights Rock and Ice in Essex, Vermont

Northern Lights hosted our visit. All opinions are our own. We LOVED it!!

Last month, my daughter and I had the opportunity to take on the ropes course, giant swing, and climbing wall at Northern Lights Rock and Ice in beautiful Essex, Vermont. While my daughter is only 9, she is a ropes course veteran. We’ve traversed courses in Canada, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. While these courses were all fun, my daughter says Northern Lights Rock and Ice is her favorite.

This is the first time we’ve taken on a ropes course without my husband. This made my daughter quite nervous. She always likes that daddy goes first and I’m last in line. She feels safest between two parents. What is unique about Northern Lights Rock and Ice is that they provide a guide to take you through the entire course. This was just PERFECT to minimize my daughter’s fears.

Our guide, Jay, was incredible! He has a unique story of his own. He came from a troubled gang neighborhood in California. He worked hard to get away from that situation. He now loves helping kids conquer their fears and take on physical challenges at Northern Lights.

Set 24 and 42 feet in the air, The High Ropes Courses allow individuals and teams to progress through high challenges like a cargo net climb, balance beams, tight ropes, and more. The course completes with a dual 450 foot zip line for an incredible adrenaline rush! We were there on a hot day so we opted to be sprayed by water on the way down. Ahhh, so refreshing!

The newest adrenaline pumping feature at Northern Lights Rock and Ice: The Giant Swing! Get Clipped in and then pulled up to 40 feet in the air. Pull the release and feel the free fall flying rush! This was my daughters FAVORITE thing. She wanted to do it over and over again. Check out all of the other offerings on the Northern Lights Rock and Ice Recreation page. There are rock climbing walls, forest games, and other ground level challenges too!

Northern Lights Rock and Ice aims to help people go just beyond their comfort zone and take risks. Pushing the boundaries or what you think is possible helps participants build confidence and trust. Jay’s motto is “Challenge by Choice.” He never forced us to take on a challenge that was too far out of our comfort zone, but he did recommend that we challenge ourselves a bit. My daughter really liked this approach.

Northern Lights is one of the only venues in the nation that builds a 17,000 gallon frozen waterfall for ice-climbing that is open to the public. Whether you’re new to the sport or just looking for a controlled adventure They have the wall and equipment for your ice climbing adventure. We’ll have to try this next time.

Northern Lights hosts kids camps, and team building classes for all ages. They also work with special needs groups. They also specialize in helping people with health needs enjoy an active lifestyle.

If Vermont travel is in your plans, I highly recommend you check out Northern Lights Rock and Ice. You’ll be glad you did!

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