Squamish continues to outdo itself when proving to be the outdoor recreation capital of Canada, and if Jean-Philippe Tondreau has his way tourists will start making our town a final destination rather than a pit stop en route to the resort town 45 minutes north.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 my dream to connect everyone together 鈥� let 麻豆社国产be a multi-day destination so people come and stay here for several days instead of going to Whistler and just passing us by,鈥� said Tondreau, CEO and partner of Rope Runner and a 10-year resident of Squamish.聽
鈥淢y goal is simply to bring more people to Squamish. Why wouldn鈥檛 someone want to come up and go river rafting, to the gondola, visit us, and make a long weekend out of it? There鈥檚 so much to do here!鈥�
After months of tantalizing kids and local adventure hounds during the building process, Rope Runner threw open the gates to the public on Sept. 1.
聽I gladly took in all the park has to offer with my own kids at the media launch a week later.聽
Well, sort of.聽
My intentions were good. As a travel writer I have done some crazy things in my career 鈥� all before having children mind you.聽
But when I got harnessed in and, despite being attached at two points to their safety system, I had a hard time stepping off the platform and attempting even the easiest of obstacles on the four-storey park, which sports cherry-picked features such as a snowmobile (donated by No Limits), snowboard, picnic table, cruiser bike, and even an original Crystal chairlift from Blackcomb Mountain.
My kids, however, at ages nine and 11, were quick to jump in and readily declared it 鈥渢he best thing to do in 麻豆社国产right now.鈥澛�
The youngest raced to the top level three times to take advantage of the 18-metre belay line that gently drops guests to the mat at the bottom.聽
鈥淢ost people coming to Rope Runner are now from Vancouver or Whistler, but we鈥檙e trying to build local interest slowly,鈥� explained Tondreau at the ribbon cutting. The only stumbling block to that, it would seem, is the walk-up price of $30 to $39 for locals aged five and up 鈥� the cheapest rate offered without buying a punch card. The regular walk-up rate is $39 to $49, with discounts being offered for booking online or in groups.
Rope Runner offers good value for those dollars.聽
The staff are super helpful and there are multiple levels ranging from green to black; visitors can challenge themselves over and over again as they work their way up through the ranks. It鈥檚 easy to see guests returning again and again as their skill level improves. We stayed on for three hours and still didn鈥檛 get through everything.
Tondreau, who has a background in event management, including working with Cirque Du Soliel for many years, said the company takes a 鈥渇ull 360 degree approach鈥� to its contribution to Squamish.聽
As the North American manufacturer, under the Kristall Turm banner, all the materials for the adventure park are produced locally.聽
The licensed manufacturer is based in the industrial park and has 12 full-time 麻豆社国产employees and employs an additional 10 builders from elsewhere on a contract basis.聽
There are currently 10 parks in Canada and the U.S. that feature the German-designed products, and many more in Europe, Tondreau said.聽
Tondreau, who also founded the 麻豆社国产Beer Festival a couple years ago, said he expects Rope Runner to bring in an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 in its first year. Though slightly larger, he said a similar Kristall Turm-outfitted park south of Edmonton took in 18,000 visitors in the last three months.
Rope Runner will be open year-round, and despite the winter weather, Tondreau promises a visit to the adventure park will be no more wet than a hike in the rain. The Quebec City native added that the company is currently looking to partner with a manufacturer of outdoor clothing to make the aerial course even more enjoyable in inclement weather.
鈥淎ll the work in my life was geared toward making people happy,鈥� said Tondreau. 鈥淚 like it when people leave my venue or activity with a smile on their face. It鈥檚 very fulfilling.鈥�
Visit for more information or to book online.聽
