EDELRID SMART BELAY X for Challenge Courses and Adventure Parks

Your belay system becomes part of almost every interaction a participant has with an aerial course.

So it needs to work with the course, not feel like something added after the design is finished.

Challenge Design Innovations often designs and builds challenge courses, high ropes courses, zip lines, and aerial adventure parks using the EDELRID SMART BELAY X Lanyards.

SMART BELAY X gives participants the freedom to transfer themselves between safety cables while using two interconnected carabiners designed so both cannot be opened at the same time. EDELRID combines that system with magnetic locking technology, integrated rollers, and a modular design made specifically for high ropes courses and adventure parks.

What Is the EDELRID SMART BELAY X?

SMART BELAY X is an interconnected belay lanyard built around two communicating roller carabiners.

When a participant opens one carabiner, the opening mechanism on the second carabiner is blocked. This allows the participant to move from one section of safety cable to another while maintaining a connection to the course.

How the communicating carabiners work

SMART BELAY X adds another layer to the system through magnetic locking.

The opening mechanism is released when the carabiner comes into contact with the safety cable. Without the proper interaction with the cable, the carabiner remains locked.

EDELRID designed the system so completely disconnecting both carabiners from the course requires an additional tool.

For participants, the basic process becomes fairly simple:

1. Keep one carabiner connected.
2. Move the second carabiner to the next safety cable.
3. Connect it.
4. Transfer the other carabiner.

The system handles much of the connection logic in the background.

Built for adventure park use

SMART BELAY X is certified to EN 17109 Class D and designed specifically for applications such as high ropes courses and aerial adventure parks. EDELRID specifies compatibility with safety cable heights from 1.6 to 2.1 meters and cable diameters from 10 to 13 mm.

That gives us flexibility when incorporating the system into different course layouts and element designs.

More Freedom to Move Through the Course

SMART BELAY X gives participants more control over how they move through a course.

They are actively transferring their own carabiners rather than traveling along one continuous lifeline.

For many programs, that participant involvement and choice is a key part of the experience.

Easier passing and course movement

One useful feature of the SMART BELAY X design is the ability for participants to pass one another.

That can be helpful on courses where participants move at different speeds.

Someone who needs extra time on an element does not necessarily have to hold up everyone behind them. EDELRID specifically designed the system to allow overtaking and flexible movement through course elements.

That capability can influence how we design platforms, transitions, traffic flow, and element sequencing.

The equipment and the course layout need to work together.

Integrated rollers for zip lines

Each SMART BELAY X carabiner includes a steel roller.

Those rollers allow the system to travel directly on compatible zip-line cables, removing the need to transfer onto a separate trolley in supported configurations.

That can make transitions between challenge elements and zip lines much simpler.

The system also includes EDELRID's PILOT BAR, which serves as a handhold on difficult elements and can be used as a control support on zip lines.

Designing a Course Around SMART BELAY X

Choosing the belay system early gives us more options.

When CDI knows that SMART BELAY X will be used, we can consider it while designing your platforms, challenge elements, cable heights, zip lines, transfer points, and participant flow. But we can also retrofit older courses to work with the Smart Belay X.

New challenge courses and adventure parks

We can incorporate SMART BELAY X into many types of new projects, including:

• Aerial adventure parks
• High ropes courses
• Challenge courses
• Commercial adventure attractions
• Camp ropes courses
• College and university courses
• Municipal recreation facilities
• Zip-line and challenge element combinations

The right setup depends on your site and your program.

A high-volume commercial park has different needs than a camp course used by facilitated groups.

We look at who will use the course, how they will move through it, how staff will supervise it, and what you want the experience to feel like.

Then we design around those goals.

Retrofitting an existing ropes course

SMART BELAY X can also be considered for existing courses.

EDELRID designed the system to integrate into existing installations without necessarily requiring major additional construction. Its modular design also allows it to accommodate different cable heights and course configurations.

But every retrofit needs to be evaluated individually.

We look at your existing:

• Lifeline system
• Cable heights
• Cable diameters
• Platforms
• Challenge elements
• Zip lines
• Vertical elements
• Transfer points
• Participant traffic patterns

Then we can determine what would need to change and whether SMART BELAY X makes sense for your course.

Sometimes the answer is a relatively straightforward equipment change.

Sometimes modifying parts of the course creates a much better long-term solution.

Equipment Designed Around Daily Operations

A belay system gets used over and over again.

That means we also look beyond how it performs during one trip through the course.

Your staff need to issue it, inspect it, manage it, maintain it, and understand how to use it properly.

Inspection, maintenance and replacement parts

EDELRID designed SMART BELAY X as a serviceable system.

Staff can perform a quick function check before daily use. EDELRID also provides options for trained service partners to perform inspections, and individual system components can be replaced rather than automatically replacing the entire unit when one component wears.

For an adventure park that uses equipment every day, serviceability matters.

We can help you think through equipment inspection, storage, staff training, and long-term maintenance as part of the complete course operation.

Is SMART BELAY X Right for Your Course?

There is no single belay system that makes sense for every challenge course or aerial adventure park.

SMART BELAY X can be a strong option when you want participants to have an active role in transferring themselves through the course while using an interconnected system designed to prevent both carabiners from being opened together.

SMART BELAY X vs. continuous belay

This is one of the most important distinctions.

SMART BELAY X is a smart or interconnected belay system, not a continuous belay design.

Participants transfer their carabiners from cable to cable as they progress through the course.

A continuous belay system works differently. With a system such as Kanopeo Saferoller, the participant's trolley follows a continuous lifeline throughout the entire course.

Neither approach automatically makes a course better.

They create different experiences.

Some operators like the participant interaction and route flexibility provided by SMART BELAY X. Others prefer a continuous system where participants have fewer connection decisions to make.

We can help you compare both approaches before the course is designed.

Other factors to consider

We also look at:

• Participant ages
• Expected daily volume
• Staff supervision
• Course layout
• Number of course levels
• Passing opportunities
• Zip lines
• Vertical elements
• Rescue planning
• Inspection and equipment management
• Future course expansion
• Budget

Belay selection should be part of the overall course design conversation.

Build Your SMART BELAY X Course With CDI

Challenge Design Innovations has been designing and building challenge courses, zip lines, and aerial adventure facilities for more than 45 years. CDI is an ACCT International Accredited Vendor, and our work includes design, construction, inspection, staff training, equipment, maintenance, and long-term course support.

More than installing equipment

Using SMART BELAY X successfully involves much more than purchasing the carabiners.

We can help with:

• Site evaluation
• Concept planning
• Course design
• SMART BELAY X integration
• Challenge element design
• Zip-line design
• Engineering
• Construction
• Equipment supply
• Staff training
• Professional inspections
• Maintenance and repairs
• Course expansions
• Existing course modifications

We can also supply the EDELRID SMART BELAY X equipment through High Country Hardware, our gear and equipment division.

Start with the course you want to build

You do not need to know exactly which belay system you want before you call us.

Tell us about your site, participants, program, and what you want people to experience.

We can help you compare SMART BELAY X with continuous belay systems and other connection options, then design the challenge course or aerial adventure park around the system that fits your operation.

Thinking about using EDELRID SMART BELAY X on your next course? Talk with CDI about your project.