The arms, hands, back, neck and stomach get conditioned through rope climbing. The good part about the exercise is that it is fun and no prodding is needed to initiate participation. Here's an activity that increases one's confidence by getting immediate feedback on one's performance. If you are working the knots correctly, you immediately gain height. It really does not matter how fast you are going, as long as you are going up.
Self esteem is bolstered.
Once a person has successfully climbed once, they are in a position to support and cheer others on as they climb for their first time. When a person shares with another, their feeling of self worth rises. It only takes one short climb to have a feeling of completion. Sharing with others is easier. It's much easier to share with others if you have a common ground to meet on.