Equipment (per patrol)
- Some method of marking an area on the ground – string, chalk, etc. depending on the surface
- 3 spars, each about 6 feet long
- 3 sections of rope for lashing, each about 6 feet long
- 4 sections of cord or sturdy string for use as guy lines
Instructions
- Mark the “alligator pit” on the ground. It should be 20 feet from one side to the other. Make it wide enough so that the patrols can line up along one side with a few feet between each patrol.
- The patrols start lined up on one side of the pit.
- Give them a signal to start.
- The patrols should lash their spars together into a a-frame shape. The program helps suggest a shear lashing at the top and diagonal lashings for the crossbar. (Comment in post suggests square lashing instead.)
- Attach the four guy lines near the top lashing.
- Stand the construction up. One Scout stands on the crossbar. Four additional Scouts use the guy lines to prevent it from tipping over.
- The Scout on the crossbar then “walks” the structure across the alligator pit, with the four Scouts on the guy lines keeping their lines taut to keep in from tipping over.
- The first patrol to successfully cross the pit wins.

For more information, see https://scoutermom.com/8642/crossing-alligator-pit-game/