PGT-1 — Ditch and Red Drums — How I’d Brief
First outdoor obstacle: 8-foot ditch, red drums in the middle, load drum must cross.
Obstacle
A rectangular ditch about 8 feet across. Two red-painted drums sit in the ditch (out of bounds). White start and finish platforms. A blue rail runs along the right wall — people may stand on it, helping material may not.
Colour reminders
- White platforms — safe for people, load and material.
- Red drums and red painted lips — nobody, no load, no plank/rope.
- Blue rail — candidates only; planks and load must not rest on it.
Helping material & load
- Long plank (~7 ft)
- Short plank (~4 ft)
- Balli-rope
- Wooden ballie
- Tolvi
Load: Empty oil drum (must finish with the group)
What the GTO is waiting for
The GTO says: “Get your group and the load to the finish. Colour rules apply. I am not here to hint.” Write the brief you would speak in 45–60 seconds before anyone lifts a plank.
60-second speak clock
Start the clock and brief out loud (or on paper). Do not type here.
1:00
Idle
A complete brief (for comparison)
Steal the structure — aim, resources, sequence, roles, colour, fallback — not these exact words on the ground.
- Aim: every candidate and the load on the finish white, no red touch.
- Resources: long plank as the main span; short plank + tolvi as a white-side cantilever if 7 ft is short; rope as a guy so the span does not slip.
- Sequence: (1) Two light candidates place the long plank from start white toward the far white — never onto red drums. (2) Advance pair crawl across, rope belayed from start. (3) Load passed only after both sides are anchored. (4) Rest cross. (5) Recover every piece — we need them for PGT-2.
- Roles: two on the plank, one on rope, two on the load, others ready to replace a slip.
- Fallback: if the span is short, rest the long plank on the ballie from white only — still not on red.