boy scouts building pioneering projects

A triumphant success—posing on their Single A-Frame Bridge — A Triumphant Success—posing on their Single A-Frame Bridge

In the Pioneering Area of the 2013 national jamboree, we put together a couple of Single A-Frame Bridge kits, so Scouts and Venturers could build this simple crossing bridge during their visit to Garden Ground Mountain. Each kit included:

two pre-constructed walkways
two 12-foot leg spars (shear legs)
one 5-foot transom spar
one 6-foot ledger spar
two pre-positioned anchors
four pioneering stakes
two guylines
five lashing ropes

Whenever a crew wanted to build a bridge, we provided an overview of the design and gave them a quick introduction to tying a rope tackle and the Japanese Mark II Square Lashing. What follows are some photo montages of the Single A-Frame bridges built from the kits during the jamboree. For larger and largest views, click on the photos once, and then once again:

Positioning their A-Frame in the ditch while preparing the guylines, and lashing the walkways to the transom.

Lashing the ledger tightly to the legs and putting tension on a guyline. — Lashing the transom to the legs and putting tension on a guyline.

Link to: Larger Image — Positioning their A-Frame and hammering stakes in the corners of the walkways.

Lashing on the Transom — Lashing on the transom to the legs.

Lashing on the ledger and holding the A-Frame up while adjusting the height of the transom.

The shear lashing at the top of the legs, and lashing the ledger at the bottom. — The Shear Lashing at the top of the legs, and lashing the ledger at the bottom.

Lashing the A-Frame legs with a shear lashing, and lashing on the ledger. — Lashing the A-Frame legs with a Shear Lashing, and lashing on the transom.

Carrying their A-Frame to the ditch and placing the walkways on the transom.

Lashing on the transom and attaching the walkways.

Tightly frapping a square lashing for the transom and working together to join the walkways to the A-Frame. — Tightly frapping a Square Lashing for the transom and working together to join the walkways to the A-Frame.

Strop lashing the walkways to their A-Frame.

On occasion, a pair of Scouts wanted to build a bridge, and with persistence, and the help of staff or friendly Scouter, they were able to get it done.