Florida Tech Challenge Course

The FLRC omprises 16 individual low-element events. Low-element events are defined as being no taller than eight feet in height. Each element consists of structures that replicate commonly encountered battlefield situations such as partially destroyed bridges, rope ladders, vertical walls and sand traps. Each element contains specifically placed obstacles with certain areas designated as off limits.

Groups of 10 participants are given a specific task to accomplish and encouraged not to touch the off-limits portions of the obstacles. Some elements include props that may or may not be utilized to assist in accomplishing the task. The layout of the elements and their required tasks are designed to encourage problem solving, communication, leadership and teamwork skills among participants.

16 Elements

Out Like Flint

You are located in a POW compound. You and your team must escape or face being shot. The only escape route is to cross the moat and go over the wall. A sound alarm will activate if there is any movement of the water or if anything painted black is touched. The guard patrol will be on the front wall and will hear any loud talking or loud noises. Be careful and be quiet!

Friendly planes have consistently bombed the area at this time for the past four days. You should take advantage during this confusion to escape. You have been able to fashion a ladder out of debris and you found two lengths of rope. These will aid in your escape. Use any other loose equipment found in the area.

If you sound the alarm, your attempt to escape has been detected and all will be shot if caught. Take no chances; get out as quickly as possible by crossing the moat and climbing the wall. That is your only chance for survival. The planes will be approaching any minute…

Rope Bridge

A portion of a makeshift bridge collapsed behind you. You are trapped in this small area. You must continue your mission, for the enemy is all around you and may discover your presence at any moment. The bridge was originally destroyed with a nuclear weapon and all black areas are still radioactive and cannot be touched with anything.

The box you have has serum, which is vitally needed by your unit. Any rough handling of the box might break the serum bottles inside. Therefore, extreme care should be used in transporting the container.

The water is swift and any objects falling into the water will be swept away. Your entire team must cross this rope bridge, scale the cliff at the far end, and deliver the serum to your unit located beyond the cliff. The area of ground between the cliff and the bridge is mined and cannot be touched.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

Your team has parachuted behind enemy lines. Two crates of tools for the mission tore loose during the jump and landed in this heavily mined road. You cannot continue your mission without these tools. Any loose tools must be collected and returned to the crates. The crates cannot be moved unless filled (10 each) to prevent further shifting and damage to the tools. This old mangled gate spans the road and may provide assistance. Notice the twisted offshoots from the rail. The black tips of the offshoots are razor sharp and must not be touched.

Your mission lies beyond this road. To reach your objective, you must collect the tools without disturbing the road and proceed across with all equipment and members of the team. You cannot stay here long because the enemy may have seen you drop. As tools, you have one rope, one strap and two crates to carry the tools. No jumping is allowed on this task.

Sabotage

Your mission is to destroy the enemy CP located in a heavily protected pillbox to your front. To accomplish your mission you must cross this double fence before an enemy roving patrol returns. Use the equipment placed near the fence. You must take the 30-pound can of nitroglycerin across with you. It must be handled very carefully. All of the members of your team are required to cross.

The fences themselves and the area between the fences are heavily mined and cannot be touched with any of the equipment or any part of a team member’s body. You cannot go around the fence. You are not required to take the materials you use with you. The patrol passes here every 15 minutes. It has just passed. You may jump from the pole only if it extends over the far wall.

Barrel Roll

Your squad has been sent back to get a drum of gasoline you observed in a rear area during your advance. When you crossed this stream on your way to get the gasoline, this bridge was intact. However, since then enemy artillery has destroyed the center span. This is your only way of getting across this dangerously swift river.

The only salvageable parts of the center span are these two boards. One of your team members also has a rope, which may be used. You and your team must get across the stream with the gasoline and proceed toward your unit. Recover all equipment and leave it on the far side in case you are forced to use the bridge again..

You cannot touch the ground under the bridge, as it is dangerously unstable. Any objects allowed to touch the river will be swept away by the force of the current. No jumping is allowed.

Double Culvert

You are in charge of an ammunition detail delivering ammunition to your front. While in route to your destination, you encounter this vertical abutment. You and your team must move through the culverts and deliver the ammunition to your unit.

Members of your team have discovered two boards. Use them if necessary. You must take the box of demolition equipment and anything you use with you. All team members must pass through the obstacle to the other side. No jumping is allowed. Do not touch or allow equipment to touch the “water” (mulch) or the black painted areas.

Minefield

Your team has been sent to recover a small load of vitally important medicine, which has fallen from a helicopter. You have located the package and as you move forward you notice that it is on the far side of a minefield. Your unit is moving out shortly in an effort to remain undetected by the enemy. You must move swiftly to avoid exposing the entire unit to undue risk.

Nearby you find a wooden plank and one member of the team has a length of rope on hand. In order to avoid leaving an obvious trail, all equipment, if used, must return with you.

Quicksand

You are members of a patrol carrying badly needed supplies to be used in a defensive position of your battalion. Astride your path lays this quicksand, and left and right limits which cannot be determined. These three stumps may be used by your patrol to reach the far side of the quicksand, thus placing you in position to continue with your mission. Nearby you find a plank and a length of rope to assist you in crossing the obstacle.

You must cross this area, taking the ammunition crate and all other equipment that you use with you. All team members must cross. No jumping is allowed on the task. The members may not go around the obstacle. A foul occurs on this task when anything or any person hits the black colored areas or touches the inside of the quicksand/mulch.

Cliffhanger

You are members of a rescue party that has gone into enemy territory to bring out a wounded pilot. You have just crossed this gorge and found the wounded officer. He is in an advanced state of shock with a badly sprained right leg and at the present time he is unconscious.

Your only escape route leads back across the gorge. All that remains of the bridge that once spanned this gorge is a single cable. You have inspected the cable and determined that it will work, but can only support 2 people at a time. You cannot touch the ground or anything painted black with any part of your body or any piece of equipment. You must work with as much speed as possible as it will be dark within 15 minutes and the wounded pilot needs medical attention. You must take all of the equipment with you. The injured man cannot help in any way.

Destroyed Bridge

Heavy monsoon rains have made aerial re-supply of your camp impossible. Your mission is to take a barrel across this stream to a supply cache to pick up vitally needed food and communications equipment. Monsoon floods have swept away most of a bridge on your route.

You have found this pile of logs and planks. You must take enough equipment with you to the other side to ensure your safe return at a later time. Any equipment falling into the water will be swept away by the swift current. No one may touch the black areas.

Elevation

For this task we have a fence supported between a tripod and an upright post. The areas painted black and the fence may not be touched by a team member or any piece of equipment. The mission is to get yourselves and the handcart across the fence between the upright post and the tripod. The oil drum must remain in the handcart and you cannot stand on the cart.

You may use any of the equipment provided, but anything you use must be taken with you. As equipment you have two ropes and a pulley. The cart cannot be roughly handled or allowed to drop hard to the ground. You may not jump over the fence from the ground and, of course, you cannot go around the obstacle.

Medivac

These pilings represent the remains of a bridge, which has been damaged by enemy nuclear artillery. Your survey meter indicates that portions of the pilings and the stream have been contaminated by radioactive dust and cannot be touched. You are part of a squad operating in enemy territory. A member of your team has been critically wounded in the back. You know that on the other side of the stream there is a stretcher, which you will need to transport your wounded comrade across the stream.

You have brought six planks from the basement of a nearby house. Use what you need and be careful NOT to touch either the contaminated black areas or the stream with any piece of equipment or body part. You must take all the equipment with you to avoid cluing the enemy into your whereabouts. You are not allowed to jump from one set of pilings to another. It is imperative that you move through the area swiftly to avoid too much exposure to the radioactive debris.

Demolition

You are members of a sabotage team. All members must cross this fence, which encloses a power plant, set the explosive charges, and return. The explosive is volatile and must be handled very carefully. The area between the high voltage warning posts and the fence is mined. The lower black portion of the signposts and fence are electrified. Touching any part of them sets off a silent alarm. A guard patrols this portion of the fence on the quarter-hour. He has just passed.

Recon

You have reason to believe that enemy forces have taken over a local farm and are using the barn and outbuildings as a key re-supply station for ammunition. You and your team are tasked with confirming these reports and insuring that no civilians are being held on site. You are to cross this double fence before the guard returns. Use the equipment placed near the fence. You must take the barrel with you, but be careful because it contains your surveillance equipment; which is fragile. All members of your team are required to cross and all equipment you use must be taken with you to ensure a safe return.

You must not touch any part of the fence with anything. It is wired to set off an alarm. The ground between the fences is heavily mined and cannot be touched with any of the equipment or by any team member. A guard patrols this area regularly. He has just passed. You must work quietly to avoid detection.

Wall Banger

There are two main obstacles, which are located six and twelve feet respectively from the starting line. This platform is the starting position and you cannot touch the ground around the platform. Your task is to move your entire team from this starting point, over the obstacles, to the area beyond the second obstacle. (May require team to transport ammo box as well).

Any part of the bombed out bridge which is painted black is strong enough to support your weight. You cannot touch the ground or any area painted black. Carefully observe the off-limits areas and use extreme caution. Work as quickly as you can.

Tank Trap

Your team is advancing into enemy’s territory to set up a forward observation post when you encounter this minefield and tank trap. The limits of the minefield are unknown and there is no time to breach it. Rounds will be landing soon and you must be in position to observe and adjust them. You decide to continue on foot. All your equipment is in the container – it must be handled carefully. All team members and your equipment must get to the other side.

The air assault course is comprised of 9 individual elements that participants navigate through from start to finish in a prescribed order. It is a timed event where participants receive higher scores for shorter overall times. Participants navigate the course individually but with the assistance of group members.

The purpose of this course is to develop individual/group confidence and communication through physical and mental challenges. 3 of the 9 elements are considered "high elements" (in excess of 8' above ground). The high elements employ safety measures such as pads, safety nets and the use of spotters where appropriate.

9 Elements

• The Tough One
• Confidence Climb
• Low Belly Over
• Belly Crawl
• Incline Wall
• Swing, Stop, Jump
• Six Vault
• The Weaver
• High Step Over

The Skyscraper is a single element "course" comprised of a 4 pole "alpine tower" containing 4 elevated platforms which must be ascended from bottom to top. It is designed to foster individual and group confidence and communication as individual participants scale the various platforms. Participants ascending the tower are connected with safety lines/harnesses controlled by other group members via auto locking belay devices.

The Jungle Canopy course is a single, high-element obstacle consisting of an elevated ropes course designed to be navigated individually. Other group members are utilized as spotters who encourage and motivate participants as they progress through the course.

Beginning at ground level, participants ascend via cargo nets to elevated rope transects supported between wooden poles. The rope transects contain specific tasks such as belly crawls, overhand crawls, horizontal platform/cable ladders and rope swings.

The course concludes with a 300-foot zip line back to ground level. With the exception of the zip line, which is a single cable, participants are connected to the course via dual redundant overhead safety cables and harnesses throughout the duration of the course.

The Semper Fi Marine Corps-style obstacle course is modeled after actual courses encountered in basic training facilities. It consists of various elements such as log climbs, parallel bars, wooden fences, belly crawls and rope climbs, as well as other physical challenges that are designed to be completed in as short a time as possible. Semper Fi is designed to develop confidence at an individual level. The course is a combination of mostly low elements and some high elements.