Escaping a pit trap...

[rebelshade]

How would you go about it if all you had was dagger and a person half your size?

In this chapter of my story, I have the main character stuck in a hunters pit trap (used for catching large game in the woods). My heroine happens across him, and is trying to figure out a way to get him out. The walls are too steep and keep crumbling. Neither one of them has any rope. He's twice her weight, so there's no way she can just pull him out.

I've thought of two options.

#1- she climbs into one of the many surrounding trees, and tries to use her own weight to bring a limb down close enough for him to grab a hold of and climb out. The problems I can see with this is her finding a branch that will support his weight (230 solid pounds of muscle) that will still bend under her meager 115 pounds.

#2- She hacks off or finds a branch strong enough to hold his weight that she can lay across the opening of the pit, that he can use to pull himself out.

Thoughts? Opinions? Other ideas?

I have to get ready for work now. So I'll check back later.

[beckyminor]

Hmmm. I think, if the pit isn't too deep, that the branch across the mouth of the trap (or more like a fallen tree trunk for the sake of length and strength) might be the better option. I just don't see the idea of holding a long branch down as working. I simply envision Miss 115 pounds ending up in the trap too.

The main plausibility thing I'm wondering is this: if she can lay a branch across the trap and he can reach it, is it really believable that he wouldn't be able to simply climb out? I'm not saying it isn't believable...I'm posing it more as a question. I've never been stuck in a crumbly hole to know.

[metalikhan]

I get the impression the gal has a bit of time to get him out -- no slavering monster about to pounce or blood-thirsty cannibals on her heels.

One option might be just to start tossing as much forest debris into the pit in order to raise the floor level. Could also deliberately crumble away the least stable side -- very carefully, we don't want to bury the hero -- to raise the floor and lower an upper edge, similar to a ramp.

Another possibility might be to use vines if any are present. She might not have time to do any fancy braiding; but she might be able to twist enough wild grapevine to support his weight. Long willow branches could similarly be used. Virginia creeper vine is pretty stout but it's got some kind of irritant in the sap that can cause rashes almost as annoying as poison ivy.

Bending a branch (or even a sapling) to ground level takes more strength and weight than such a slight girl could reasonably do.

My 2 pennies.

[rebelshade]

I just wondered to myself (while at work) if they would be able to make a ramp like area without trapping him further. So I wonder if that wouldn't work out better, at least be a little easier to believe. I also did some looking up on pit traps, and realized it would have been covered with some kind of branches and leaves to hide the fact that it was even there.

And yes, she does have some time. He's been down there for a few hours already. And I'm really liking the idea of her tossing debris on him.

Oh, and becky, I wondered that too, if he could reach the branch laid across why not just the edge and climb out. The answer to this is, he has tried just climbing out ( I have him stating this in the story) and each time the ground falls away. I thought perhaps if it was placed over the middle, he could jump up and grab hold of it, but I'm liking the debris method better.

Thanks to both of you. You managed to help me solve this, and pass away some boring down time at work. XD Now back to note book to write this out!