My brother was ‘07, and his rats had a joke of a ratline compared to what he had to do. His was the last “mud” group, if I recall correctly. Breakout is a joke now, apparently—a giant sweat party. Must all good things come to an end?
Back in the Old Corps, break out (no earlier than late March, break out before Finals itself being a post-WWII innovation) saw the Rats assembled in the courtyard of Old Barracks after something known as "Last Company Room", with the three upper classes on the stoops having fortified them with hayracks wired to the railings, armed with all sorts of things with which to beat the rats, and all sorts of noxious substances with which to douse them; often the stairs themselves were covered in cooking or molasses (or a combination thereof) to make them slick.
After giving an old yell for one's dykes' class, the Rats had to make their way to the Fourth Stoop, at which time they would be out of the Rat Line and, in the eyes of the Corps, officially a Class.
It was all in good fun(!), and I think we only had a couple of broken arms and infinite bruises my Rat year ('67) -- oh, yeah, and one guy who tried to climb a drainpipe, but fell, breaking an ankle, I think), but eventually some Sup wussed out and went to the mud hill version.
It's not your father's VMI anymore....