South African Thomas van Tonder has made history after crossing 600 suspended monkey bars beneath the iconic Bloukrans Bridge in an incredible world-first achievement!
Garden Route, South Africa (28 October 2026) – Imagine hanging hundreds of metres above the ground, with nothing but your grip strength, determination and 600 monkey bars standing between you and the finish line. Now imagine doing that for almost 48 minutes, while climbing uphill, battling exhaustion and eventually fighting gravity on the way down. It sounds absolutely terrifying but for South African world champion Thomas van Tonder, it was exactly the challenge he had been looking for.
On Monday, the 26th of October, the South African obstacle course racing (OCR) champion made history by becoming the first person to cross beneath the iconic Bloukrans Bridge using suspended monkey bars. The extraordinary feat formed part of Red Bull Bridge Bars, an ambitious project that saw a specially constructed 280-metre course suspended along the arch of the famous bridge, which towers 216 metres above the Bloukrans River.
And in true South African fashion, Thomas didn’t just attempt the seemingly impossible. He completed all 600 bars in an incredible 47 minutes and 37 seconds!
Bloukrans Bridge connects the Western Cape and Eastern Cape along the N2 and is already famous for being home to Africa’s highest bridge bungee jump. But while most thrill-seekers visit to jump off the bridge, Thomas decided he wanted to climb across the underside of it, using nothing but his hands. The challenge was unlike anything he had attempted before.
The course followed the natural arch of the bridge, beginning with a punishing 45-degree ascent, followed by a relatively flat section at the highest point before descending towards the finish. And although Thomas is no stranger to extraordinary physical challenges, having won the OCR World Championship over 100 metres in 2019 and holding a Guinness World Record, even he underestimated just how difficult this one would be.
“It over-delivered,” Thomas admitted afterwards.
“We simulated and trained as much as we could, but nothing can really compare to just the continuous beating that that incline puts on the same muscle group.”
Starting at 10:21, with his heart rate already sitting at 150 beats per minute, Thomas immediately faced the toughest section of the course. The steep incline required him to face backwards while pulling himself upwards, bar after bar, placing enormous strain on his arms and hands. Within just 13 minutes, the physical demands were already taking their toll. By the time he reached the flatter section near the crown of the bridge, his hands were struggling to maintain their grip, and finding a comfortable rhythm had become almost impossible.
“I’d say that was, to me, the mentally toughest part,” he explained. “I found it really difficult to get any rhythm. The hands just didn’t do what I in my mind thought they would be able to, just keeping them closed was so hard.”
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“The fatigue was way past what I expected it to be,” Thomas said, describing the final stretch as a fight to the finish.
With just 20 metres remaining, he focused entirely on securing each grip, repeating the words: “Make sure, make sure, make sure, make sure every single bar.”
And then, after 47 minutes and 37 seconds, he reached the other side.
Six hundred monkey bars. More than 280 metres. One extraordinary South African achievement.
Of course, a challenge of this magnitude required an equally extraordinary team working behind the scenes. Richard Lievaart, Head of Rigging and Safety Director at Vertical Safety Systems, and his crew were responsible for constructing the longest monkey bar course ever built, all without drilling into or permanently altering the historic bridge. The entire structure was designed with two independent safety systems to protect Thomas throughout the attempt.
“It is an absolute relief to know that Thomas is safe, and absolutely everything we did worked,” Richard shared afterwards, praising the athlete’s ability to remain composed when things became difficult.
“He had the power to just stop, pause, sort it out and carry on.”
For Thomas, who also won the inaugural Red Bull Rancher Strong competition in 2025, the achievement represents another remarkable milestone in a sporting career that continues to push boundaries. But perhaps the most wonderful part of this story is that he deliberately chose a challenge he wasn’t entirely certain he could complete.
“This is by no means something I know I can do, which means it’s the right challenge,” he explained.
And after successfully reaching the other side, the enormity of what he had accomplished finally began to sink in.
“I have finished what I started. I set the big, crazy goal, and we actually get it done.”
What an incredible achievement for Thomas, his team and South African sport! From the athletes representing our country on international podiums to those creating entirely new challenges right here at home, South Africans continue to show just how much talent, courage and determination this country has to offer.
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