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GARDEN ROUTE, South Africa – 2026-10-26: Red Bull athlete Thomas van Tonder completed a world-first crossing beneath South Africa’s 216-metre-high Bloukrans Bridge as part of Red Bull Bridge Bars. The South African obstacle course racing world champion crossed 600 suspended monkey bars spanning more than 280 metres along the bridge arch, completing the purpose-built course in 47 minutes and 37 seconds.
Context
The Bloukrans Bridge links South Africa’s Western Cape and Eastern Cape on the N2 and is home to Africa’s highest bridge bungee jump, one of the highest commercially operated in the world. Red Bull Bridge Bars followed the bridge arch through a 45-degree ascent, a short flat section near the crown and a controlled descent.
Nothing could be bolted or drilled into the bridge. Richard Lievaart, Head of Rigging and Safety Director at Vertical Safety Systems, and his team constructed the course with two independent points of safety and no permanent fixings.
Key Facts
Athlete: Thomas van Tonder
Achievement: World-first crossing beneath the Bloukrans Bridge arch on suspended monkey bars
Project: Red Bull Bridge Bars
Location: Bloukrans Bridge, Garden Route, South Africa
Date: 2026-10-26
Course: 600 suspended monkey bars spanning more than 280 metres
Completion Time: 47 minutes and 37 seconds
Course Profile: 45-degree ascent, short flat section and controlled descent
Bridge Height: 216 metres above the river
Course Distinction: Longest monkey bars ever built
Rigging and Safety: Richard Lievaart and Vertical Safety Systems
Performance Summary
Thomas van Tonder began the crossing at 10:21 with a heart rate of 150. The course opened with its steepest section, a 45-degree ascent that required him to face away from the direction of travel and pull himself upwards from bar to bar.
By 10:34, the continuous incline was already affecting his hands. Although Van Tonder had prepared for the ascent to be the hardest section, its sustained load on the same muscle groups exceeded what he had experienced in training.
At the crown of the bridge, the course flattened but presented a different challenge. With fatigue affecting his grip and rhythm, Van Tonder divided the remaining distance into smaller targets and communicated each target to Head of Rigging and Safety Richard Lievaart over comms.
During an upside-down shake-out, Van Tonder felt his head begin to throb and recognised that he needed to return upright. He used his already fatigued hands to pull himself back into position before continuing across the course.
On the descent, gravity increased his speed between bars. Van Tonder had to control his momentum, maintain his grip and secure each bar as fatigue intensified and the tape protecting his fingers began to wear through.
Over the final 20 metres, Van Tonder focused on completing each remaining bar individually. He reached the opposite side after crossing all 600 suspended monkey bars and more than 280 metres of the Bloukrans Bridge arch, completing Red Bull Bridge Bars in 47 minutes and 37 seconds.
Quotes
On the physical and mental demands of the course: “It over-delivered,” said Thomas van Tonder. “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.”
“I’d say that was, to me, the mentally toughest part,” said Van Tonder. “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.”
On the descent and final 20 metres: “The fatigue was way past what I expected it to be,” said Van Tonder. As the finish became his next section of the bridge, he said: “The rest of it was a fight.” During the final 20 metres, he repeated: “Make sure, make sure, make sure, make sure every single bar.” With the tape on his fingers ripped through, he said: “At least I can close them again now. Yeah, they hurt.”
On choosing and completing the challenge: “I came in a bit cocky. I came in a bit confident, and that incline humbled me for sure,” said Van Tonder. Explaining why he chose the arch, he said: “This is by no means something I know I can do, which means it’s the right challenge.”
On becoming the first person to complete the crossing, Van Tonder said: “I have finished what I started. I set the big, crazy goal, and we actually get it done.”
On the course’s physical difficulty: Stefan Glowacz, a German climber and extreme alpinist, observed the effect of the changing angle: “Wow, this is getting tough now,” he said. “The angle change made a big change, for sure.” During the descent, he added: “I was a little bit worried because it didn’t look very, very solid there.”
On the safety system and Van Tonder’s composure: Richard Lievaart, Head of Rigging and Safety Director at Vertical Safety Systems, said: “It is an absolute relief to know that Thomas is safe, and absolutely everything we did worked.” On Van Tonder’s response when the attempt encountered difficulty, he added: “He had the power to just stop, pause, sort it out and carry on.”
Why It Matters
Red Bull Bridge Bars created a purpose-built challenge that tested Van Tonder outside the conventional OCR competition environment. Completing the course required sustained grip strength, endurance and control across three distinct phases: the 45-degree ascent, the crown of the bridge and a descent during which gravity increased his speed between bars.
The project also required a technical rigging solution that followed the existing bridge structure without drilling, bolting or adding permanent fixings. Van Tonder became the first person to complete the 600-bar course, crossing the longest monkey bars ever built in one continuous attempt.
About the Athlete(s)
Thomas van Tonder is a South African obstacle course racing world champion, Guinness World Record holder and Red Bull athlete. He became OCR World Champion over 100 metres in 2019, signed with Red Bull the same year and won the inaugural Red Bull Rancher Strong in 2025.
