If you’ve ever struggled to complete a set of money bars, spare a thought for obstacle course athlete, Thomas van Tonder, who just completed the kind of challenge that you have to see in order to believe it’s true: scaling Africa’s highest bridge—by hand.
Red Bull-sponsored thrill seeker, Thomas van Tonder, 34, and was born in South Africa took on 600 monkey bars that were fixed under the arch of the Bloukrans Bridge, en route to besting the longest set of bars ever built. And, as if this weren’t tough (or insane) enough, van Tonder had to follow the arch of the bridge, forcing him to to deal with an elevation and descent, all while his lactic acid was fit to burst.
At its peak, the bridge stood 216 meters above ground level, with van Tonder taking on 280 meters in distance. But on Oct. 26, 2026, the able athlete finished his perilous journey in 47 minutes and 37 seconds.
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How Did Thomas van Tonder Cross Africa’s Highest Bridge by Hand?
Van Tonder took on the most monkey bars,
Van Tonder took on the most monkey bars, at the highest level, for the longest distance, but there were times when he questioned himself. “From the middle segment to the end, I was unsure if I’d actually make it,” he explained after he got firmly back on land.
To complete the challenge, van Tonder made strategic breaks by resting his legs on the bars, but this presented additional difficulties. “There were many points where I was on the edge of being able to actually get my legs up or not. It was definitely not a given.”
At the finish line, van Tonder was truly spent, and suffered with serious skin loss on his hands, but then making history was never easy. “One of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” he concluded.
Well, we’ll certainly never look at a set of monkey bars the same way again!
You can see the amazing feat in full, below.
To follow Thomas van Tonder on Instagram, click here.
