Let's cover some basic physics. Crawling velocity is slower than running velocity. Water conducts electricity. Combine those two ideas and you get Electric Eel - a slow crawl through a water pit, with a field of electrical wires just begging to share their 10,000 volts with you.
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Don’t freeze
Those wires aren’t going to get gentler, so hustle on through.
Get low (low, low)
Might we suggest a supple slither?
Feel the Power
Yes, those are actually 10,000 volts. Don’t worry, it’s pretty safe.
“I was crying tears of joy by the time I made it through”
The inside word
Let’s cover some basic physics. Crawling velocity is slower than running velocity. Water conducts electricity. Combine those two ideas and you get Electric Eel – a slow crawl through a water pit, with a field of electrical wires just begging to share their 10,000 volts with you.
How to Conquer
Get a good breath of fresh air before crawling in: the intensity of the smoke will multiply with each additional breath. Move quickly but deliberately in one direction, remembering that you likely won’t be able to see the other side for most of the crawl.
A HISTORY: ELECTRIC EEL
A clever Mudder once crawled below the wires on Electroshock Therapy, thinking they’d outsmarted us. Instead, they just gave us a really nasty idea.
Dry those eyes, because you're going to need the tears for Cry Baby. It would be uncouth to say that Tough Mudder tear gases people, so we'll just say that this smoky chamber will test your ocular training regimen.
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Stay Focused
You won’t see much once you’re in there, so crawl in a straight line.
Safety First
You’ll be fine…we promise.
Keep on Keeping On
We wouldn’t suggest stopping halfway. Keep moving and you’re in the clear.
“I was crying tears of joy by the time I made it through”
The inside word
How To Conquer
Get a good breath of fresh air before crawling in: the intensity of the smoke will multiply with each additional breath. Move quickly but deliberately in one direction, remembering that you likely won’t be able to see the other side for most of the crawl.
A HISTORY: CRYBABY
Conceptualized by the devious minds in the Innovation Lab in 2015, Cry Baby made was re-released in 2022 to reinvigorate the course with a sense of intrigue and fear.
Muscle up, Mudder, because Berlin Walls is gonna take everything you've got. This 10' vertical climb is tougher than it looks, just like you. Without much to hold on to, your best bet is to conquer this beast with a fellow Mudder's boost. However you get it done, scaling this wall is one of the many obstacles worth bragging about.
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Up & Over
Communicate with the Mudder up top to give you a pull up
Spot your Fellow Mudder
Whether it’s a boost or fall support, keep an eye out for others in Mudder Nation
Running Start
Hop up to the top and try and use your upper body strength to pull yourself over if you’re tough enough
Lend a hand
Once you have made it ot the top, give another Mudder a hand
“Got a boost from a fellow Mudder, thank goodness!”
A HISTORY: BERLIN WALLS
Looks simple, but this obstacle has stuck around as a legacy obstacle since it encourages one of our favorite elements: teamwork.
Don't panic, just breathe. Cage Crawl is as simple as that. There might be other ways to test your mental toughness, but we think pulling yourself through a 60' watery trench under a steel fence with only a few inches to breathe does it best. Go ahead, take a dip and prove you've got the grit.
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Lean back
Lean on your back and let your body float to the surface
Get a grip
Propel yourself by “walking” your way with your hands from one end to the other
Deep breaths
There are only a few inches of space above the surface & the cage
Go Slow
The float through the water is longer than you think, take your time and try not to panic
“Cage crawl is hands down one of the most memorable obstacles from my Tough Mudder”
The inside word
Deep dive into the details of Cage Crawl.
How To Conquer
Lay on your back and get a nimble grip on the fencing. Pull yourself along the water to float as close as you can on the surface. Make sure you allow yourself plenty of space to breathe and to not pull the fencing too close down to the water surface, restricting you space to keep your head above water. This one will fully test how much mental grit you truly have.
A HISTORY: CAGE CRAWL
Coming out of the TMHQ innovation lab, Cage Crawl is the product of a little wacky thinking and the need to test Mudder Nation’s mental grit.
Whatever you do, don't look up. Augustus Gloop might be an all-time Mudder favorite, but you'll need a firm grip and lots of mental grit to conquer this climb. With high pressure jets of water hitting you from every angle as you fight off claustrophobia, you'll need all the toughness you've got.
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Look Forward
Keep climbing, Mudder – water will be rushing down on top of yous so to avoid water in your eyes keep a forward glance VS looking up.
Get a grip
With the water rushing on top of your, take your time scaling up the wet ladder for a firm hold so you don’t fall.
Tight Squeeze
Tuck your shoulders in as you climb in the small space
“Wet & wild!”
The inside word
Deep dive into the details of Augustus Gloop.
How To Conquer
Think think & don’t look up. Climb the ladder ensuring both your hands and footing have a firm grip on each ladder section. Keep your hands on the ladder close to your chest, since the tunnel you have to scale is on the smaller side. File under: wet & wild.
A HISTORY: AUGUSTUS GLOOP
After taking a sabbatical in 2021, Augustus Gloop is BACK in the tail end of 2022 with a wet & wild climb Mudders love to brag about.
Good luck finding foothold on this deceivingly tough 10' wall. Skidmarked is angled to make it nearly impossible to swing your legs up and over, so do you push-ups beforehand so your upper body strength can help you scale this beast. Don't worry, someone in Mudder Nation will give you a boost if you need a lift to conquer this classic.
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grab a Leg
Once you make it up, have Mudder’s who are scaling this wall lift their leg up to hoist them up and over
Offer bottom Support
Keep that Mudder going, if your team member is struggling – be their support to push them up to the lip.
Offer top support
Grab an arm, a leg or simply communicate strategy. Anything helps when you have crushed the obstacle yourself.
“Didn’t think it was possible when I can up to Skidmarked, but a fellow Mudder gave me a hoist up & over!”
The inside word
Deep dive into the details of Skidmarked.
How To Conquer
Give your go at a running start to jump up and try to grab hold of this steep, angled wall to then pull yourself up and over. This is easier than it sounds, so unless you have been crushing pullups in your Tough Mudder training (good on you, if you have) – try your best at this tactic. If this doesnt work, look for a hold point (a supporting beam) or lend the knee of a fellow Mudder to hoist you up.
A HISTORY: SKIDMARKED
Often duplicated, never replicated. This slanted wall has made Mudder re-think their upper body strength for almost 10 years.
With nowhere to properly apply a firm grip to, you are going to need to get creative with your fellow Mudders on Pyramid Scheme to create a base. In order to hoist yourself up and over this angled wall, make a human pyramid with your team and use their shoulders as a ladder mechanism to successfully crush this obstacle.
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Stretch out
Lay back on the angled wall and use your body as a human ladder for others to climb up
Your fellow Mudder
Take this obstacle on with a muddy stranger or your buddy to create a plan to get up the slippery surface
Get creative
Feet stacked on another Mudder’s shoulder? Sounds like a plan to get Mudder Nation up and over the slippery wall
“Teamwork at it’s finest!”
The inside word
Deep dive into the details of Pyramid Scheme.
How To Conquer
With a lot of Tough Mudder obstacles, getting a running start and trying your best on the obstacles is sometimes the most fun. Pyramid Scheme is a perfect exmaple of this up a steep angled wall that has no grip points. 1, 2, 3…GO. If that doesn’t work, take the team approach: either you, yourself – or your teammate lay flat on their back, creating a human ladder.
A HISTORY: PYRAMID SCHEME
After taking a sabbatical in 2021, Pyramid Scheme is BACK in the tail end of 2022 with a teamwork challenge that will bring you closer to Mudder Nation.
Devil's Beard might appear like a walk in the park, but don't let this obstacle fool you. Heavy grade netting is pinned to the ground, only providing you so much room to crawl underneath to the other side. Whether its the opening of the net that you can get snagged on, or the uneven ground surface you need to crawl through - Devil's Beard might have you feeling a bit like hell.
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Get low
Crouch down, so you can move at a quicker pace under the net
Head down
Let your back take the brunt of the friction of the net and keep your arms and legs lower so they don’t get caught
Give yourself space
Try lifting the net with your arm, if you want to try and walk through crouching down
Side by Side
Go with your team member, so both of you can keep the net higher and less restrictive.
“Looked easy, but got caught up in the net a few times…my friend and I couldn’t stop laughing”
The inside word
Deep dive into the details of Devil’s Beard.
How To Conquer
Get low and use your arms as a way to hold the thick, heavy netting above you. Commence army crawling your way under or if you have the core mobility, bend you body in half and walk under, with your back taking the majority of friction on a ‘smooth’ surface so your head & arms don’t get caught.
A HISTORY: PYRAMID SCHEME
Simple, yet effective for the challenge. Devil’s Beard has been with Tough Mudder for years & makes it’s appearance on course when you least expect it.
Lean in - but not for a kiss. In order to keep yourself out of the drink, you'll need to coordinate with a fellow Mudder to maintain a semblance of balance while crossing the Widow's Peak water pit. You'll have your own slackline to plant your feet on as you shimmy across, but sharing a single line for your hands means that you'll feel every buck and blunder from your new friend.
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Plant Your Feet
Get some solid footing on the slackline before you begin your traverse.
Lend a Hand
Grasp the handhold line and be courteous – you’re sharing it for support.
Make Eye Contact
It’s the polite thing to do. Plus it’ll make communication so much easier.
“It take two to Tango, but only one to make a splash”
The inside word
Deep dive into the details of Widow’s Peak.
How To Conquer
You’ve got four things to concentrate on here: your hands, your feet, your fellow Mudder, and your core. Start with solid footing on the lower line and a firm grip on the upper line. Tighten your core to maintain stability and begin to shimmy across in unison with your counterpart in the next lane.
A HISTORY: WIDOW’S PEAK
New for 2022, Widow’s Peak builds upon the prestigious foundations of Dong Dangler and Black Widow, adding a dash of teamwork to the classic combo of slack lines and water pits.
Holding hands isn't just for lovers - it's for anyone hoping to make it through Texas Hold'em. This topsy-turvy obstacle features sharply two sharply angled platforms on a pivoting base. You'll need to grab hands with another Mudder (friend or stranger, it doesn't matter at a Tough Mudder) and shuffle in unison to keep the whole seesaw from rocking you off.
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Grit
Teamwork
Strength
Fun
Hold Hands
Sweaty hands are no excuse – clasp hands tightly and stay interlocked.
Do the Two Step
Moving out of sync is a fasttrack to failure. Coordinate those foot movements!
Find Your Center
No two participants are identical, so find your center of gravity before moving!
“We laughed, we cried, we fell off.”
The inside word
Deep dive into the details of Texas Hold’em.
How To Conquer
The two things to remember here are balance and trust. Choosing a partner that is roughly your height won’t hurt either. Get a good grip on each other’s hands (crosslinking helps some people), bend your elbows slightly, and plant your feet on the platforms simultaneously. Shuffle, don’t step, in coordinated movements to keep the platform (relatively) steady.
A HISTORY: TEXAS HOLD’EM
Invented in 2019, Texas Hold’em was designed to add a simple-yet-engaging shot of teamwork to the Tough Mudder course. The design was further refined in 2021 to get that famous wobble just right.
