The shallow pool of water will do wonders for your conductivity as you crawl through a field of electrical wires.
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.
Clear those sinuses and dry those eyes with a crawl through Tough Mudder's proprietary tear gas blend.
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
Deep dive into the details of Cry Baby.
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.
Pulling yourself along a 48' pit of water with 4" to breathe might not make you panic, but it will definitely make you pee at least a little bit.
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.
After the 1000th complaint about our muddy courses, we decided to just blast runners with a fire hose while they climb up an enclosed tube.
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.
These 8' walls have a bit of a hangover - and now it's your problem to deal with.
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.
Try being both a top and a bottom as you harness the power of human engineering to climb over this slick 15' wall.
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.
Support sustainable fishing by getting yourself caught in a smotheringly heavy net instead.
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: DEVIL’S BEARD
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.
Jump high, hang low, and let it all swing out on Tough Mudder's take on the trapeze.
AIM HIGH
Keep your eye on the prize and jump upwards.
SWING TRUE
Use your forward momentum to keep a nice even swing.
FALL WITH STYLE
As ol’ Buzz Lightyear used to say.
THE DEEP END
A substantially deep body of water is waiting for you to drop into.
“There is nothing quite like the freedom of a good swing.”
The inside word
Deep dive into the details of Well Swung.
How To Conquer
Keep your eyes focused on where you need your hands to be. Jump out and up with purpose. Maintain your momentum, this is key, you don’t want to be flailing around in the breeze. Release and feel the freedom.
Obstacle Training Tips
Apart from putting in some mental reps to help in conquering your fear of heights the key to success at Well Swung is grip strength. You want to be able to hold yourself suspended with your arms above your head and allow for the transfer of momentum when you catch the bar mid-jump.
Obstacle FAQs
Q: How do you complete this obstacle?
A: The glorious ring of a Cow Bell.
A HISTORY: WELL SWUNG
Well Swung is a brand new obstacle in 2021. While it has close ties to the fan favourite King Of The Swingers it certainly is its own beast. A new take on the trapeze-like swing it was first dreamt up in 2019 as a more approachable way to get that swinging feeling. After testing in the desert and a few tweaks it is ready to hit the course this year. You ready?
