Obstacle Course Racing
It took this guy less than 10 minutes to climb a 90m rope
Obstacle course racer Thomas van Tonder has successfully blazed his way up a 90m free-hanging rope between the iconic Soweto Towers in South Africa.
Months of painful training, testing and preparation culminated in a 10-minute burn for Thomas van Tonder on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. The short burst of time after months of build up was no anti-climax for van Tonder, however. On the contrary, on his way up to his 90m goal at the bungee jump platform, he completed a successful Guinness World Record attempt for the fastest 50m rope climb. Clocking in at under 3m 20s.
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How it went down
"I was super nervous at the start and we had a few technical issues to begin with. Fortunately none of that threw me off too much," van Tonder said afterwards.
According to him the first 50m felt amazing on the day. "It burned like hell, but it was the best rhythm I could've hoped for and everything just came together."
The South African locked in his feet at that point and took a moment to catch his breath and regroup for the rest of the climb. "I looked down and saw on my watch that it was well below the four-minute mark, that was a huge highlight – and relief – for me. That was the goal and it made it all worthwhile."
It was brutal
He still had 40m to climb to get to summit the towers, however. "It was brutal. The last 20 metres I had to take really slowly," he said.
But van Tonder made it to the top and all the months of hard work paid off. "Seeing the team there waiting for me was an unforgettable moment,” he said.
Going all the way
© Tyrone Bradley/Red Bull Content Pool
All focus
© Mpumelelo Macu/Red Bull Content Pool
Rope climbing requires some fancy footwork
© Tyrone Bradley/Red Bull Content Pool
The sweet taste of success
© Tyrone Bradley/Red Bull Content Pool
A rapid journey to the top
With South Africa going into lockdown in March this year and all sports put on hold, it was a challenging time for many to keep up with their training. For van Tonder, a champion in Obstacle Course Racing (OCR), a sport that requires a lot of training outdoors it was important to find ways to keep mentally and physically fit. It was during this time that van Tonder drew inspiration from British adventurer Ross Edgley and fellow OCR athlete Leon Kofoed to lay out a goal for this Guinness World Record attempt.
As the country moved through lower levels of lockdown, van Tonder was able to get back into the gym for conditioning work and much-needed simulation at CityROCK, an indoor climbing facility in Johannesburg, in preparation for his record attempt.
As well as training, van Tonder also spent a lot of timing researching the right gear for the climb. Limiting weight was a key consideration when it came to choosing the harness and helmet. Shoes, for example, needed to ensure grip and help manage any pain. And lastly, finding the correct rope that would not tangle and twist.
Thankfully for van Tonder it all came together on the day and he’ll forever look back on 2020 as the year he entered the Guinness Book of Records.