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Common Names:
Tyrolean Traverse (Spartan Race), Rope Traverse (Tough Guy), Dong Dangler (Tough Mudder)
Description:
The rope traverse is simply one or more ropes crossing a gap that participants must traverse on without touching the ground/water/net underneath. Some races, such as Spartan Race, have bells at a predetermined point on the rope that contestants must ring before dropping. Obstacle can either be a single rope, or 2-3 ropes (one for standing on, 1-2 for holding with your hands).
Photo Credit: Spartan Race
Photo Credit: The Battlegrounds Mud Run
Difficulty:
(Scale of 1 to 10, 1 being “What Obstacle?”, 10 being “There’s no way anyone can do that!”)
Difficulty is typically at least a 5. The difficulty can vary depending on the length of the rope, and when in the race the obstacle is.
Recommended Areas of Training:
Toes to Bar – For single rope obstacles, having solid core strength to bring your feet back up to the rope if they fall will help you navigate through this obstacle.
Rope Climbs – Climbing a rope vertically will help build the grip and back strength to handle ‘climbing’ a horizontal rope.
See below links for more training tips!
Recommended Obstacle Technique, How-To and Tips:
Honestly, this one is hard to discuss without showing videos. So, I will refer you to the following links. Review them, watch carefully, and enjoy. If you have a rope available to traverse on, then practice some of the techniques below and see what works best.
Single Rope Obstacles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GOULMjCoQs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGzN6-qoUpI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdmENtHM0l8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jngl5x2fow – Skip to 51:05 into the video
Multi Rope Obstacles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhIyYF4WS20
https://toughmudder.com/obstacles/dong-dangler
If you can think of any other tips or techniques, feel free to comment below. Happy racing!
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