The Amazing Race: The 10 Most Dangerous Challenges, Ranked

Reality television these days is like a spectacle, with many viewers questioning the value of these shows. While the “reality” part of reality television can rightfully be questioned in many shows, one that is undeniably anchored in reality is The Amazing Race.

Ever since it came on the scene in 2001, the adventure reality game show has become a phenomenon and a breath of fresh air to the constant drama that plages most reality shows. That isn’t to say that The Amazing Race is void of drama, but this show primarily draws its dramatic moments from the challenges, some of which are some of the most dangerous ever put on television. Here are the 10 most dangerous challenges contestants of The Amazing Race have had to beat throughout the show’s 32-year history.

10 The “Tunnel” Detour (Season 7)

On the fifth leg of the season seven race, teams were detoured to an area called “The Tunnel,” where each team had to search out for clues in a pitch-black cave.

The teams couldn’t see anything, and fans recall this detour as one of the most dangerous in the show’s history. One of the contestants, Gretchen, had to get stitches after she injured herself during the detour, which highlights just how dangerous this challenge was.

9 Cutting Coconuts (Season 3)

This challenge was really scary for viewers to watch during season three. In the eleventh leg of the race in Salvador, Brazil, one of the detours involved having to hold a coconut in one hand while slicing it open with a knife with the other. Oh, and did we mention that they had to do this challenge with their bare hands? It made for a truly harrowing experience; if the contestants miss-timed their swing even by a little bit, it could have resulted in a nasty injury.

8 The Cheese Wheels Of Doom (Season 14)

It’s rare that cheese can result in a dangerous activity that causes injury, but that’s exactly what happened in season 14. Contestant Mel was actually injured when he had to carry two giant cheese wheels on his back down a muddy hill.

The challenge ended up injuring him, resulting in a pulled groin. There wasn’t a lot of support for the team, as these cheese wheels were huge. Someone was eventually going to get hurt, and, sadly, it was Mel.

7 River Delivery (Season 24)

On the third leg of the show’s twenty-fourth season, the teams ran into a detour that involved either running through a jungle or a challenge called “River Delivery,” in which the teams had to build a bamboo raft and travel down the river through high rapids.

That challenge was scary because the rapids on the river were extremely rough and going down that river on just a bamboo raft made for particularly suspenseful moments the fans would not soon forget.

6 The Soweto Cooling Towers (Season 7)

This challenge had viewers on the edge of their seats. In season seven, the first Flash Forward of the season involved one team embarking to the top of the Orlando Power Station in Soweto and walking across a suspension bridge between the two cooling towers, which were nearly 30 stories above the ground.

One slip up on the bridge, and that basically meant instant death, and the Soweto Cooling Towers challenged to become one of the most unforgettable and dangerous moments in the series.

5 Crocodile Cage Diving (Season 27)

The entirety of season 27 was one huge danger for the teams that would race during the season, but one particular challenge was truly harrowing. One of the detours involved a team having to don wetsuits and dive into a pool to feed not one, not two, but three Nile crocodiles.

The contestants were in a metal cage for their safety, but it was still a terrifying challenge that had people thinking if that one-million-dollar grand prize was worth almost being attacked by a huge crocodile.

4 Goa Jomblang (Season 19)

Compared to later seasons, the challenges in season 19 were pretty tame. However, it did contain this suspenseful gem in which the Roadblock in the second leg contained a team member descending into Goa Jomblang to retrieve a Javanese mask and dagger. Mind you, the decent was 160 feet, and, once the items were retrieved, they had to climb out of the cave by way of a bamboo ladder. Talk about one scary roadblock.

3 The Macau Bungee Jump (Amazing Race Canada)

This dangerous challenge comes courtesy of The Amazing Race: Canada, which doesn’t let up on the suspense and danger that its American cousin has popularized.

In one season, a roadblock in Macau forced one team member to bungee jump off of the Macau Tower, which stands 764-feet tall. Bungee jumping is a truly scary affair, and, for those who were afraid of heights, this one was a tough challenge to watch.

2 The Wieliczka Salt Mine (Season 27)

Any challenge that has to do with descending into somewhere or bungee jumping from a har distance is always going to carry a certain amount of danger with it. In season 27, which was packed with danger, the eighth-leg detour involved teams descending down 1,000 feet the Wieliczka Salt Mine and then carrying a large timber support beam back to the mine’s loading area. This Detour had danger written all over it, and it was part of the reason why season 27 was so memorable.

1 Batoka Gorge Free Fall (Season 27)

Here it is, the most dangerous challenge in the history of The Amazing Race. It occurred in the fifth leg, where a roadblock required one member to free-fall 200 feet into the Batokaa Gorge, then swing above the Zambezi River, where they would receive the next clue once getting back to the top. Watching this Roadblock was nerve-wrecking, and, thankfully, no one died while attempting this challenge.

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