Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno is the 8th season of the MTVreality game show, The Challenge (at the time known as Real World/Road Rules Challenge). The season is directly subsequent to The Gauntlet and took place in Acapulco, Mexico.
This is the first edition of The Inferno series, with The Inferno II and The Inferno 3 following in 2005 and 2007, respectively.
Format
In this challenge, the winning teams would receive a prize at the end of each mission. They would then nominate two players from their team to the Inferno elimination challenge. Unlike The Gauntlet, there would be another challenge with an immunity life-saver up for grabs before the Inferno. Each team then selected one of the two nominees from the opposing team to go into the Inferno.
Bug Helmet:The contestants put their heads into glass boxes filled with hundreds of cockroaches with syrup covering their face. The player who stays in their box the longest wins.
Played by:Ace vs. Jeremy
Chili Counter:The player who eats the most chilis in a one-hour sitting wins.
Played by:Holly vs. Trishelle
Human Candelabra:The two players have a candle in each hand while holding their arm's out straight, the player who holds that position the longest wins.
Played by:Jeremy vs. Mike
Noise Pollution: Each player must wear a set of headphones while standing on a two-foot high platform for two hours. If there is a tie, then the players must stand on a four-inch block with one leg, the last person standing wins.
Played by:Christena vs. Mallory
Don't Toss Your Cookies: The players must eat cookies and drink milk, then get onto a spinning platform for 10 minutes, they continue this until one of the players vomits. The player who does not vomit wins the Inferno.
Played by:CT vs. Shane
Scratchathon: Each player is covered in itching powder and must walk on a treadmill for three hours, whoever outlasts their opponent wins. In the event of a tie, each contestant must jump rope, whoever jump ropes the longest wins the Inferno.
Played by:Julie vs. Katie
Brick by Brick: The players must transfer their bricks one at a time from one pile to the next, while walking across a plank. Players are disqualified if they drop a brick, break one, or fall off the plank. Whoever has transferred the most bricks at the end of three and a half hours wins.
Played by:Kendal vs Leah
Smell You Later: The contestants are each placed into their own plexiglass coffins, after every half hour for the first hour and a half, another layer of bad smelling substances are added to the coffins. At the end of four hours, if both players are still in their coffins, each player must hold their breath in the water, whoever holds it the longest wins the Inferno.
Played by:David vs. Katie
Game summary
Episode
Winners
Aztec Life Saver
Inferno Selections
Inferno game
Inferno outcome
#
Challenge
Real World
Road Rules
Real World
Road Rules
Winner
Eliminated
1
Grope the Rope
Road Rules
Ace
Syrus
Jeremy
Timmy
2
Bird Feeder
Real World
Syrus
Darrell
Ace
Bug Helmet
Jeremy
Ace
3
Wreck N' Roll
Road Rules
Leah
Trishelle
Holly
Katie
4
Climbing Wall
Road Rules
CT
Timmy
Chili Counter
Holly
Trishelle
5
Disco Domino Derby
Real World
David
Mike
Abram
Jeremy
6
Balls Out
Real World
CT
Veronica
Human Candelabra
Mike
Jeremy
7
Ultimate Saturn Road Trip
Road Rules
Coral
Mallory
Christena
Katie
8
Don't Yank My Chain
Road Rules
Mike
Veronica
Noise Pollution
Christena
Mallory
9
Come Sail Away
Road Rules
CT
David
Abram
Shane
10
Bungee Bound
Road Rules
CT
Holly
CT
Don't Toss Your Cookies
CT
Shane
11
Twist And Shoot
Road Rules
Julie
Leah
Katie
Veronica
12
Balcony Swing
Real World
CT
Veronica
Katie
Scratchathon
Katie
Julie
13
Fallen Angels
Road Rules
David
Syrus
Darrell
Timmy
14/15
Saturn Valet Ballet
Road Rules
David
Kendal
Leah
Kendal
Brick by Brick
Kendal
Leah
15/16
Window Washing
Road Rules
Coral
—
Katie
Veronica
Coral
Veronica
David
Katie
Smell You Later
Katie
David
16/17
Seven Deadly Sins
Road Rules
Real World won the challenge
Road Rules won the challenge
The contestant won the Life Saver and saved themselves
The contestant was placed in the Inferno by the Life Saver winner
The contestant was saved by another contestant with a Life Saver
The contestant won the Life Saver and put themselves in the Inferno
Inferno progress
Contestants
Episodes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14/15
15/16
Finale
Abram
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
WINNER
Christena
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
ELIM
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
WINNER
Darrell
SAFE
WON
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
WINNER
Holly
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
ELIM
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
WON
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
WINNER
Katie
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
ELIM
SAFE
SAFE
ELIM
WINNER
Kendal
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
VOL
SAFE
WINNER
Timmy
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
WON
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
SAVE
SAFE
WINNER
Veronica
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
WON
SAFE
WON
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
WIN
SAFE
SAFE
WIN
WINNER
Coral
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
WIN
LOSER
CT
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
WON
SAFE
WON
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
VOL
SAFE
WON
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
LOSER
Mike
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
ELIM
SAFE
WON
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
LOSER
Syrus
NOM
WIN
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
LOSER
David
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
SAVE
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
WIN
OUT
Leah
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
RISK
SAFE
SAFE
OUT
Julie
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
OUT
Shane
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
OUT
Mallory
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
OUT
Jeremy
NOM
ELIM
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
OUT
Trishelle
SAFE
SAFE
NOM
OUT
Ace
RISK
OUT
Teams
The contestant is on the Real World team
The contestant is on the Road Rules team
Competition
The contestant won the final challenge
The contestant lost the final challenge
The contestant won the Aztec Life Saver and saved themselves
The contestant won the Aztec Life Saver but chose not to use it
The contestant was safe from the Inferno
The contestant was selected to go into the Inferno
The contestant was nominated but not selected to go into the Inferno
The contestant was saved by the Aztec Life Saver winner
The contestant was selected to go into the Inferno and won
The contestant won the Aztec Life Saver, went into the Inferno and won
The contestant was put into the Inferno and lost
Episodes
No. overall
No. in season
Title
Original air date
89
1
"Grope the Rope"
February 2, 2004 (2004-02-02)
90
2
"Birdfeeder"
February 2, 2004 (2004-02-02)
91
3
"Wreck n' Roll"
February 9, 2004 (2004-02-09)
92
4
"Climbing Wall"
February 16, 2004 (2004-02-16)
93
5
"Disco Domino Derby"
February 23, 2004 (2004-02-23)
94
6
"Balls Out"
March 1, 2004 (2004-03-01)
95
7
"Ultimate Saturn Road Trip"
March 8, 2004 (2004-03-08)
96
8
"Don't Yank My Chain"
March 15, 2004 (2004-03-15)
97
9
"Come Sail Away"
March 22, 2004 (2004-03-22)
98
10
"Bungee Bound"
March 29, 2004 (2004-03-29)
99
11
"Twist and Shoot"
April 5, 2004 (2004-04-05)
100
12
"Balcony Swing"
April 12, 2004 (2004-04-12)
101
13
"Fallen Angels"
April 19, 2004 (2004-04-19)
102
14
"Saturn Valet Ballet"
May 3, 2004 (2004-05-03)
103
15
"Window Washing"
May 10, 2004 (2004-05-10)
104
16
"The Final Burn"
May 17, 2004 (2004-05-17)
105
17
"Handsome Reward"
May 24, 2004 (2004-05-24)
Reunion special
The reunion special, Montezuma's Revenge: Inside the Inferno, was aired on May 31, 2004, featuring the finalists and was hosted by VJ La La Vazquez.