# Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno

Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno is the 8th season of the MTV reality 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.

## Contestants

Real World team :
| Player | Original season | Finish |
| Coral Smith | The Real World: Back to New York | Runner-up |
| Chris "CT" Tamburello | The Real World: Paris | Runner-up |
| Mike Mizanin | The Real World: Back to New York | Runner-up |
| Syrus Yarbrough | The Real World: Boston | Runner-up |
| David Burns | The Real World: Seattle | Episode 15/16 |
| Leah Gillingwater | The Real World: Paris | Episode 14/15 |
| Julie Stoffer | The Real World: New Orleans | Episode 12 |
| Mallory Snyder | The Real World: Paris | Episode 8 |
| Trishelle Cannatella | The Real World: Las Vegas | Episode 4 |
| Ace Amerson | The Real World: Paris | Episode 2 |
Road Rules team :
| Player | Original season | Finish |
| Abram Boise | Road Rules: South Pacific | Winner |
| Christena Pyle | Road Rules: South Pacific | Winner |
| Darrell Taylor | Road Rules: Campus Crawl | Winner |
| Holly Shand | Road Rules: Latin America | Winner |
| Katie Doyle | Road Rules: The Quest | Winner |
| Kendal Sheppard | Road Rules: Campus Crawl | Winner |
| Timmy Beggy | Road Rules: USA – The Second Adventure | Winner |
| Veronica Portillo | Road Rules: Semester at Sea | Winner |
| Shane Landrum | Road Rules: Campus Crawl | Episode 10 |
| Jeremy Blossom | Road Rules: South Pacific | Episode 6 |

## Gameplay
### Inferno games

* 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 | Episode | Winners | Aztec Life Saver | Aztec Life Saver | Inferno Selections | Inferno Selections | Inferno Selections | Inferno Selections | Inferno game | Inferno outcome | Inferno outcome | Inferno outcome | Inferno outcome |
| # | Challenge | Winners | Real World | Road Rules | Real World | Real World | Road Rules | Road Rules | Inferno game | Winner | Winner | Eliminated | 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 | | | | | |
| 15/16 | Window Washing | Road Rules | 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 | Contestants | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes | Episodes |
| Contestants | Contestants | 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 release 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.