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Stairway to Heaven (also known as Styx) is a recurring challenge of Survivor.

Rules[]

The tribes must place twelve poles of varying lengths into their holders to form a staircase, and then run up it. One at a time, three ride a zipline to a pontoon, grab a bag of puzzle pieces, and swim back, then all three climb a ladder back to the platform, where the final three solve the puzzle.

History[]

United States[]

In Survivor: Cook Islands, Rarotonga won the challenge, sending Aitutaki to Tribal Council.

A variation of this challenge was used again in Survivor: Cagayan. Each tribe would build a staircase out of wooden poles, then climb it to reach a bamboo maze. Upon exiting the maze and sliding down a bamboo slide, one tribe member would maneuver a key through a rope obstacle, using the key to unlock a machete to release puzzle pieces. Two more tribe members would then solve a puzzle to reveal the solution to a combination lock. The first tribe to unlock their flag would win immunity. Despite quickly falling behind on the staircase portion, the Solana tribe came out victorious due to LJ McKanas and Woo Hwang's puzzle solving skills to win.

In Survivor: Cambodia, the challenge reappeared as a post-merge Reward Challenge. The team of Ciera Eastin, Joe Anglim, Spencer Bledsoe, Stephen Fishbach, and Tasha Fox won.

France[]

New Zealand[]

South Africa[]

In Philippines, the Styx variant of the challenge was used as the second tribal Immunity Challenge. As Luzon fell into disarray due to poor communication, Mindanao blasted ahead and solved their combination lock first, continuing their win streak.

In Immunity Island, the tribes competed for immunity and a Mexican feast. The tribes had to swim out to collect keys before starting on their staircase. After climbing the staircase, the tribes would unlock a steel ladder and make their way to the top floor of a tower to build a vertical puzzle. Prior to the challenge, Santoni Engelbrecht had an emotional breakdown out of fear of drowning in the water. However, the Zamba tribe was able to coax her through the swim. Still, they fell behind on all stages of the challenge and, with Renier Louwrens on the puzzle, Vuna secured yet another challenge victory.

Winners[]

Episode Challenge Type Winner
Cook Islands
"Why Aren't You Swimming?!"
Tribal Immunity S13 adam tS13 brad tS13 jenny t
S13 nate tS13 parvati tS13 rebecca t
Rarotonga
Cagayan
"We Found Our Zombies"
Tribal Immunity S28 jefra tS28 lj t
S28 tony tS28 trish tS28 woo t
Solana
Cambodia
"Witches Coven"
Team Reward S31 ciera tS31 joe t
S31 spencer tS31 stephen tS31 tasha t
Ciera, Joe, Spencer, Stephen, Tasha

Episode Challenge Type Winner
Les Chasseurs d'Immunité
Episode 4
Tribal Reward FRS30 Cécile tFRS30 David tFRS30 Émilie t
FRS30 Jean tFRS30 Julie tFRS30 Léa N tFRS30 Maxime t
FRS30 Mégane tFRS30 Meïssa tFRS30 Ricky t
Matukad

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Thailand
Episode 1
Tribal Immunity NZS2 adam tNZS2 brad tNZS2 dylan t
NZS2 josh tNZS2 kaysha tNZS2 lisa t
NZS2 matt tNZS2 tara tNZS2 tess t
Khangkhaw

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Philippines
Episode 2
Tribal Immunity ZAS6 jeanne tZAS6 katinka tZAS6 marthunis t
ZAS6 murishca tZAS6 pk tZAS6 staceylee t
ZAS6 tevin tZAS6 toni tZAS6 werner t
Mindanao
Immunity Island
"Look Behind You"
Tribal Reward/Immunity ZAS8 amy tZAS8 anesu tZAS8 chappies t
ZAS8 marisha tZAS8 nicole tZAS8 renier tZAS8 shaun t
Vuna

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Spencer Bledsoe and Tasha Fox are the only castaways to compete in this challenge twice.
    • They both lost on their first attempt and won on their second attempt.
  • Both names used for this challenge are musical references.

References[]

Recurring Challenges
A Bit Dinghy · A Bit Tipsy · A Crate Idea · A Leg Up · A Numbers Game · Air Raid · Angry Chair · Around the Bend · Back in Slack · Balancing Point · Ballin' A Jack · Barrel Bridge · Barrel of Monkeys · Basket Brawl · Better Homes and Island Living · Beyond the Wheel · Blind Leading the Blind · Blue Lagoon Bustle · Blue Plate Special · Boats, Brains & Brawn · Bone to Pick · Boulder Smash · Bow Diddley · Box Your Mind · Braille Maze · Broken China · Buggin' Out · Build It Up, Break It Down · Butch Cassidy · By Any Means Necessary · By the Numbers · Cage Against the Machine · Can't Buoy Me Love · Cannonball Run · Caught in the Web · Cell Block Sea · Challenge Pitch · Chief's Choice · Chimney Sweep · Chinese Zodiac Symbols · Cling Ons · Choose Your Weapon · Coconut Juice · Crate Escape · Crocodile Rock · Crosswalk · Cube Crisis · Dear Liza · Dive Masters · Dizzy Gillespie · Dizzy Miss Lizzy · Domino Effect · Draggin' the Dragon · Dragging the River · Drop A Log · Drum Roll · Dulcimer Stomp · End of the Line · EOC · Eve 6 · Fallen Comrades · Fast Fire · Faulty Towers · Fauxconut Bowling · Fire and Water · Fire Fighter · Fire Starter · Flips, Flops, & Flags · Float Your Boat · Floating Puzzle · Game of Bridge · Gatecrasher · Get a Grip · Get Barreled · Get Hooked · Get Your Goat · Gimme Three Steps · Great Escape Run · Hands on a Hard Idol · Hear About It Ladder · Hot Pursuit · House of Cards · House of the Holey · Idol Hands · Jail Break · Jump Shot · Jungle Relay · Kamikaze · Keel Hauling · Keep It Up · Keep on Your Toes · Kenny Log-Ins · Kicking and Screaming · Kitty Litter · Know Your Loved One · Ladder Tree Golf · Last Gasp · Letter Hunt · Lock, Load and Light · Lock Step · Log Jam · Losing Face · Mask Match · Matchmaker · Matt Finish · Mayan Pizza · Memory · Mud Pack · Mud Slide · Muddy Waters · New School · New Tribe Member · Nut Bucket · O-Black Water · Odd Shaped Bottoms · Operation Balance Build · Out on a Limb · Over-Extended · Paddle Battle · Paddle Out · Perch · Pilfering Pirates · Piranha Feast · Pole Dancing · Pot Head · Push Me, Pull You · Puzzle Dig · Q and A · Quest for Fire · Race to Shore · Ram-Ball On · Rescue Mission · Rice Race · Rise and Shrine · Rock Bottom · Rock n' Roll · Rock the Boat · Rod Screw-It · Roll With It · Roller Ball · Rung O Star · Running Down a Dream · Sacrificial Lamb · Schmergen Brawl · Sea Crates · Sea Legs · Sea Salvage · Shipwrecked · Shoot 'n' Shuffle · Shooting Gallery · Shoulder the Load · Simmotion · Slip, Slide & Score · Slither Me Timbers · Smash and Grab · Snag, Drag and Bag · Snake in the Grass · Snake Island Relay · SOS Signal · Spear-it Hunt · Spit It Out · Splash Back · Sprung a Leak · Squared Off · Squatty Probst · Stacked Up · Stairway to Heaven · Stairway to the Stars · Star Man · Station By Station · Step on Up · Stomp-ede · Strung Out · Sumo at Sea · Survivor Auction · Survivor History · Survivor Pentathlon · Survivor Quiz Show · Swahili Scramble · Swing Break · Tangled Up · Temple Transfer · The Ball Drop · The Cruel Sea · The Game is Afoot · The Gauntlet · The Home Stretch · The Maze · The Obstacle Course · This Much · Thrash, Splash & Bash · TLP O-Course · Tomb Raider · Total Recall · Troubled Water · Uncomfortably Numb · United We Stand · Vampire Bats · Vertically Challenged · Vertigo · Wall to Wall · Well Stacked · What-er Drag · When It Rains, It Pours · Wicker Flicker · Will It Go Round · Witch Hunt · Wrist Assured · Yank Your Hank · You Shook Me
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