The show begins with a dogfight for the final two girls’ spots on Endurance: High Sierras. Aeriel, Anna, Martina and Stefanie struggle to find a way to persevere through their exhaustion to claim a contestant spot in the game. Aeriel is the first of the final four to finish five laps — she’s now an official Endurance 5 player! Then Martina, who’s had trouble balancing on the wet beams from the outset of the game and has suffered several harsh falls, tearfully bows out of the contest. It’s down to Anna and Stefanie for the final spot. In the end Anna finishes the course slightly before Stephanie, becoming the eighth official contestant of Endurance: High Sierras.

Now it’s the boys’ turn to earn their right to stay on Endurance 5. The game begins, and Dakota is the first to finish. One by one, each boy finishes until it is down to the final four: Cameron, Ike, Raphael and Adrian. Pushing himself to the end, Cameron finishes next, securing his place amongst the official boy contestants. Ike finishes soon after Cameron, claiming the eighth and final spot! The final girl and boy players hug with enthusiasm as JD welcomes the 16 of them to Endurance 5. The unfortunate kids who didn’t make it say their goodbyes.

A new day begins with the fresh faces of our final contenders. Still beaming from their accomplishments of the day before, their smiles quickly fade as JD announces that their next challenge will be played for partner selection. This game is key, because it is going to determine who their partner will be for the rest of Endurance. But before he leaves, JD adds another twist to the mix when he explains that the winner of the challenge will get to pick the first team — but it won’t be their own!

JD’s news leads to mass hysteria, as the kids fumble to make the perfect partner list. Problems ensue as they learn that not everybody wants the person who wants them, and vice versa. Dakota, playing it coy in the beginning, withholds from revealing the girl he really wanted as a partner: Kelsey. Upon finally announcing it, he creates a small controversy and everyone begins to speak up and come out of their shells. Meanwhile, Taylor, quickly earning a reputation for drama, is enraged at the possibility of being paired with Garret. It has been openly discussed that Garret is strongly disliked by the boys, so whoever is partnered with him will most likely be sent to Temple. The boys unanimously decide that no one wants Taylor as their partner, as she causes tension and will drag her partner down. A plan is devised to put Garret and Taylor together so that they can be eliminated as a team later on.

As teams are being formed, Garret, who makes it known that he wants Cealy (despite the fact that she and Alex have claimed to be a pair), threatens to win the mission so that he can mess with the order and get the partner he wants. Widespread fear sets in as the kids realize that Garret’s conniving scheme could actually take place. Now more than ever, the kids know what is on the line. If they want the partner order to remain intact, they must not allow Garret to win this challenge.

Nerves are on edge as the kids walk toward the partner challenge. Taylor, Dakota and Cealy express their anxiety about the outcome of the game — everything depends on this. JD welcomes the kids and makes reference to the obvious tension amid the group. He explains the game, “Hangin‘ Around.” The kids will have to hang from a metal bar, suspended over the water. The last one to fall in the water (thus holding on the longest) will have the right to choose the first team of Endurance. The team that has just been chosen will then get to choose the next team, and so on down the line.

The game begins, and due to sweaty palms and bad grips, the kids begin to fall within seconds. Kelsey is the first to voice her concern, yelling out, “I’m gonna fall! I can’t hold on!” Taylor quickly follows Kelsey, who screams out that she too is losing her grip. Suddenly, a falling cry is heard off-screen, and the sound of splashing water quickly follows. Someone has fallen — but who is it? Find out next time, on Endurance: High Sierras!

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6,
Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15