Alex Honnold is currently climbing in Australia and managed to tick the classic Punks in the Gym, which was first climbed the year Honnold was born.

According to 8a.nu, Honnold has 801 ascents to his name in their database and the most recently added was Punks in the Gym. Honnold also climbed Slopin Sleazin 5.13a and Cobwebs 5.13a in Arapiles.

Honnold was recently featured in a New York Times article written by Daniel Duane titled “The Heart-Stopping Climbs of Alex Honnold.”

Alex Honnold’s Facebook Page

Punks in the Gym was bolted by Swiss climber Martin Scheel who attempted to free the route for three summers, traveling from his home in the U.K. The line was eventually sent and named, after six days of effort, by Wolfgang Gullich in 1985 and is considered the world’s first 5.14a. Ahead of its time in Australia, the first Australian to climb it was Stuart Wiythe and it was not for 10 years after the first ascent. Stefan Glowacz made the second ascent.


Mayan Smith Gobat made the first female ascent in 2012 and Canadian Sonnie Trotter climbed the route in 2007. Read about Trotter’s ascent here.

There are only eight bolts on the 35-metre route and despite its popularity has never had an onsight and is still considered a testpiece.

There has been some arguments whether the route is easier than when it was first climbed in the mid-80s. The crux hold is known as the Birdbath.

Watch Mayan climb Punks in the Gym:

@alexhonnold on Punks #punksinthegym #climbing #arapiles A photo posted by adam demmert (@ademmert) on Mar 10, 2015 at 11:28pm PDT

—-