George Eddy Sending Punks in the Gym 5.14a
This was the first-ever sport climb given a 5.14 grade - it's set to be closed this year
In this new short film from Lucas Corroto, we follow George Eddy, a Blue Mountains climber, in his journey to send Punks in the Gym, the first route in the world given 5.14a.
It was bolted by Swiss climber Martin Scheel, who had attempted to free it for three summers, travelling from his home in the U.K. The line was eventually climbed and named, after six days of effort, by Wolfgang Güllich in 1985. Stefan Glowacz made the second ascent, and the first Australian to climb it was Stuart Wiythe. Mayan Smith Gobat made the first female ascent in 2012. There are less than 10 bolts on the 35-metre route and despite its popularity, there are no known onsights.
Other climbs shown in this film include Inertia 5.13+ at the Blue Mountains, Search and destroy 5.14a at the Blue Mountains, and Alpha Leather 5.14a at the Blue Mountains.
Punks in the Gym is set to be banned by the new Parks Victoria Management Plan – more information here.
