UKC

Mayan Smith-Gobat from New Zealand has repeated Wolfgang Güllich's 1985 test-piece Punks In The Gym, 8b+, in the Arapiles, Australia.

At the time of the first ascent this was probably the most difficult route in the world. This was the first female ascent.

Mayan told adidas: When I first tried...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67574

Is that a post-it note attached to that hold she's reaching for?

In reply to UKC News: Thought I should add (slightly off topic - apologies) that Wiz Fineron who moved to New Zealand from Wales around 5 years ago made the youngest ascent of Punks in the Gym about two weeks ago. He's 17 now and I figured some UKCers may know him.

In reply to rmt: Beat me to it!

In reply to rmt: Should add that on his same trip he got the second ascent of Snakes on a Train 8b+

In reply to UKC News:

super effort!

In reply to owensum:

There was another female climber trying the route called Jarmilla Tyril. It was between her and Mayan to get the first female ascent. Jarmilla used pink tape to aim for the holds which need a dynamic movement to reach them. She was really close christmas just gone when i was in Araps, and we all thought she would get it as Mayan was in America.

that is one fine looking route!

In reply to Dan_Carroll:

Indeed...the first ascent was in 1985 by Wolfgang Gullich, so you could say the FFA has taken a while :p

In reply to UKC News: also off topic....but on thread, taken from the facebook page of Vertical Life
"We have word from the 'Piles that Wiz Fineron has capped off his Oz trip with the first ascent of the long-standing Somalia project on the front of the Pharos Buttress (just to the left of India). It's a very unlikely line utilising a shallow mono pocket - thus the alternate name, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun. It has been given 33, which would make it the hardest or equal hardest route at Arapiles, depending on what grade you think Punks Addiction or Gridlack is. Well done Wiz!"

In reply to ccrichie:

I was in Arapilies recently, I got there the day after this accent. The local newspaper had a full-page feature on it on the back page in the sports section.

Mehmet