While the mainstream world knows Alex Honnold for his gravity-defying free solos, the core climbing community knows that his dedication to pushing sheer physical difficulty on the sharp end of a rope remains unmatched. This week, reports confirmed that Honnold has finally clipped the chains on his long-standing, enigmatic project: a route dubbed "Bachelor Party."
This wasn't a speed record or a solo mission. This was an old-fashioned, multi-season siege on a route that pushed his technical limit.
The Project: A Technical Granite Testpiece
Details on "Bachelor Party" have been kept relatively quiet during the projection phase. Situated away from the crowds, the line is described as a stunning, vertiginous face climb that relies less on thuggish power and more on absolute precision.
Sources familiar with the line suggest it involves sustained, insecure movement leading into a heartbreakingly low-percentage crux boulder problem near the anchor. It’s the kind of route where one foot slip means starting over from the ground—a mental battle as much as a physical one.
While Honnold has not yet offered a confirmed grade, early whispers suggest the route lands firmly in the upper echelons of the 5.14 spectrum, solidifying it as one of his hardest sport climbs in recent years.
Why "Bachelor Party"?
The route’s moniker offers a glimpse into Honnold’s typical dry humor. It is widely speculated that he began projecting the route shortly before major life changes, viewing it as a "final great struggle" or a massive commitment of time before shifting priorities.
The send serves as a powerful reminder: even the best climber in the world has to project. Seeing Honnold battle, fall, return, and eventually succeed on a limit-pushing sport route is perhaps even more relatable and inspiring to the average climber than his free soloing exploits.
Congratulations to Alex on closing the chapter on the "Bachelor Party."
