Michaela Kiersch - Golden Ticket (5.14c)
|
Hey everyone, |
|
Very impressive. Her determination is amazing. I'm going to have my 3 daughters watch this tomorrow. |
|
Rad. Listening to her training routine makes me feel like I should (and can!) be accomplishing a lot more. |
|
Please anyone out there that does videoing of climbing do not change cameras every 5 secs. I couldn't even watch the final climb because it changed so much. |
|
I met Michaela at a competition a few years ago. She was inspiring to watch because she is a smaller person who at the time did not have the lean physique she has in this video, but that in no way held her back as she won that competition. Cool to see her still setting her own limitations by completing such a demanding (for her) route. This is one of my favorite ascents I have read about :) |
|
Cool movie! |
|
I wish I had more insight into her training routine. Like how mush time exactly she spends training. From the video it seemed like she only spends time on the systems, campus boards. |
|
It's always so refreshing to see such a driven person. She could never climb again and you know she'll be successful at whatever she does. I wish I was programmed for that kind of motivation. |
|
Don Ferris wrote:It's always so refreshing to see such a driven person. She could never climb again and you know she'll be successful at whatever she does. I wish I was programmed for that kind of motivation.In addition, I liked how she demonstrated that a thoughtful climbing routine which takes up an entirely manageable amount of time can yield great results. It probably helps to have good genes like Michaela, but still, I think it is a worthwhile, inspiring, and applicable message nonetheless. |
|
Lovely girl, great video, impressive climb. She has a great attitude to go with her undeniable talent - no limits! |
|
What I don't understand is why she at first was jumping for crux hold "blind" -- not knowing what it looked like. And why take such long falls each time she missed? |
|
^^^^ you have sport climbing down to a science bro!^^^^ |
|
kenr wrote:What I don't understand is why she at first was jumping for crux hold "blind" -- not knowing what it looked like. And why take such long falls each time she missed? Why not instead rig something from the bolt above that hold, then yard up and take a good look and feel for exactly the best parts and grips for latching it? Seems like that would have made her "practice sessions" of dyno attempts much more effective and gotten the move wired much quicker. Also could have rigged from above a shorter "tether" so she wouldn't have needed to yard up so far between practice attempts. Another saving in time + effort. Or would this have somehow violated the "purity" of the redpoint ascent? KenA top rope setup could have been in the way of her hands grabbing for it. Also, on a very overhung route a toprope could just swing her off since she would need ample slack to not be pulled off the wall on a toprope setup. Getting back on with a toprope could be far more difficult then on lead for overhung climbs. "Blind" most likely because of a bulge you couldnt see the hold. I would only assume she did jug or hang the line and check out the holds. I think you may be a bit misconceived from the video and how the actual working of the route that took place. Also, when she dynos for the hold she is not only jumping up but out from the wall so if she wasn't given a very soft catch she would pendulum into the wall. The far fall is preventing her from slamming into the wall. This is called a soft catch and can be a very very important thing to do to not injure the climber (situational dependent, not the case 100% of the time). Which is why its also important to remember when you fall, dont jump away from the wall, just fall. Unless, of course you are avoiding a ledge or bulge or something you may strike on a fall. TLDR Its not about the purity. I found videos do a poor job at conveying how overhung some of the cliffs really are. Working a really overhung cliff is generally not always easier to work it on toprope rather than lead and can in fact be much more difficult to work it on anything other than leading. |
|
Alex Rogers wrote:I'm going to send this video to all my partners who whinge about being short :PI agree that this is grade A motivational material for shorties, but I'd use caution in thinking that this wasn't any more difficult for Michaela than others who have sent this route. For instance, take a look at the equally (if not way more) inspiring video of Adam Ondra onsighting this route a few years back: vimeo.com/groups/113227/vid… At 3:50, Ondra does the big move statically, which was no doubt easier. He also climbs basically everything up to that point statically -- very different from the level of effort put forth by Michaela. So while on paper Michaela has sent the same route as several other dudes, other than Ondra's onsight, her's is probably the most impressive. She worked a lot harder for the same grade as far as I'm concerned. If nothing else, this is just a valuable lesson on what's possible. |
|
evan h wrote: I agree that this is grade A motivational material for shorties, but I'd use caution in thinking that this wasn't any more difficult for Michaela than others who have sent this route.+1 |
|
kenr wrote:What I don't understand is why she at first was jumping for crux hold "blind" -- not knowing what it looked like. And why take such long falls each time she missed? Why not instead rig something from the bolt above that hold, then yard up and take a good look and feel for exactly the best parts and grips for latching it? Seems like that would have made her "practice sessions" of dyno attempts much more effective and gotten the move wired much quicker. Also could have rigged from above a shorter "tether" so she wouldn't have needed to yard up so far between practice attempts. Another saving in time + effort. Or would this have somehow violated the "purity" of the redpoint ascent?You can't exactly walk to the top and drop a toprope on the route. She probably wanted to work it ground up, which seems fair enough. Plenty of folks prefer to work a route from the bottom instead of wiring it on toprope. |
|
evan h wrote: At 3:50, Ondra does the big move statically, which was no doubt easier.That move does look easier for Ondra, but... evan h wrote: He also climbs basically everything up to that point statically -- very different from the level of effort put forth by Michaela.he was onsighting an outdoor route, so climbing fairly statically is pretty much required, there's no telling being more dynamic wouldn't be easier. Of course, Ondra can also climb a whole number grade harder, although he's said pure resistance routes (not saying this is) aren't his forte when compared to smaller/shorter climbers. |
|
Tylerpratt wrote:when she dynos for the hold she is not only jumping up but out from the wall so if she wasn't given a very soft catch she would pendulum into the wall.I'm not getting why the "softness" of the belay catch matters for avoiding hitting the wall. On a sustained overhanging wall, if the Leader wants to have their fall caught farther away from the wall so they have more horizontal space for pendulum, seems to me the Leader ought to just pull out more rope before starting the sequence. . . (Maybe Michaela was doing that?) Why would a Leader want to have their injury-avoidance depend on some fancy timing skill of their Belayer, when safeguarding the pendulum can be kept under the Leader's control? . . (Don't most Sport belayers nowadays use "assisted" devices like GriGri?) Tylerpratt wrote:Working a really overhung cliff is generally not always easier to work it on toprope rather than leadI agree about Top-Roping being more difficult for working many overhanging routes. I was only suggesting rigging "something" to help make working that particular sequence easier and quicker. And maybe you're right, there wasn't any good way to arrange something helpful in this case. Ken |
|
A larger amount of slack in the belay means that her fall will be more "down" than "in"; with a tigher belay the rope would end up acting like a pendulum when she fell after attempting the dyno - tight enough, and it would convert her downward momentum into sideways momentum straight into the wall. |
|
Yes, also, even with a Grigri a soft catch is more than possible. It can be either a jump or a release of tension at the right moment. |
|
kenr wrote: I'm not getting why the "softness" of the belay catch matters for avoiding hitting the wall.It does. climbersguide.co/everything… rockandice.com/lates-news/t… kenr wrote:Why would a Leader want to have their injury-avoidance depend on some fancy timing skill of their Belayer, when safeguarding the pendulum can be kept under the Leader's control? . . (Don't most Sport belayers nowadays use "assisted" devices like GriGri?)I don't think that hopping off the ground is "fancy." Any decent belayer familiar with this technique won't have a problem doing it. Not sure how the Grigri is relevant, the techniques and results are the same regardless of belay device. Also, note that the catch is not the same with a soft catch from the belayer vs. extra rope. kenr wrote:I was only suggesting rigging "something" to help make working that particular sequence easier and quicker. And maybe you're right, there wasn't any good way to arrange something helpful in this case.I suspect that a 14c climber is aware of all of the different ways to work a route (top roping, stick clipping, bolt-to-bolt, etc.), and that she chose to work it the way she preferred. I don't think she's going to read a MP thread and realize "oh man, I should have toproped it, I never thought of that!" |