Would you—after a full week of work and studying—drive a cumulative 14-hours each weekend for just a day and half of climbing … on a route you were told would be just shy of impossible based on your height and gender?

Well, climber, full-time student, and coach Michaela Kiersch said yes to that question virtually every weekend this past fall, fully committing herself to one truly arduous drive and daunting climbing goal to match.

After no shortage of hard work in her academics and training life, this November, Michaela achieved the historic first female ascent of The Golden Ticket (5.14c)—one of the most iconic and difficult routes found in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge.

In this week’s Friday Flick Pick, enjoy the beautifully captured production by Just Go Climb and Andy Wickstrom that shares Michaela’s story to send this incredibly proud line, and reminds us that achieving your climbing goals comes down to developing enough dedication, courage, and passion to see your dreams through.

If you’re not failing in climbing I don’t think you’re pushing yourself to your full capacity. You just have to accept the failure that comes with trying something that hard.



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