Michaela Kiersch Sends 5.14b and 5.14c in Margalef
The La Rambla 5.15a ascensionist adds a few more hard climbs to her ever-growing ticklist
American climber Michaela Kiersch recently ticked two hard routes at the famous La Finestra crag in Margalef, Spain: Combifetis 5.14b and Victimas del Passat R2 5.14c. Combifetis 5.14b is a crag classic, picking up ascents over the years from Jorge Diaz-Rullo, Ramon Julian, Dani Andrada, Adam Ondra, and Angie Scarth-Johnson, among many others.
Prior to sending Victimas del Passat R2 5.14c, Kiersch sent the R1, which clocks in at 5.14b/c. The R2 ups the grade to upper-end 5.14c. The line is rarely repeated, but it’s seen ascents from Tom Bolger and Diaz-Rullo. The standard beta for Victimas del Passat R2 includes a series of nasty undercling mono pockets. Kiersch was able to switch these moves for some hard crimping that suited her style better. She still has some time left in her Margalef trip so we’ll have to wait and see what else she completes.
Kiersch is the first woman ever to climb both 5.15a (9a+) and V14 (8B+). In January last year, she repeated La Rambla 5.15a in Siurana. She’s climbed three 5.14d’s, including Dreamcatcher in Squamish and Victimes del Futur and Era Vella in Margalef. She’s climbed many V13’s and several V14’s, including Hailstorm in Utah and New Base Line and Tigris Sit in Magic Wood.
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