Kieran climbs France

Hi, my name is Kieran Hadley. I’m 14 years old, and I live in Boise, ID.  There are lots of activities that I enjoy, particularly in the outdoors, but one in particular is my favorite.  Rock climbing is my true passion; I started when I was 8 and I have been competing in the USA Sport Climbing Series ever since. I have made it to the divisional championships almost every year, and I hope to make Nationals this year. I climb 4 days a week with my team to train for indoor competitions, but I try to get outside as much as I can to get on real rock. I also volunteer with the YMCA climbing team to help younger climbers realize their potential and get into the sport.  My dream is to climb on different rock all over the world, and I have an amazing opportunity to set that dream in motion this summer.

A company from Bozeman, MT called Touch the Sky is taking a small number of youth climbers to Southern France to climb for two weeks on some of the best rock in the world. They take only advanced climbers (climbers who can on-sight 5.11s) under the age of 18 to climb beautiful, hard routes. The team camps in the same area.  This is the trip of a lifetime, and truly would be a dream come true for me.  I really want to take advantage of this opportunity, and I have been working hard to make sure that I can. I am taking various jobs, selling any gear that I don’t need, and keeping a 4.0 at school so that my parents will allow me to go. I also speak good French, and the organization will give me a discount for the overall cost because I can help with communicating.  Still, as much as I can work, I will fall short of the $3000 cost. I am trying to raise $1700 to cover the cost of airfare from Idaho to France. If I can meet this goal, I will be able to go on this awesome trip.  If you are interested in helping me achieve my goal, please consider donating.  Even the smallest contributions will add up.  I definitely understand if you don’t wish to contribute, and in that case, even sharing this page will be very helpful. Thank you!