Balin Miller was a climber, mountaineer, and someone who wasn't afraid of challenges. In a tragic accident on El Capitan is the US-American at the age of only 23 fatal accident.
On October 1, US professional climber Balin Miller died in a climbing accident on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The 23-year-old from Alaska was attempting a lead rope solo on the challenging aid route "Sea of Dreams" (5.9 A4 VI, 730 m).
According to media reports, Miller had already successfully climbed the route and rappelled down the wall to free a jammed gear bag. Because the rope wasn't long enough and Miller apparently hadn't tied a knot at the end, he fell just below the summit of El Capitan. The accident is currently being investigated by authorities in Yosemite.
A life for sport and the mountains
Balin Miller, born in 2002, grew up in southern Alaska. He began sport climbing at the age of three and later gained extensive experience in mountaineering and ice climbing. His love of the sport would stay with him throughout his life. "Balin was never interested in money or fame; he simply loved climbing," Miller's mother, Jeanine Girard-Moorman, said on social media.
Balin's heart and soul belonged entirely to the sport.
Jeanine Girard-Moorman, mother of Balin Miller
Miller was popular in the alpine and climbing community. The 23-year-old regularly streamed live from the rock on TikTok, where many enthusiastic viewers followed his climbs. Often present: his trademark glitter makeup on his cheeks – "my war paint for difficult climbs." says Miller in an interviewMiller also shared his last days on El Capitan via livestream, which was watched by around 100.000 viewers throughout the week.
Heavy solos in North and South America
Especially in recent months, Balin Miller has enjoyed solo mountaineering. He has repeated many difficult alpine routes solo – in the USA, Canada, and Patagonia. Most recently, Miller succeeded in his native Alaska. the first solo ascent of the 2.700-meter-long “Slovak Direct” am Denali, one of the most challenging alpine routes in the world. He spent a total of 56 hours alone on North America's highest mountain.
This year, Miller also repeated the challenging ice climbing route "Reality Bath" in the Canadian Rockies – the first person to do so in 37 years. In January, he climbed "Californiana" on Cerro Chaltén with a combination of free solo and rope solo climbing. Miller's successes this year brought him international recognition beyond North America.
Great loss for the climbing world
With his climbing achievements, as well as his dedication to the climbing scene, Balin Miller has ensured that he will not be forgotten either as a person or as a climber. The editorial team of Lacrux.com extends its sincere condolences to Miller's family and companions and wishes them strength in dealing with this difficult loss.
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Credits cover photo: Balin Miller