An Alaskan climber has died after he fell from the top of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan.
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On October 1, Balin Miller, 23, tragically died when taking a fall while climbing El Capitan, per Alaska’s News Source. Miller was rising through climbing circles for his impressive skills and exploits.
Jeanine Moorman, the young climber’s mother, spoke to the outlet. She described her overwhelming grief and the tragic event that led the talented climber to fall.
El Capitan is no easy trek. Standing at over 7,500 feet, it’s an incredible challenge to overcome. Miller was tackling the “Sea of Dreams,” one of the climbing routes available. He went solo in a multi-day trip up the peak.
Tom Evans, a photographer, was a witness to the event and posted the horrifying account on Facebook.
“Yesterday, [Balin Miller] finished his climb of the Sea of Dreams, on ElCap, and was hauling his bag up the last pitch when it became stuck,” he recalled. “So, he went down his lead line to clear it. His rope didn’t reach the bags location by many feet, but he seemed unaware of that fact. On the way down he rappelled off the end of the rope.”
He came free of his ropes in the retrieval effort.
Balin Miller Celebrated As A Brilliant Climber
Alongside recounting his final moments, Tom Evans praised Balin Miller. “He was a young man, highly regarded among the best climbers here.”
His mother is also struggling greatly with the loss.
“My whole world just fell apart,” she told the outlet, describing how she felt when she received word of his passing. “It’s tough.”
“There’s no greater pain than losing your child in such a horrific way.”
When sharing the tragedy to her Facebook, she said that she “will never recover.”
“Nothing made [Miller] happier” than being outdoors and climbing. “He lived life on his own terms. He lived it to the fullest,” Moorman continued to the outlet.
“He did not want to die. He wasn’t ready to die. But he did die doing what he loved, for sure.”