One of America’s most talented climbers, Balin Miller, died in Yosemite on the final pitch of an aid route on El Capitan that he was climbing solo with self-belaying. Originally from Alaska, Miller had made headlines with unprecedented solo ascents, such as the Slovak Direct on Denali last spring.
The list of young mountaineering stars who have tragically passed away is growing once again. Balin Miller, 23, died on October 1 in Yosemite. He had just completed a new solo climb of Sea of Dreams, A4, an imposing big wall on El Capitan.
According to Tom Evans, a photographer who is a regular visitor to the valley and witnessed the accident, Balin Miller had just finished “the last pitch” when his bag, which he was trying to haul up, got stuck. This is a classic scenario on El Cap, where sharp angles and overhangs pose traps for ropes and