Balin Miller, 23, a well-known climber, died on Wednesday after falling from El Capitan.
His mother, confirmed the news on social media, writing that her son had died during a climbing accident.
While official details have not been released,Tom Evans, who was documenting Miller’s climb through photography, said Miller was attempting to free a bag that had gotten stuck when he descended past the end of the rope and fell.
A formal report from the National Park Service has yet to be issued.
On average, one or two climbers die each year in Yosemite, often on El Capitan, with rappelling accidents among the most frequent causes.
The American Alpine Club reported eight rappelling-related deaths in 2023. In 2019, Brad Gobright, a professional climber from Orange County, California, also died after descending past his rope.
Though still in his twenties, Miller was regarded as one of the nation’s most promising climbers. Nicknamed the “Orange Tent Guy,” he became known for his unique campsite and for live-streaming his climbs.
Over his career, he had summited some of the world’s most challenging peaks, including Mount Hunter in Alaska, the West Buttress of Denali, and Cerro Torre in Patagonia.
Earlier this year, Miller spent nearly two months in the Alaska Range, first soloing the French Connection on Mount Hunter before making history on Denali.
In June, the 23-year-old became the first person to complete the Slovak Direct – a 2,700-meter route with fewer than 20 recorded ascents – alone.
He completed the climb in 56 hours, faster than the time set by Scott Backes, Steve House, and Mark Twight in 2000. For the achievement, Climbing Magazine gave him the title “The New King of the Alaska Range” for the achievement.
By the age of 12, he had taken up ice climbing and later went on to tackle routes in Canada, Patagonia, and Alaska’s ranges.
Friends remembered him as “warm-hearted and intensely ambitious,” always eager to share advice with fellow climbers.
To support his climbs, Miller worked as a seasonal fisherman in Nome and was also a mine worker in Alaska.
Following news of his death, tributes from fans and fellow climbers poured in across social media. Some viewers even recalled hearing gasps of shock while watching Miller’s livestream at the moment of the fatal accident.
