ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Oct. 4, 2025) , A 23-year-old Alaskan mountaineer, Balin Miller, fell to his death earlier this week while climbing Yosemite National Park’s iconic El Capitan, according to multiple reports.
Miller, originally from Anchorage, was live-streaming part of his climb when the fatal fall occurred on October 1. He was scaling a route known as Sea of Dreams, one of the 3,000-foot granite wall’s most challenging paths. Witnesses, including Yosemite photographer Tom Evans, said Miller had already completed the climb when his gear became stuck near the top.
“He went down his lead line to clear it, but the rope didn’t reach the bag’s location,” Evans wrote in a social media post. “On the way down, he rappelled off the end of the rope.”
Some viewers on social media claimed to have seen the incident unfold during a TikTok livestream.
Miller was considered one of Alaska’s most promising young climbers. Earlier this year, he made headlines after completing a solo ascent of Denali’s South Face, a grueling 9,000-foot route known as the Slovak Direct, one of the hardest climbs in the Western Hemisphere. Only about 20 climbers have ever completed it.
Tributes have poured in from the climbing community. Evans described him as “a fine young man, highly regarded among the best climbers here.”
Miller’s mother, Jeanine Girard-Moorman, confirmed his death, writing that her heart was “shattered in a million pieces.” She said her son “died doing what he loved.”
Yosemite National Park Rangers responded to the scene shortly after the fall, despite the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Miller’s death has reignited discussions among climbers about safety measures such as tying stopper knots at the ends of ropes, precautions that can prevent similar accidents but are sometimes skipped in the interest of speed.
News Source: KTLA News
