Balin Miller
Updated: 12/10/2025, 3:43:39 PM Wikipedia source
Balin Scott Miller ( BAY-lin; January 12, 2002 – October 1, 2025) was an American climber known for solo ascents in Patagonia, Canada, and Alaska. He was the first person to solo climb the Slovak Direct route on Denali in Alaska, among other achievements. He died in an accident while descending El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, California.
Infobox
Born
Balin Scott Miller(2002-01-12)January 12, 2002Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Died
October 1, 2025(2025-10-01) (aged 23)Yosemite National Park, California, U.S.
Known for
First solo ascent of the Slovak Direct route on Denali
Tables
· Notable ascents
December 2021
December 2021
Month and year
December 2021
Route
Keystone Greensteps
Mountain
Keystone Canyon
Location
Valdez, Alaska
Style
Solo, Ice
Time
56m
Height
650 ft (197 m), 4 pitches
Difficulty
WI5
January 2022
January 2022
Month and year
January 2022
Route
Bridalveil Falls
Location
Telluride, Colorado
Style
Free solo, Trad, Ice
Height
400 ft (121 m), 3 pitches
Difficulty
WI5+
May 2022
May 2022
Month and year
May 2022
Route
Harvard Route
Mountain
Mount Hunter
Location
Alaska Range
Style
Lead Trad
Height
4000 ft (1212 m), 30 pitches, Grace VI
Difficulty
WI3 M6 C1 Steep Snow
Notes
w. Ethan Berkeland
December 2022
December 2022
Month and year
December 2022
Route
Whiteman Falls
Mountain
Canadian Rockies
Location
Alberta, Canada
Style
Free solo, Ice
Height
300 ft (91 m), 2 pitches
Difficulty
WI5-6
November 2023
November 2023
Month and year
November 2023
Route
Kitty Hawk
Mountain
David Thmpson Highway
Location
Icefields Parkway, Canadian Rockies
Style
Solo, Ice
Time
25m
Height
500 ft (152 m), 4 pitches, Grade III
Difficulty
WI5
November 2023
November 2023
Month and year
November 2023
Route
Nemesis
Mountain
Stanley Headwall
Location
Radium Highway, Canadian Rockies
Style
Free solo, Ice
Time
1h
Height
525 ft (159 m), 4 pitches, Grade V
Difficulty
WI6
November 2023
November 2023
Month and year
November 2023
Route
Slipstream
Mountain
Mount Snowdome
Location
Icefields Parkway, Canadian Rockies
Style
Solo, Ice
Time
4h
Height
3000 ft (909)
Difficulty
WI4+
December 2023
December 2023
Month and year
December 2023
Route
Unknown White Powder
Mountain
Weeping Wall aka PFM
Location
Seward Highway, Alaska
Style
Lead Trad
Height
100 ft (30 m)
Difficulty
WI6+ M6
February 2024
February 2024
Month and year
February 2024
Route
Come and Get It
Mountain
Hyalite Canyon
Location
Montana
Style
Free solo
Time
Under 10m
Height
135 ft (41 mi), Grade II
Difficulty
5.11 WI6 M7
Notes
"5th free solo ascent, no helmet, just glitter and a headband"
March 2024
March 2024
Month and year
March 2024
Route
Sandstone Samurai
Mountain
Black Velvet Canyon
Location
Red Rocks, Nevada
Style
Lead Trad
Height
700 ft (212 mi), 5 pitches
Difficulty
5.11a
November 2024
November 2024
Month and year
November 2024
Route
South Seas
Mountain
El Capitan
Location
Yosemite, California
Style
Solo, Trad
Time
6d
Height
2500 ft (758 m), 23 pitches, Grade VI
Difficulty
T5.9 A3+
December 2024
December 2024
Month and year
December 2024
Route
Exocet
Mountain
Aguja Stanhardt, Cerro Torre
Location
Patagonia
Height
500m
Difficulty
WI5+ M5
December 2024
December 2024
Month and year
December 2024
Route
Ragni
Mountain
Cerro Torre
Location
Patagonia
Height
600m
Difficulty
AI5+ M4
Notes
w. Ethan Berkeland and Chris Labosky
December 2024
December 2024
Month and year
December 2024
Route
Californiana
Mountain
Cerro Chaltén/Fitz Roy
Location
Patagonia
Style
Solo, Mixed
Height
400m
Difficulty
5.10c
January 2025
January 2025
Month and year
January 2025
Route
Virtual Reality
Mountain
Mount Murchison
Location
Icefields Parkway, Canadian Rockies
Style
Solo, Trad, Ice
Height
530 ft (161 m), 4 pitches, Grace IV
Difficulty
WI6
January 2025
January 2025
Month and year
January 2025
Route
Reality Bath
Location
Canadian Rockies
Style
Solo
Time
3h
Height
600 m, 8 pitches
Difficulty
WI5+/6-, Grade VII Ice
Notes
Second known ascent, 37 years after the first ascent in 1988. Downgraded from WI7 to WI5+/6-.
May 2025
May 2025
Month and year
May 2025
Route
Moonflower Buttress
Mountain
Mount Hunter
Location
Denali, Alaska
Height
6000 (1818 m), Grade VI
Difficulty
WI6 M7 A2 Steep Snow
May 2025
May 2025
Month and year
May 2025
Route
Bacon and Eggs on Mini-Mini-Moonflower
Mountain
Mount Hunter
Location
Denali, Alaska
Style
Solo, Trad, Ice
Height
1500 ft (455 m), 9 pitches, Grade IV
Difficulty
W14
May 2025
May 2025
Month and year
May 2025
Route
Deprivation
Mountain
Mount Hunter
Location
Denali, Alaska
Style
Mixed, Ice
Height
6400 ft (1939 m)
Difficulty
AI6 M6
Notes
w. Vincent Landry
May 2025
May 2025
Month and year
May 2025
Route
French Connection
Mountain
North Buttress of Begguya, Mount Hunter
Location
Denali, Alaska
Style
Free solo
Time
17h 30m
Height
6,500 ft
Difficulty
AI6, M6
June 2025
June 2025
Month and year
June 2025
Route
Slovak Direct
Mountain
Denali
Location
Denali, Alaska
Style
Free solo
Time
56h
Height
9,000 ft (2,700 m)
Difficulty
M6 WI6 A2
September 2025
September 2025
Month and year
September 2025
Route
Sea of Dreams
Mountain
El Capitan
Location
Yosemite, California
Style
Solo, Trad
Time
4d
Height
2400 ft (727 m), 26 pitches, Grade VI
Difficulty
T5.9 A4
Notes
Final ascent
| Month and year | Route | Mountain | Location | Style | Time | Height | Difficulty | Notes |
| December 2021 | Keystone Greensteps | Keystone Canyon | Valdez, Alaska | Solo, Ice | 56m | 650 ft (197 m), 4 pitches | WI5 | |
| January 2022 | Bridalveil Falls | Telluride, Colorado | Free solo, Trad, Ice | 400 ft (121 m), 3 pitches | WI5+ | |||
| May 2022 | Harvard Route | Mount Hunter | Alaska Range | Lead Trad | 4000 ft (1212 m), 30 pitches, Grace VI | WI3 M6 C1 Steep Snow | w. Ethan Berkeland | |
| December 2022 | Whiteman Falls | Canadian Rockies | Alberta, Canada | Free solo, Ice | 300 ft (91 m), 2 pitches | WI5-6 | ||
| November 2023 | Kitty Hawk | David Thmpson Highway | Icefields Parkway, Canadian Rockies | Solo, Ice | 25m | 500 ft (152 m), 4 pitches, Grade III | WI5 | |
| November 2023 | Nemesis | Stanley Headwall | Radium Highway, Canadian Rockies | Free solo, Ice | 1h | 525 ft (159 m), 4 pitches, Grade V | WI6 | |
| November 2023 | Slipstream | Mount Snowdome | Icefields Parkway, Canadian Rockies | Solo, Ice | 4h | 3000 ft (909) | WI4+ | |
| December 2023 | Unknown White Powder | Weeping Wall aka PFM | Seward Highway, Alaska | Lead Trad | 100 ft (30 m) | WI6+ M6 | ||
| February 2024 | Come and Get It | Hyalite Canyon | Montana | Free solo | Under 10m | 135 ft (41 mi), Grade II | 5.11 WI6 M7 | "5th free solo ascent, no helmet, just glitter and a headband" |
| March 2024 | Sandstone Samurai | Black Velvet Canyon | Red Rocks, Nevada | Lead Trad | 700 ft (212 mi), 5 pitches | 5.11a | ||
| November 2024 | South Seas | El Capitan | Yosemite, California | Solo, Trad | 6d | 2500 ft (758 m), 23 pitches, Grade VI | T5.9 A3+ | |
| December 2024 | Exocet | Aguja Stanhardt, Cerro Torre | Patagonia | 500m | WI5+ M5 | |||
| December 2024 | Ragni | Cerro Torre | Patagonia | 600m | AI5+ M4 | w. Ethan Berkeland and Chris Labosky | ||
| December 2024 | Californiana | Cerro Chaltén/Fitz Roy | Patagonia | Solo, Mixed | 400m | 5.10c | ||
| January 2025 | Virtual Reality | Mount Murchison | Icefields Parkway, Canadian Rockies | Solo, Trad, Ice | 530 ft (161 m), 4 pitches, Grace IV | WI6 | ||
| January 2025 | Reality Bath | Canadian Rockies | Solo | 3h | 600 m, 8 pitches | WI5+/6-, Grade VII Ice | Second known ascent, 37 years after the first ascent in 1988. Downgraded from WI7 to WI5+/6-. | |
| May 2025 | Moonflower Buttress | Mount Hunter | Denali, Alaska | 6000 (1818 m), Grade VI | WI6 M7 A2 Steep Snow | |||
| May 2025 | Bacon and Eggs on Mini-Mini-Moonflower | Mount Hunter | Denali, Alaska | Solo, Trad, Ice | 1500 ft (455 m), 9 pitches, Grade IV | W14 | ||
| May 2025 | Deprivation | Mount Hunter | Denali, Alaska | Mixed, Ice | 6400 ft (1939 m) | AI6 M6 | w. Vincent Landry | |
| May 2025 | French Connection | North Buttress of Begguya, Mount Hunter | Denali, Alaska | Free solo | 17h 30m | 6,500 ft | AI6, M6 | |
| June 2025 | Slovak Direct | Denali | Denali, Alaska | Free solo | 56h | 9,000 ft (2,700 m) | M6 WI6 A2 | |
| September 2025 | Sea of Dreams | El Capitan | Yosemite, California | Solo, Trad | 4d | 2400 ft (727 m), 26 pitches, Grade VI | T5.9 A4 | Final ascent |
References
- millet.comhttps://www.millet.com/uk_en/team-millet/balin-miller/
- Cherished Family Funeral Homehttps://www.cherishedfuneralhome.com/memorials/balin-miller/5645013/
- The Desert Sunhttps://www.desertsun.com/story/news/nation/california/2025/10/03/balin-miller-yosemite-climber-fall-death-el-capitan/86499219007/
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/02/balin-miller-climber-death-el-capitan
- Anchorage Daily Newshttps://www.adn.com/outdoors-adventure/2025/07/06/in-the-next-generation-of-climbers-anchorages-balin-miller-is-ascending-to-the-top-of-the-mountain/
- GoFundMehttps://archive.today/20251011201304/https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-balin-miller
- Guidebook XII—Grant Spotlighthttps://americanalpineclub.org/news/2024/11/25/grant-spotlight
- Mountaineering Fellowship Fund Grant, American Alpine Club. Retrieved October 2, 2025.https://americanalpineclub.org/mffgrant
- Climbinghttps://www.climbing.com/news/solo-ascent-famous-canadian-ice-climb/
- Sports Illustratedhttps://www.si.com/onsi/adventure/latest-news/famous-canadian-ice-climb-soloed-for-the-first-time-since-1988
- Climbinghttps://www.climbing.com/news/balin-miller-makes-several-hard-solos-alaska/
- wspinanie.plhttps://wspinanie.pl/2025/06/balin-miller-slovak-direct-denali/
- Explorerswebhttps://explorersweb.com/denali-slovak-direct-soloed-season-in-full-swing/
- BBC Homehttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz08jp4xv2jo
- Mountain Projecthttps://www.mountainproject.com/
- Grippedhttps://gripped.com/profiles/the-reality-bath-in-the-rockies-repeated-solo/
- New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/us/climber-dies-yosemite-el-capitan.html
- San Francisco Chroniclehttps://www.sfchronicle.com/outdoors/article/witness-climber-balin-miller-fall-21083821.php
- Climbinghttps://www.climbing.com/news/alpinist-balin-miller-dies-in-yosemite/
- Sports World Newshttps://www.sportsworldnews.com/articles/79284/20251003/el-capitan-tragedy-rising-mountaineer-balin-miller-dies-climbing-accident.htm