Balin Miller

Balin Miller
Born	(2002-01-12)January 12, 2002 Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Died	October 1, 2025(2025-10-01) (aged 23) Yosemite National Park, U.S.
Known for	First solo ascent of the Slovak Direct route on Denali

Balin Miller (/ˈbeɪlɪn/ 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 (Mt McKinley) in Alaska, among other achievements. He died in an accident while ascending El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, California.

Early life

Balin Miller was born on January 12, 2002, in Anchorage, Alaska, to David Miller and Jeanine Girard-Moorman. He grew up in Anchorage, and at the age of three, began rock climbing with his father and brother, Dylan, along the Seward Highway south of Anchorage. By the age of 12, he was seriously involved in climbing. Later, he began ice climbing, both along the Seward Highway and near the small coastal city of Valdez, Alaska.

Career

Miller's primary activity was climbing, but he also worked seasonally as a crab fisherman in Nome, Alaska, and at a mine in Southeast Alaska. His parents helped support him. In 2023, he was awarded a Mountaineering Fellowship Fund Grant from the American Alpine Club that helped defray costs for climbing Mount Andromeda in Alberta, Canada.

Miller was a self-proclaimed Mark Twight fan and believed that "anything Mark Twight does is awesome". He was well known for applying face glitter before climbing, as well as for his trademark orange tent, leading to the nickname "Orange Tent Guy".

Climbing achievements

Miller achieved recognition for his solo ascents in Patagonia, Canada, and Alaska. He completed the second ascent of the challenging Grade VII Reality Bath ice climb in the Canadian Rockies, alone, in January 2025. In May and June 2025 he made the first solo choker ascent of the North Buttress of Mount Hunter via the "French Connection". He was the first person to solo the Slovak Direct route on Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley), which took him 56 hours to complete.

Veteran Anchorage climber Clint Helander said Miller was "the new king of the Alaska Range". Mark Westman, another experienced Alaskan alpinist, compared him to famed rock climber Alex Honnold.

Death

Starting September 28, 2025, TikToker mountainscalling.me was livestreaming all of the climbers on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park including “orange tent guy” (who was later identified as Miller) climbing Sea of Dreams, a difficult 730-metre (2,400 ft) aid climbing route. On October 1, 2025, Miller successfully completed the final pitch when his haul bag got stuck on the rock-face below and when he descended back down his lead line to free his bag, Miller rappelled off the end of his rope. He fell 2,400 ft (730 m) from just below the top of the mountain, and died at age 23.

It was not clear what led to his fall, but his brother Dylan said that he was "lead-rope-soloing", which enables a climber to climb alone while still having the protection of a rope. He had already finished his climb, and was trying to haul up equipment when "he likely rappelled off the end of his rope". Such accidents are often caused by failure to tie a stopper knot at the end of the rope.

The incident occurred on the first day of the federal government shutdown, leading to minimal staffing of national parks. However, the park rangers and emergency services responded immediately.