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The Brief Balin Miller fell to his death in a climbing accident earlier this week at Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan. The Alaska native gained notoriety for achieving solo climbs at various locations nationwide.
A well-known Alaska climber died after falling in a climbing accident at Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan in California.
Balin Miller died Wednesday, his mother Jeanine Girard-Moorman confirmed. The National Park Service said in a statement, provided to the Associated Press, that the agency is investigating the incident.
El Capitan is about 3,000 feet and is deemed one of the most challenging walls in the world.
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The tragic accident happened on the first day of the federal government shutdown, which left national parks mostly open, with limited operations and closed visitors centers, according to the National Park Service.
Miller, 23, arrived at Yosemite National Park two weeks early to climb and enjoy the park's scenery before the rest of his family was set to join him there, the AP noted.
Who was Balin Miller?
The backstory:
Balin Miller was an accomplished climber who gained international attention for achieving the first solo climb of Mount McKinley's Slovak Direct, an adventure that took Miller 56 hours to complete, the Associated Press reported, citing Miller’s Instagram post.
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Miller grew up in Alaska and got into climbing with his brother and their father, who was also a climber. Climber Magazine posted on Instagram that Miller spent weeks doing a solo climb in Patagonia and the Canadian Rockies.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, the National Park Service, and an Instagram post from Climber Magazine. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.
[SRC] https://www.livenowfox.com/news/alaska-climber-dies-fall-yosemite-el-capitan
