A SCOTTISH climber has been honoured with one of the most prestigious awards in climbing just five years after surviving an avalanche that claimed his friend’s life.
Tim Miller, 27, was awarded the Piolet d’Or, known as the Golden Ice Axe, for his pioneering ascent of Nepal’s notorious Jugal Spire.
The award – widely recognised as the “Oscars of mountaineering” – is given to climbers who pursue uncharted territories.
By winning climbing’s biggest award, the Glaswegian’s global reputation has reached new heights despite a near-death experience in 2018.
While camping at an altitude of almost 20,000 feet on the unforgiving terrain of Pakistan’s Ultar Sar mountain, he was buried in an avalanche in which friend and fellow climber Christian Huber died.
Miller was able to chew through his tent’s fabric before clawing his way through six feet of snow to the surface.
While he helped save the life of another climbing partner, Bruce Normand, Huber was found already dead.
The survivors spent two days in their broken tent, waiting for weather to ease before being airlifted to safety by a Pakistani military helicopter.
“It was a turning point, a moment where the mountains taught me lessons beyond climbing. I didn’t take it in immediately because I was so focused on finding what I needed to survive – warmth, food, liquid and shelter,” he said.
“When I came down, it all hit me and I saw how much the whole thing had terrified my mum, dad and girlfriend.
“But it made me realise how much I need to climb. It made me appreciate being alive, and climbing makes me feel alive.
“We’re all humans and we all experience fear, but I think some people experience it differently.”
Miller added: “I learned a lot from that experience – we made silly mistakes. Now I prepare meticulously, I’m more experienced, I have my qualifications, and I’m way more knowledgeable, so I take more control.
“It can be scary at times, but I feel far more stressed when I’m off the mountain and my phone starts pinging.
“You’re in flow when you’re in the mountains, and I find it quite hard to deal with getting off it and living a ‘normal’ life."
Miller partnered with climber Paul Ramsden for his award-winning ascent following a perilous route to the top as they ascended along a singular path of ice and snow across the rock face.
The climber suffered frostbite during the climb to the 21,532-foot summit and said: “I’m incredibly proud to receive a Piolet d’Or, but I never got into climbing for awards.
“The award, for me, is being able to explore the unexplored, and the adventure itself. On an expedition you don’t have to think about anything else for six weeks – you read, you chat and you climb.
“It’s purely a psychological sport. You have to switch yourself off to be alert. All your actions have consequences so there’s no choice but to focus entirely.
“It’s like nothing else on earth.”
