British Man Won Prestigious Climbing Award After Near Death Experience In Pakistan Mountain

(Photo : Getty Images/ Rodrigo Oropeza)

A Glasgow man has won one of the most prestigious climbing awards, mere years after surviving a near-death experience on an expedition.

Near Death Experience

Tim Miller has been awarded the Piolet d'Or, or Golden Ice Axe-the 'Oscars of climbing'-for his pioneering ascent of Nepal's infamous Jugal Spire.

Despite a near-death encounter in 2018, the 27-year-old from Glasgow got the largest honor in climbing, given to people who pursue uncharted territory with a strong respect for the mountains.

Miller and 54-year-old Paul Ramsden scaled the 21,532-foot (6563-meter) peak in "alpine style," which refers to summiting without oxygen, fixed ropes, or sherpa backup in one push.

The two British mountaineers climbed near Kathmandu in April of last year, ascending across a massive swath of very steep granite laced with snow, ice, gorges, and a rock wall.

Miller stated that they arrived at the base camp at the foot of the valley after numerous flights from the US, a bumpy car ride, and six days of hiking and realized the magnitude of the struggle upon arrival.

"There wasn't a clear line up the face, because the mountain was complex in its features: ridges and buttresses and glaciers and seracs. We checked every option until we saw a suitable ascent line and also a possible way down. Only then did we commit to try that peak," he added.

Except for some challenging spots of ice and snow, they made quick progress to the first half of the mountain.

They reached the summit on the fourth day, but the weather deteriorated, and they elected to camp just below the summit rather than begin their descent the next day.

They began their descent on the fifth day. The presence of plentiful fresh snow from the previous day exacerbated the difficulty, making the descent even more perilous and uncomfortable due to the increased possibility of avalanches on the majority of the slope.

Climbing Experience

Miller's accomplishment comes just a few years after he was trapped in a devastating avalanche that killed his friend and fellow climber Christian Huber.

The crew got buried beneath six feet of snow while sleeping at an elevation of 19,300ft (5883m) on the mountainous terrains of Pakistan's Ultar Sar mountain.

Miller was able to chew through the tent fabric and dig his way to the surface, but his friends did not emerge.

He assisted in the rescue of their other climbing partner, Bruce Normand, but Miller learned Huber had died.

Normand and Miller gathered their belongings and waited two days in their ruined tent for the weather to clear before being taken to safety by a Pakistani military chopper.

"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," Miller said.