Climbing influencer dies after falling from El Capitan during live stream

Emotional tributes have been paid to climber Balin Miller. (Image: AP)

A climbing influencer has tragically died whilst live-streaming as he scaled an iconic rock face, with his devastated mother opening up on the "horrible nightmare". Balin Miller, 23, fell to his death on Wednesday as he was scaling El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

El Capitan is one of the most striking features of Yosemite National Park, an enormous sheer granite rock face of approximately 3,000 feet (915 metres) that entices big-wall rock climbers from all over the world. The climber's mother Jeanine Girard-Moorman said: "He's been climbing since he was a young boy. His heart and soul was truly to just climb. He loved to climb and it was never about money and fame."

On Facebook she added: "It is with a heavy heart I have to tell you my incredible son Balin Miller died during a climbing accident today. My heart is shattered in a million pieces. I don't know how I will get through this. I love him so much. I want to wake up from this horrible nightmare."

A screenshot of Miller on El Capitan during his final climb, which he was livestreaming. (Image: Facebook)

Numerous people posted tributes to Balin on social media, saying they had watched him climb on a TikTok livestream for two days before his death and referring to him as "orange tent guy" because of his distinctive camp setup. Whilst it remains unclear precisely what occurred, his elder brother, Dylan Miller, revealed that Balin was lead rope soloing - a technique for climbing alone whilst still secured by a rope - on a 2,400-foot (730-metre) route called Sea of Dreams.

He had already completed the climb and was hauling up his final piece of equipment when he likely rappelled off the end of his rope, Dylan explained.

Balin was a skilled alpinist who had already garnered international recognition for claiming the first solo ascent of Mount McKinley's Slovak Direct, a technically challenging route that required him 56 hours to complete, he shared on his Instagram in June.

He was raised climbing in Alaska alongside his brother and their father, who was also a climber.

Whilst Dylan took somewhat longer to develop a passion for the sport, it captivated his younger sibling immediately.

"He said he felt most alive when he was climbing," Dylan remarked.

"I'm his bigger brother but he was my mentor."

Balin's latest journey to Yosemite wasn't intended to involve demanding climbing.

He had simply arrived two weeks early to climb and appreciate the park's magnificence and tranquillity before the remainder of his family, who planned to join him there.

Beyond being just a climber, he adored animals and was entertaining, compassionate and brimming with vitality, his mother stated.

He frequently climbed sporting a streak of glittery freckles across his cheekbones, describing it in a climbing magazine interview as "a warrior putting makeup on before going into battle.

"He has inspired so many people to do things that are perhaps unthinkable, including myself. I can't imagine climbing ever again without him," his brother stated.