A Scottish climber has been honoured with one of the most prestigious awards in climbing and mountaineering, five years after his near-death experience in an avalanche in Pakistan. Tim Miller was awarded the Piolets d'Or (golden ice axe), known as the 'Oscars of Mountaineering' for his pioneering ascent of Nepal's Jugal Spire, Independent reported. The award is given to climbers who pursue uncharted territories with a deep-rooted respect for the mountains.
He was camping with a group of climbers at an altitude of 19,300ft (5883m) on the Ultar Sar mountain in Pakistan when the avalanche hit and buried them inside their tent. However, he was able to chew through his tent's fabric before clawing his way through six feet of snow to the surface. He also helped save the life of another climbing partner, Bruce Normand, but another friend, Christian Huber, died in the process.
Both the climbers then spent two days in their broken tent and were ultimately airlifted to safety by a Pakistani military helicopter.
Speaking of the fateful day, he said, ''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.
''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.''
“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.''
He 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.''
Now a fully qualified mountain guide, Tim leads expeditions up mountains with trips to Greenland, Iceland and Nepal planned for next year.
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