Glasgow graduate given climbing award after surviving avalanche that killed his friend
Tim Miller survived the avalanche in 2018 after chewing through his tent
A Glasgow University graduate who survived an avalanche back in 2018 has been presented with an award.
Tim Miller has been awarded the Piolet d’Or, or Golden Ice Axe, for his pioneering ascent of Nepal’s notorious Jugal Spire after he chewed his way through his tent.
Described as the Oscars of Mountaineering, the award is given to climbers who pursue uncharted territories with a deep-rooted admiration for the mountains, Glasgow Live reported.
Tim was a former geology student at the University of Glasgow, having graduated five years ago, and his efforts after being caught beneath an avalanche, have now been recognised.
Having chewed through his tent, Tim battled through six feet of snow to save his climbing partner, Bruce Normand, before discovering his other friend, Christian Huber, had sadly not survived.
The survivors then spent two days in their fragmented tent, waiting for weather to ease before being airlifted to safety by a Pakistani military helicopter. Tim was described as a ”hero” by Normand.
Speaking about the experience of the avalanche, Miller commented: ”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.”
Tim Miller on the Migot Spur, Aiguille du Chardonnet, during an exchange between British & French aspirant mountain guides.
‘Great time joining some aspirants from ENSA. It was great to share ideas and techniques as well as create bonds for work and climbing.’
📸by Tim Blakemore pic.twitter.com/ICLd3zDwfu— MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT (@MTNEQUIPMENT) June 20, 2022
Most Read
”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.”
Tim went on to speak about his achievement: ”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.
Tim Miller, a fully qualified Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor, has just been awarded The Scottish Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture. Full story here https://t.co/oeegTPEYsO pic.twitter.com/uJF0ybQ2qZ
— Climber Magazine (@climbermagazine) February 4, 2020
”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.
”There are only a handful of unclaimed peaks out there, and there’s so much hard work scouring books and Google Earth before you get there, but it’s still unknown until you’re on the mountain.”
Featured image via Facebook
Related stories recommended by this writer:
Latest
Blue plaque unveiled celebrating Leeds’ anti-slavery heritage
The plaque commemorates the key actors in Leeds’ anti-slavery movement
Rising Leeds student TikToker reveals insanely cheap ways to eat well on student budget
She has all the hacks to meals on a budget
Do any of these 10 things? Then you might actually be the nightmare Liverpool flatmate
It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me
Here’s what you need to know to avoid being disappointed at the Edi Christmas Market
How are the queues still this long in this economy?
Liverpool students without water for over a week due to ‘suspicious’ contamination in halls
‘We can’t cook, we can’t use the toilet, we can’t have a bath’
Revealed: University of Sheffield departments being targeted for staff cuts
A union spokesperson has speculated that the cuts may result in union action
Scarier than your summatives: Meet the girls boxing in Fight Night Durham
Who is fighting who, what do they have to say about their opponents and who is looking strong? Meet the girls fighting tomorrow at Fight Night
Guys, there’s a scabies outbreak in Liverpool right now – and apparently no student is safe
Does anyone know where to get scabies cream from? Asking for a friend x
After parties made safer and more accessible with Leeds Beckett’s late night cabs
Veezu’s ‘Safe Rides’ scheme has returned to Leeds in collaboration with the university’s Students’ Union
Blue plaque unveiled celebrating Leeds’ anti-slavery heritage
The plaque commemorates the key actors in Leeds’ anti-slavery movement
Rising Leeds student TikToker reveals insanely cheap ways to eat well on student budget
She has all the hacks to meals on a budget
Do any of these 10 things? Then you might actually be the nightmare Liverpool flatmate
It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me
Here’s what you need to know to avoid being disappointed at the Edi Christmas Market
How are the queues still this long in this economy?
Liverpool students without water for over a week due to ‘suspicious’ contamination in halls
‘We can’t cook, we can’t use the toilet, we can’t have a bath’
Revealed: University of Sheffield departments being targeted for staff cuts
A union spokesperson has speculated that the cuts may result in union action
Scarier than your summatives: Meet the girls boxing in Fight Night Durham
Who is fighting who, what do they have to say about their opponents and who is looking strong? Meet the girls fighting tomorrow at Fight Night
Guys, there’s a scabies outbreak in Liverpool right now – and apparently no student is safe
Does anyone know where to get scabies cream from? Asking for a friend x
After parties made safer and more accessible with Leeds Beckett’s late night cabs
Veezu’s ‘Safe Rides’ scheme has returned to Leeds in collaboration with the university’s Students’ Union