On Tuesday 9th June we lost a giant in Alaskan mountaineering and Mountain Rescue. Daryl Miller passed away peacefully in his home with family around him at 82 years old.
I owe Daryl my life. In 1999 and after suffering severe frostbite on Denali, Daryl was helicoptered high onto the mountain by Jim Hood, and was prepared to risk his life to save mine. In the end, Hood pulled us from the peak, but Daryl’s part was huge.
We were in touch over the years and one thing resonated between us – the work of the rescue services. I made a documentary with the Discovery Channel many years ago, and I remember Daryl commenting that it was dramatic, but barely showed the bravery of the rescue teams. I was determined to put that right, and in 2024, we met again in Anchorage, where he told me so much more about my rescue than I could have known, for a documentary I was making to commemorate the 25th anniversary of my accident.
Daryl was a military veteran of the Vietnam war, a Rodeo Clown and circumnavigated the entire 350 miles of the Denali range with Mark Stastik. It has never been repeated. His house was hung with beautiful photographs, swords, Ice Axes, and a silver tray full of awards adorned his filing cabinet, yet Daryl rarely spoke about himself. When we met, he spoke openly about the fateful day, and of Jims bravery, but he was there too, and a huge part of the rescue effort.
I wanted to make a documentary about my accident for other reasons too. I wanted to stand on Denali exactly 25 years after I nearly died, but also I wanted to say thank you in person to those involved in my rescue and treatment. Daryl was a huge part of that journey. Sadly he couldn’t make the premier in Talkeetna, so producer Dave Hanna and myself visited Daryl in early 2025, for a private viewing. He’d called climbing friends Charlie, Colby and Dave over and we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon, recounting stories and scars from the world’s mountains.
I’d hoped to see Daryl again, but it wasn’t to be. He now rests on a higher mountain, and in peace I pray.