Standing on a rock outcrop above the clouds on Denali

adze.ca

Greg Miller

Taking the fall line since 1990-something.

I get reasonably good at something, get restless, and go looking for something new to be bad at. It's usually in the mountains.

The name: an adze is the flat blade on the back of an ice axe, for cutting steps. It's the less glamorous end. That felt about right.

  1. Moved to Canada

    Early 90s. Had no idea what a ski lift was.

  2. Learned to ski at Mont-Tremblant

    My friends had skied their whole lives. I had not. They took me anyway and skipped the part where you learn. Home was a room that would now be sold as a walk-in closet. Used skis, cold winters, simple life, mostly because nothing else fit.

  3. CSIA Level 3

    Somewhere along the way I went from the person falling over to the person teaching other people not to. Then I kept taking the exams, mostly because there were more of them.

  4. The backcountry

    Independence and solitude in the remote Rockies, where nobody is coming to get you. That's the appeal. It's also why I did avalanche training and a backcountry trip leader certification.

    Skinning up a valley toward snowy peaks Skis outside a snowed-in backcountry hut Skiing powder below a rock wall

  5. Mountaineering

    The skiing kept leading uphill, and eventually to the summit of Denali. Four weeks in a tent on a glacier with 100 pounds of gear, entirely at the weather's mercy. It teaches respect. It doesn't ask whether you'd like to learn.

    Spindrift blowing off a ridge high on Denali Tents at a high camp on Denali Hauling a sled across the glacier toward the peaks

  6. Rock and ice instructor

    Got certified to teach rock and ice climbing, which mostly means standing at the bottom of things, holding a rope, and saying "nice."

    Leading a frozen waterfall Climbing a granite slab

  7. FQME formateur

    Then I started training the instructors, indoors and on multipitch rock. So if you were taught to climb in Quebec and it went badly, it may be partly my fault.

    Looking up the ropes on a multipitch rock climb

  8. Ada arrived

    And the mountains got a lot less of my time. Fair trade.

    A group hug in ski helmets at the bottom of the hill

  9. Ski racing coach

    Nancy Greene, now the U10s. I thought I'd be teaching them. Mostly they teach me: be present, snacks matter as much as sharp edges, and a chairlift ride with a friend can be the best part of the day. Their real highlight is après: fries and laps of the lodge. Mine is a cold beer with some very appreciative parents.

    Coaching on the hill at sunset A young racer in a race bib

  10. Trail running

    The current one. Mountains, fast and light, which mainly means less gear to blame. The CCC in 2026 ended in a DNF at 70 km, after I got impatient on a mud slide and took the fall line. The race report is more honest than this page.

    A grassy col with cloud drifting through the valley Runners on a muddy forest trail

    Read the CCC 2026 race report →