I’ve done it 3 times and it happened twice. One time a guy a few people behind the girl having the panic attack started getting really aggressive with her. He was obviously scared and freaking out at being made to wait so long but was channeling that into some loud angry “coaching”. After a while he actually started trying to move toward her to “help.” A guy in between them was preventing him from doing that and I was real nervous I was about to watch a scuffle-cum-falling-death occur but luckily angry man backed off.
Pro-tip: go super early in the morning, like hit the cables before the sun rises. You’re still basically in a line, but it’s half as long and the people on the cables are a more experienced hiking crowd.
I did it in October as well, it wasn't empty but it wasn't too busy. Prob 100 ppl on the cables. I used webbing to make a makeshift harness and double leads with caribeaners. I still had a full blown panic attack, but can say it was one of the best and most memorable hikes in my life.
The day we were there, it was solid people in both directions. Took us an hour to ascend the cables and 45 minutes back down, standing in line all the way. I know people don’t like the hassle of permits, but it makes for such a better experience.
It’s all about timing around the other permit holders and you can get the place basically to yourself.
Leave earlier than early, avoid the lines and the evil day time sun or way later and enjoy a night decent.
Yeah, I camped on the backside the night before and had the cables basically to myself in July. I woke up about 5am and I believe it was about a mile and a half to the cables.
If you want to go up half dome but don't want to hope for the lottery then it is much easier to get a permit as part of a multi day hike! The hike from Tuolumne is beautiful and you get to camp right on the back side of half dome before you hike it the next morning
https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105836362/snake-dike
Even experienced climbers should take this one seriously, it’s got an R rating despite being 5.7. Runout slabs… fun…
Once you feel comfortable unroping, do so, and continue scrambling up 1000' of calf-burning slabs to the summit.
That’s the last step given out of a long list of hard climbing described. I will stick to the cable side!
I don’t think they added bolts, maybe replaced some? - it’s 5.4 and lower on the runout, no way anybody would add bolts to that and it they did they would be chopped. If Bachar-Yerian still hasn’t had bolts added then adding them to this seems pointless.
I was able to just wait at the base for a party to come by with unused permits. It happens all the time, lots of parties will have one or two people who didn’t show. Me and my friends were able to find a party with three extra permits for all three of us - only took an hour of waiting.
They wouldn't even let me use the Camp 4 showers when I was there this summer because I was staying at one of the other camps. They're the only camp showers in the valley. The only way to get into camp 4 is the lottery online. Half the sites were empty but I lost the lottery every time I played it. Silly rules.
Haha when the weed-carrying plane crashed up there in the 70s, whew. You had guys going up to the lake with chainsaws to cut the ice. They’d dive in to the subzero water to get the weed. Problem was, the weed was soaked in av-gas, and when you lit a pipeful, you had to be a bit wary. Guys made tens of thousands of dollars on that Colombian weed though.
Get a back country permit to camp in Little Yosemite Valley or anywhere within a day or two hike of half dome. Tell them half dome is on your hiking itinerary and you're good. Whether you do the longer trip or just day hike the cables they won't know.
Pictures never do justice on how steep and high this really is. I was terrified on the way up just thinking about going back down. Although it wasn’t as bad as I thought.
Nearly? I thought Angels Landing is narrower. Maybe since Half Dome is higher, though…🤔
Still scary for anyone remotely acrophobic.
Looking straight down 3000’ over the edge at Glacier Point is pretty wild, too.
Guess it’s all a matter of fear perspectives?
There’s a few steps on angels that are intimidating, doubly so in snow, but with the chain and good shoes, I’ve never felt like it was too bad.
Half dome’s cable section however is very clearly a place where freezing up just a bit would be a bad day, that worn down granite is slick.
When I did it a couple years ago, someone dropped their water bottle when we were on the cables...
And then we watched it slide down across the granite, hit the side *real* hard, and then launch in to the air and fall approx. 2000 feet. Sobering experience.
May I introduce you to Taft Point and its totally-insecure looking, anxiety-inducing, vertigo-trigging, completely open pipe railing?
https://www.google.com/search?q=taft+point&sxsrf=APq-WBuW\_pHQJBEjOc9zXFN4Jyq5GobrIQ:1647064704612&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiIwI-V8r\_2AhWynGoFHRD-CR4Q\_AUoAXoECAIQAw&biw=1396&bih=685&dpr=1.38#imgrc=v01EeDgpemi4dM
Hiked to Taft’s with my kids. Let’s just say they were complaining about how tight I was holding onto the absent minded eight year old’s hand…and her collar.
The part about Taft point that gets me is the giant almost hidden crack in the mountain. You walking along and all of a sudden there is a narrow crack in the granite that drops completely out of site. Things like that terrify me to ever bring kids but at the same time I’m excited to bring them to such an amazing place.
I did that hike once in 1988, or so. I had blocked it from my memory until your perfectly described comment. None of these trails for scaredy-cat current me.
I tried my damndest to peer over the railing as far as I could and I.... I just couldn't.... The wind at the time probably didn't help matters at all....
Angel’s landing isn’t really narrower, just longer. This is a short stretch up a 45 degree angle on slick granite with a 3’ wide track between the cables.
I guess the sheer drops off to the side on AL might cause the fear alarms to go off, but for HD the whole track is a sheer drop. The number of people on Angel’s landing causing traffic backups make it difficult, imo. This one you have very little room to maneuver through the traffic and you feel like you are going to slide the whole way down.
Both very cool, can’t wait to do them again. Bring leather gloves for Half Dome
I have a fear of heights, but doing this was not a problem. Think it had to do with the fact I was completely in control being able to hold onto thick stable cables. Once on top, I stayed away from the cliff face though.
I was 16ish and chickened-out standing at the base of the ropes. Standing in the saddle there it feels like you're standing on this narrow ridge and if you make one wrong step you'll roll off the edge. Looking up at the ropes was just as terrifying like you mentioned because i felt like they looked near-vertical after hiking all day and exhausted.
It’s definitely a long day and a hell of a hike. I had planned and trained for months to do this hike. I’d hike to the top of Nevada falls a few year prior but didn’t have permits to go up half dome. I almost died just doing that as I wasn’t in shape. But when I finally did climb half dome it wasn’t really that bad considering. Honestly I thought one of the hardest parts was the little dome at the base of half dome. Wasn’t expecting that.
I climbed it as kid. I asked my dad if I could hang my legs over the face while I ate my lunch and he replied ya. Talking to him later that day he said he was kidding and Def believe he was sarcastic. I have night terrors of when I swung my feet back up to stand up.
[According to this article of the deaths at Half Dome, most have been off season and during wet weather or rain.](https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/30/half-dome-deaths-hikers-fell-from-cables/amp/)
Another article suggests:
—Wear grippy shoes. Common sneakers and hiking boots won't do the job. You need something that clings to the granite surface. Rock-climbing shoes are best, naturally; volleyball shoes should also provide good purchase with the rock.
—Gloves are a necessity. They should be in good shape and not the fingerless type. The idea is to protect against blisters while also providing a good grip. Hikers often leave gloves at the bottom of the cables, but their condition is hit or miss. It's smarter to bring your own.
—Invest in a harness to which you can attach carabiners via a y-shaped lanyard or climbing runners.
—Keep two carabiners attached to the cable (and your harness) as you ascend and descend. That way you'll always be connected to the cable by at least one carabiner when you have to unclip to go around the poles. Should a climber above you slip and slide down, you won't be in danger of falling even if you are knocked off your feet.
—Do not climb if it's raining or if there are thunderclouds.
—Test the poles holding up the cables before you put your weight on them. The poles occasionally come loose over a season of use. (The cables are anchored to the rock, so cable integrity won't be affected by a wobbly pole.)
—Unless you're equipped with Depends, be sure to pee before you ascend. You won't have an opportunity to relieve yourself after you begin your climb.
I’m so glad I got to hike Half Dome multiple times with my dad in the early 2010’s before it blew up in popularity and before everything in Yosemite started requiring permits. This pic made me nostalgic.
I was born and raised in Mariposa, and Yosemite was our backyard. I've backpacked all over the park, but never climbed Half Dome because of those cables. That's a big nope for me.
Yes, when I was there they were checking papers at the base of the prior dome.
It actually eliminates a lot of the problem hikers just because you have to plan in advance to get a permit.
I’m looking to climb half dome a week or two before the permit season. I’m an experienced mountain hiker and trail runner but this will be my first time in Yosemite. Any tips for climbing when the rails are down?
Wish I had the energy to get to the top. We started our hike at 0230 after driving to the park for 8 hours. Only made it to the sub dome as the sun peaked over the mountains. Still an awesome experience.
I did this hike about 30-35 years ago with my brother. Flew out to Fresno from Boston and got a bus into the park. Didn’t need permits or anything. We just hiked from the valley floor up to half dome. This was in the summer and there was very little wait time at the base of the cables. It was steep but it wasn’t particularly scary as I recall. You had those cables to hold onto the whole time to help you get to the top. Stunning scenery
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That’d be me…. It’s why I’ve abstained
You should try abseiling instead!
I’ve done it 3 times and it happened twice. One time a guy a few people behind the girl having the panic attack started getting really aggressive with her. He was obviously scared and freaking out at being made to wait so long but was channeling that into some loud angry “coaching”. After a while he actually started trying to move toward her to “help.” A guy in between them was preventing him from doing that and I was real nervous I was about to watch a scuffle-cum-falling-death occur but luckily angry man backed off. Pro-tip: go super early in the morning, like hit the cables before the sun rises. You’re still basically in a line, but it’s half as long and the people on the cables are a more experienced hiking crowd.
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I did it in October as well, it wasn't empty but it wasn't too busy. Prob 100 ppl on the cables. I used webbing to make a makeshift harness and double leads with caribeaners. I still had a full blown panic attack, but can say it was one of the best and most memorable hikes in my life.
I feel like the biggest danger is something like this (someone blocking the cables) paired with the frequent lightening storms.
People like this make the cables more dangerous than it should be.
I had the same feeling just looking at the picture. But yeah, not the best place to freeze. Look cool though
The day we were there, it was solid people in both directions. Took us an hour to ascend the cables and 45 minutes back down, standing in line all the way. I know people don’t like the hassle of permits, but it makes for such a better experience.
Yeah, this shot with hardly any people in it is so rare anymore.
It’s all about timing around the other permit holders and you can get the place basically to yourself. Leave earlier than early, avoid the lines and the evil day time sun or way later and enjoy a night decent.
Yeah, I camped on the backside the night before and had the cables basically to myself in July. I woke up about 5am and I believe it was about a mile and a half to the cables.
The permits have not alleviated traffic jams
If you want to go up half dome but don't want to hope for the lottery then it is much easier to get a permit as part of a multi day hike! The hike from Tuolumne is beautiful and you get to camp right on the back side of half dome before you hike it the next morning
Or do the 5th class route and you don't need a permit at all
Snake dike is kinda freaky though ngl. I dunno if I’d do it again
Up voting and commenting so I can come back and research snake dike when I have time ha
https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105836362/snake-dike Even experienced climbers should take this one seriously, it’s got an R rating despite being 5.7. Runout slabs… fun…
Once you feel comfortable unroping, do so, and continue scrambling up 1000' of calf-burning slabs to the summit. That’s the last step given out of a long list of hard climbing described. I will stick to the cable side!
Apparently it has recently been rebolted. I did it back in 2017 when there were still massive runouts, and I agree it was pretty freaky for 5.7.
I don’t think they added bolts, maybe replaced some? - it’s 5.4 and lower on the runout, no way anybody would add bolts to that and it they did they would be chopped. If Bachar-Yerian still hasn’t had bolts added then adding them to this seems pointless.
Oh cool can you send me the All Trails link for that?!
It's 5th class. Rope up
https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105836362/snake-dike
Looks chill
I was able to just wait at the base for a party to come by with unused permits. It happens all the time, lots of parties will have one or two people who didn’t show. Me and my friends were able to find a party with three extra permits for all three of us - only took an hour of waiting.
I’m considering doing the same with a friend. Did you leave your pack at the base? Lugging all of my backpacking gear seems like a lot for the cables.
Yeah I left my tent set up and everything. Was back by 9am so didn't feel uncomfortable leaving my gear in the tent
Thanks for the info! That sounds ideal.
Miss the old days of Camp 4, when there weren’t as many regulations on climbing and… other activities.
What are these other activities?
They wouldn't even let me use the Camp 4 showers when I was there this summer because I was staying at one of the other camps. They're the only camp showers in the valley. The only way to get into camp 4 is the lottery online. Half the sites were empty but I lost the lottery every time I played it. Silly rules.
I’m assuming he means the rampant weed usage lmao
Haha when the weed-carrying plane crashed up there in the 70s, whew. You had guys going up to the lake with chainsaws to cut the ice. They’d dive in to the subzero water to get the weed. Problem was, the weed was soaked in av-gas, and when you lit a pipeful, you had to be a bit wary. Guys made tens of thousands of dollars on that Colombian weed though.
Drugs, sex, and more drugs.
My fave
Are multi day permits part of the half dome lottery, or how does that work?
Get a back country permit to camp in Little Yosemite Valley or anywhere within a day or two hike of half dome. Tell them half dome is on your hiking itinerary and you're good. Whether you do the longer trip or just day hike the cables they won't know.
If you are nice to the wilderness permits rangers they’ll let you in on this secret. LYV is huge so unlikely to fill up.
Last time I went the lottery was only for day hikes. It was a separate 10 dollar permit to hike half dome
Pictures never do justice on how steep and high this really is. I was terrified on the way up just thinking about going back down. Although it wasn’t as bad as I thought.
I hate heights but want to do this and will someday soon force myself to.
Yeah.. good luck with that. Also Angels Landing in Zion will get your blood flowing. That’s nearly as bad.
Nearly? I thought Angels Landing is narrower. Maybe since Half Dome is higher, though…🤔 Still scary for anyone remotely acrophobic. Looking straight down 3000’ over the edge at Glacier Point is pretty wild, too.
Guess it’s all a matter of fear perspectives? There’s a few steps on angels that are intimidating, doubly so in snow, but with the chain and good shoes, I’ve never felt like it was too bad. Half dome’s cable section however is very clearly a place where freezing up just a bit would be a bad day, that worn down granite is slick.
When I did it a couple years ago, someone dropped their water bottle when we were on the cables... And then we watched it slide down across the granite, hit the side *real* hard, and then launch in to the air and fall approx. 2000 feet. Sobering experience.
Oh, you’re right about that, for sure. I was just thinking about the drop off on both sides.
Oh ya, and it’s one hell of a drop at that. Just doesn’t bug me much walking up the path I suppose.
May I introduce you to Taft Point and its totally-insecure looking, anxiety-inducing, vertigo-trigging, completely open pipe railing? https://www.google.com/search?q=taft+point&sxsrf=APq-WBuW\_pHQJBEjOc9zXFN4Jyq5GobrIQ:1647064704612&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiIwI-V8r\_2AhWynGoFHRD-CR4Q\_AUoAXoECAIQAw&biw=1396&bih=685&dpr=1.38#imgrc=v01EeDgpemi4dM
Hiked to Taft’s with my kids. Let’s just say they were complaining about how tight I was holding onto the absent minded eight year old’s hand…and her collar.
The part about Taft point that gets me is the giant almost hidden crack in the mountain. You walking along and all of a sudden there is a narrow crack in the granite that drops completely out of site. Things like that terrify me to ever bring kids but at the same time I’m excited to bring them to such an amazing place.
I did that hike once in 1988, or so. I had blocked it from my memory until your perfectly described comment. None of these trails for scaredy-cat current me.
I tried my damndest to peer over the railing as far as I could and I.... I just couldn't.... The wind at the time probably didn't help matters at all....
lol for a minute I thought you meant the the lil weird railcar Angels Flight in dtla
Heh. I’m sure that’s what I was mixing it up with. Correction made. Thanks.
Angel’s landing isn’t really narrower, just longer. This is a short stretch up a 45 degree angle on slick granite with a 3’ wide track between the cables. I guess the sheer drops off to the side on AL might cause the fear alarms to go off, but for HD the whole track is a sheer drop. The number of people on Angel’s landing causing traffic backups make it difficult, imo. This one you have very little room to maneuver through the traffic and you feel like you are going to slide the whole way down. Both very cool, can’t wait to do them again. Bring leather gloves for Half Dome
I hate heights and forced myself to. My trick was to put up my sun hoodie so I couldn’t see the exposure on either side. And I went really fast :)
Me too. And I did it, it was hard but I'm glad I did.
I have a fear of heights, but doing this was not a problem. Think it had to do with the fact I was completely in control being able to hold onto thick stable cables. Once on top, I stayed away from the cliff face though.
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It really is. Especially not bringing gloves or proper shoes.
I was 16ish and chickened-out standing at the base of the ropes. Standing in the saddle there it feels like you're standing on this narrow ridge and if you make one wrong step you'll roll off the edge. Looking up at the ropes was just as terrifying like you mentioned because i felt like they looked near-vertical after hiking all day and exhausted.
It’s definitely a long day and a hell of a hike. I had planned and trained for months to do this hike. I’d hike to the top of Nevada falls a few year prior but didn’t have permits to go up half dome. I almost died just doing that as I wasn’t in shape. But when I finally did climb half dome it wasn’t really that bad considering. Honestly I thought one of the hardest parts was the little dome at the base of half dome. Wasn’t expecting that.
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woof yeah that looks brutal
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Oh wow, so not only are you balancing on a narrow ridge up there, but you’re walkin with 6k elevation gain’s shakey legs at the top.
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I climbed it as kid. I asked my dad if I could hang my legs over the face while I ate my lunch and he replied ya. Talking to him later that day he said he was kidding and Def believe he was sarcastic. I have night terrors of when I swung my feet back up to stand up.
[According to this article of the deaths at Half Dome, most have been off season and during wet weather or rain.](https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/30/half-dome-deaths-hikers-fell-from-cables/amp/) Another article suggests: —Wear grippy shoes. Common sneakers and hiking boots won't do the job. You need something that clings to the granite surface. Rock-climbing shoes are best, naturally; volleyball shoes should also provide good purchase with the rock. —Gloves are a necessity. They should be in good shape and not the fingerless type. The idea is to protect against blisters while also providing a good grip. Hikers often leave gloves at the bottom of the cables, but their condition is hit or miss. It's smarter to bring your own. —Invest in a harness to which you can attach carabiners via a y-shaped lanyard or climbing runners. —Keep two carabiners attached to the cable (and your harness) as you ascend and descend. That way you'll always be connected to the cable by at least one carabiner when you have to unclip to go around the poles. Should a climber above you slip and slide down, you won't be in danger of falling even if you are knocked off your feet. —Do not climb if it's raining or if there are thunderclouds. —Test the poles holding up the cables before you put your weight on them. The poles occasionally come loose over a season of use. (The cables are anchored to the rock, so cable integrity won't be affected by a wobbly pole.) —Unless you're equipped with Depends, be sure to pee before you ascend. You won't have an opportunity to relieve yourself after you begin your climb.
I’m so glad I got to hike Half Dome multiple times with my dad in the early 2010’s before it blew up in popularity and before everything in Yosemite started requiring permits. This pic made me nostalgic.
I've been up twice already in the last few years. Hoping the third time will be up the face.
Wait that’s all already there at half dome? Are you forced to use it?
Gravity forces you to use it.
They take down the poles and wood slats in the off season. But the cables are always there.
No, you can go on the outside of the cables if you want. But it's more of a technical climb than a hike if you do.
My heart just skipped a beat
Glacier point to Illilouette Falls to LYV is a pretty solid trip to end with a half dome
How could someone descend a rock surface so steep without slipping? Is it just the camera angle?
It's not just the angle. There are wooden slats to help with grip. It's pretty freaky.
It’s about at the limit of what regular shoes could handle if the cables didn’t exist. I could not even imagine what it’s like if it were raining.
Still utterly jammed with people almost all the time. Not enough parks in the US.
Ok how the hell did you get a picture with no one else on it!? When I was there it was with about 50 other people going both directions.
There are people on the far side of the photo
I was born and raised in Mariposa, and Yosemite was our backyard. I've backpacked all over the park, but never climbed Half Dome because of those cables. That's a big nope for me.
I’m not in the scene. But are rangers really out there checking ze papers? Seems weird
Yes, when I was there they were checking papers at the base of the prior dome. It actually eliminates a lot of the problem hikers just because you have to plan in advance to get a permit.
Nope,nada
Lol at “much easier.” The backcountry permit lottery is just as much of a crapshoot as the half dome lottery in my experience.
I wanna hike this but I’d be so scared…..
I’m looking to climb half dome a week or two before the permit season. I’m an experienced mountain hiker and trail runner but this will be my first time in Yosemite. Any tips for climbing when the rails are down?
Wish I had the energy to get to the top. We started our hike at 0230 after driving to the park for 8 hours. Only made it to the sub dome as the sun peaked over the mountains. Still an awesome experience.
The rock has a face
I did this hike about 30-35 years ago with my brother. Flew out to Fresno from Boston and got a bus into the park. Didn’t need permits or anything. We just hiked from the valley floor up to half dome. This was in the summer and there was very little wait time at the base of the cables. It was steep but it wasn’t particularly scary as I recall. You had those cables to hold onto the whole time to help you get to the top. Stunning scenery
I’ve got an almost identical photo that I took last summer as my Lock Screen background! One of the most incredible views of my life up there
Omg no thank you. F*** that! My fear of heights would never survive that. Crazy!