This is a picture of what climbing half dome looks like now(between May and October most years) when the weather is good. What is really amazing to me is that most people to get to this point have already walked 7 miles from their car or bus stop (at least 14 miles round trip in one day for most people). When I last did this as training for going to Nepal in 1985, there were only about 25 to 50 people that would have been in this photo rather than 1200. To get to this point you usually have to hike up to Vernal Falls and then towards California Nevada Falls before you reach this point. And be sure that you don't get vertigo from heights because my wife and several others were having a hard time not falling off from the exposure of about 1200 feet of vertical rock or more at a 35 to 45 degree angle or more, and 400 feet of wire which is there from about May to October which seems almost straight up when you are on it. And often you see people who really should not be on a vertical surface ever doing this being dared by a friend or relative which could turn out to be fatal in the end potentially for both. Don't let anyone talk you into it if you don't have the skills. Even though it is only a class 4 type of climb with wires to hold onto so you don't fall off, most people aren't roped in. What this means in real time is if you make a mistake and slip for any reason you are dead. Most focused climbers from ages 18 to 60 in good health might laugh at this type of exposure. However, if you have a problem for whatever reason you are dead at this point unless someone catches you which is unlikely. Note: Picture is from a news article online called: 1200 is a crowd on Half Dome.2nd note: Be sure to make a reservation with the National Park Service because it sounds like they are starting to limit how many can ascend per day now. Obviously, if there is lightning rain or snow it wouldn't be a good time to do this. Also, I believe in the winter they remove the wires and vertical posts during that time and likely re-install them during the spring or later.
1st quote (besides picture) (This is from Backpacker Magazine online regarding how dangerous this wire up to Half Dome is:
The Hike The iconic symbol of Yosemite grandeur, Half Dome just begs to be climbed. The seven-mile route to this granite landmark via the Mist Trail sees 2,500 to 3,000 people per day during summer weekends, making it the most heavily trafficked corridor in the park. People endure fatigue, altitude sickness, and dehydration in their determination to stand atop Half Dome's broad 8,836-foot-high crown. Steel cables bolted into the granite assist climbers up the final 400 vertical feet, but the combination of high, open rock and metal fixtures makes this a lousy place to get caught in an electrical storm. And once the raindrops start falling, the rock becomes treacherously slick. Yosemite's search and rescue team responds to 300 incidents each year–more than any other national park–and not surprisingly, Half Dome claims its share: six deaths since 1995.
Exhibit A Rescuers had to rappel 800 feet to recover the shattered remains of Japanese hiker Hirofumi Nohara, 37, who cartwheeled 1,200 feet down Half Dome's sheer face into the granite ravine below after trying to squeeze past hikers ahead of him on the cables. Alas, the fatality didn't surprise park employees, who've seen people do many stupid things to earn their "I climbed Half Dome" T-shirts. "We see people taking risks [to claim one] that they might not ordinarily take," says ranger Scott Gediman. In 1985, five hikers defied signs of a pending storm and marched up Half Dome only to get blasted by lightning. Last year, three hikers in three separate accidents fell to their deaths from Half Dome's upper reaches; two had attempted the route when the cables were down, and they lost their footing on the wet granite. On crowded weekends when hundreds of hikers clog the cables, it's impossible to make a fast exit when storms threaten. Says Gediman, "I've been on the cables when they were so packed with people I couldn't move up and couldn't move down–it became real dangerous."
Survival Plan Assess your fitness level honestly: The Mist Trail is a rigorous hike. And leave early–no later than 5 a.m.–to give yourself the best shot at completing it. Hike on a weekday between late May and early October, a period when the cables have generally been installed. Assess the sky before you commit to the cables, and never climb them when the rock is wet: That's when almost every fall from Half Dome has occurred. end quote from:
http://www.backpacker.com/october_08_americas_10_most_dangerous_hikes_mist_trail_half_dome_ca/destinations/12629
Also, my first time Climbing Half Dome was in 1969 (when I considered myself to be a fairly good Rock Climber) at age 21 with a friend who was 18 and who had just graduated from high school and was on his way to UCLA in the fall, we were in a a Rock Climber's Camping area then near El Capitan. We then got up and had breakfast at Yosemite Lodge Cafeteria and took off up the Mist Trail near Camp Curry by 9 or 10 am. So even though we were young and strong climbers because we also really enjoyed nature and the views and taking plenty of pictures along the way, wound up getting on top of Half Dome around 2 PM and stayed up there until about 4 pm. But because it was a long way down back to my car near Camp Curry we headed out knowing we would pass most of the scarier parts of the trail by sundown. Because it was summer time I think sundown could have been as late as 8 or 9 pm. However, because of the really high canyon that most of Yosemite is night falls pretty early even during Daylight Savings time Summers there. So, the sun comes up late and goes to bed early in most of Yosemite Valley. So, if you are prepared for the sun, altitude and 7 miles up and 7 miles back (14 total miles) and can keep your wits about you while climbing up and down the wire and don't fall off the front edge while on top it can be one of the most amazing experiences of your life!
1st quote (besides picture) (This is from Backpacker Magazine online regarding how dangerous this wire up to Half Dome is:
The Hike The iconic symbol of Yosemite grandeur, Half Dome just begs to be climbed. The seven-mile route to this granite landmark via the Mist Trail sees 2,500 to 3,000 people per day during summer weekends, making it the most heavily trafficked corridor in the park. People endure fatigue, altitude sickness, and dehydration in their determination to stand atop Half Dome's broad 8,836-foot-high crown. Steel cables bolted into the granite assist climbers up the final 400 vertical feet, but the combination of high, open rock and metal fixtures makes this a lousy place to get caught in an electrical storm. And once the raindrops start falling, the rock becomes treacherously slick. Yosemite's search and rescue team responds to 300 incidents each year–more than any other national park–and not surprisingly, Half Dome claims its share: six deaths since 1995.
Exhibit A Rescuers had to rappel 800 feet to recover the shattered remains of Japanese hiker Hirofumi Nohara, 37, who cartwheeled 1,200 feet down Half Dome's sheer face into the granite ravine below after trying to squeeze past hikers ahead of him on the cables. Alas, the fatality didn't surprise park employees, who've seen people do many stupid things to earn their "I climbed Half Dome" T-shirts. "We see people taking risks [to claim one] that they might not ordinarily take," says ranger Scott Gediman. In 1985, five hikers defied signs of a pending storm and marched up Half Dome only to get blasted by lightning. Last year, three hikers in three separate accidents fell to their deaths from Half Dome's upper reaches; two had attempted the route when the cables were down, and they lost their footing on the wet granite. On crowded weekends when hundreds of hikers clog the cables, it's impossible to make a fast exit when storms threaten. Says Gediman, "I've been on the cables when they were so packed with people I couldn't move up and couldn't move down–it became real dangerous."Survival Plan Assess your fitness level honestly: The Mist Trail is a rigorous hike. And leave early–no later than 5 a.m.–to give yourself the best shot at completing it. Hike on a weekday between late May and early October, a period when the cables have generally been installed. Assess the sky before you commit to the cables, and never climb them when the rock is wet: That's when almost every fall from Half Dome has occurred. end quote from:
http://www.backpacker.com/october_08_americas_10_most_dangerous_hikes_mist_trail_half_dome_ca/destinations/12629
Also, my first time Climbing Half Dome was in 1969 (when I considered myself to be a fairly good Rock Climber) at age 21 with a friend who was 18 and who had just graduated from high school and was on his way to UCLA in the fall, we were in a a Rock Climber's Camping area then near El Capitan. We then got up and had breakfast at Yosemite Lodge Cafeteria and took off up the Mist Trail near Camp Curry by 9 or 10 am. So even though we were young and strong climbers because we also really enjoyed nature and the views and taking plenty of pictures along the way, wound up getting on top of Half Dome around 2 PM and stayed up there until about 4 pm. But because it was a long way down back to my car near Camp Curry we headed out knowing we would pass most of the scarier parts of the trail by sundown. Because it was summer time I think sundown could have been as late as 8 or 9 pm. However, because of the really high canyon that most of Yosemite is night falls pretty early even during Daylight Savings time Summers there. So, the sun comes up late and goes to bed early in most of Yosemite Valley. So, if you are prepared for the sun, altitude and 7 miles up and 7 miles back (14 total miles) and can keep your wits about you while climbing up and down the wire and don't fall off the front edge while on top it can be one of the most amazing experiences of your life!
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