Half Dome Hike

My personal experience hiking to the top of Half Dome is below. If you plan on hiking for your first time you might not want to read my story...maybe just look at the pictures instead....I've heard the pictures are worse than it really is...now that I've actually been there....I disagree...

We stayed at the Wawona Hotel at the southern entrance to the park. Very nice, relaxing and quiet.

In my opinion, this view from Glacier Point is much better than from Half Dome. You can see the entire valley floor, several waterfalls including these 2; Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls which cannot be seen from Half Dome. If you want a spectacular view drive to Glacier Point.

View of Half Dome from Glacier Point. From here you could even see people walking around on top of Half Dome. Are they insane?!?!?

We hiked up to Sentinel Dome the day before.

I felt much more comfortable and confident about climbing Half Dome after doing this as it was easy, the ground was not slippery and the height didn't bother me at all.

El Capitan from Sentinel Dome.

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls from Sentinel Dome.

We walked around "Mariposa Grove" and stared up in awe at the Giant Sequoias.

We took the "Mist Trail" on the way up to Half Dome to see the waterfalls.

We're ready to go!!

Climbing up to Vernal Falls. This part was wide...it got very narrow and steep...

Vernal Falls behind us.

This is Nevada Falls.

Nevada Falls.

The back of Half Dome as we hiked through "Little Yosemite Valley".

This is something I've wanted to do for a long time and Bret was willing to tag along with me. Since we're not getting any younger and the bodies have way too many aches and pains we decided to just do it. We carefully thought it through, did our research and decided on the best time and day to go. It just so happened that it was also Bret's 53rd birthday--June 16, 2008. As is normal for Yosemite we made our hotel reservations a year and one day in advance. We both talked to a lot of people who'd done the hike and got all positive feedback. I continued to do research and looked at pictures, probably too much as I also researched Half Dome deaths. But every year there are thousands of regular, everyday people of all ages, abilities and types who successfully make it to the top and are thrilled they did so I thought, "how hard can it be??"

Everyone said the pictures look worse than it really is and how worth it it is when you make it to the top. My mind was set and I knew that I was not going to change it but as the day approached I got more and more nervous. The older I get the more afraid of heights I get but many I talked to were also afraid of heights and if they could do it why couldn't I?

When we got to Yosemite on Saturday and drove through the valley I got my first glimpse of Half Dome and got a sick feeling inside. I've been to Yosemite many times before but looking up at Half Dome this time had new meaning and new fear but not going up was not an option. I just had to figure out how I was going to do it. Would I have enough strength? Would I have enough courage? I kept telling myself that the pictures look worse and tried to focus on all those great, positive stories.

On Sunday we did a "warm up" hike up to Sentinel Dome and I felt so much relief because the height didn't bother me at all and the granite was not slippery like I thought it might be. I felt perfectly steady, stable, secure and safe up there. How much harder can Half Dome be? I hadn't had any nightmares or sleepless nights like I did before going caving and after going up Sentinel Dome I felt so much better and slept pretty good Saturday night. We were careful what we ate the days previous to the hike...enough carbs and protein to keep up our strength and endurance and plenty of water to be well hydrated. We were ready~~

We woke up at 4am, left at 4:45 and took the hour drive (about 15 minutes longer due to roadwork) from Wawona to the Happy Isles trailhead and arrived at the parking lot at 6am on Monday morning. It's about 3/4 of a mile from the parking lot to the trailhead so off we went with Half Dome staring ominously down at us. We decided to take the 8.2 mile "Mist Trail" up to enjoy the fabulous views of Vernal and Nevada Falls. And take the longer but less steep "John Muir Trail" on the way back. Since it was downhill back we thought our knees would do better with less steep terrain and we wanted to enjoy different scenery on the way back...like 2 for one! The first 2 hours of the "Mist Trail" is pretty steep uphill climbing, much of it narrow granite steps. We got soaked from Vernal Falls but it was a welcome relief as the weather was already warm and expteced to be in the upper 90's later in the day. I did ok on the steep, narrow cliffs and steps and kept trying to visualize Half Dome...could it be much worse than this?

Nevada Falls was equally as spectacular as Vernal Falls though we didn't get as wet. We took the 1/2 mile trip out to the bridge over Nevada Falls in case we were too tired to on the way back. It was worth the extra time but as it turned out we came back that way which is the "John Muir Trail" and got to see the falls again. During the flat mile or so through "Little Yosemite Valley" we got to see the backside of Half Dome. The closer we got the more daunting and intimidating the rock looked. The climbed seemed impossible from this view but thousands of people do it every year so how hard can it be???

After we passed through "Little Yosemite Valley" we continued to climb another 4 miles or so as the terrain went back into the woods and much needed shade. Temps were easily in the upper 80's by now and the layers of clothing had begun to peel away. The hike itself was not the most strenuous or longest we've done and the bodies were holding up fine with all the climbing and heat. Reports said it reached 96 degrees in the valley floor but I'd read temps are 20 degrees cooler on top of Half Dome so I wasn't concerned. (It actually was pretty hot up there) I heard a tour guide tell his group that they were approaching the ridge line and they'd be in full sun the last 2 hours so to put on their sunscreen and chapstick. I had done that in the morning but the spray from the falls washed it away and in an effort to save weight in my backpack I left the sunscreen at the hotel but did apply more chapstick.

Every once in awhile we'd get a glimpse of Half Dome through the trees and it just kept looking worse. But "the pictures look worse than it really is" I kept telling myself even though the reality was looking worse than any pictures I'd seen. But thousands of people do it every year so how hard can it be??? What the pictures don't tell you and what I wasn't prepared for was the trek over the first rock before the cable section. This granite section zig zags back and forth, about 20 switchbacks total and is very steep and rugged. There are vertical steps cut out and rocks laid in place to help but nothing to hold onto and the narrow edges lead to a certain death below should you misstep and fall. You are out in the wide open space and can see how really high up you are. The top of Half Dome is 8842 feet high and over 4800 feet above the valley floor. I could not look down at this point and kept telling myself that going up the cables could not be any worse than this. It was hot but I was focused more on every step I was taking and watching out for all the other people going up and down a space that isn't big enough for two. You have to constantly stop and let others pass and I had to continually avoid looking up or down but somehow look far enough ahead to watch where I was stepping. It would not have been so bad if there was something to hold onto so I was looking forward to those sturdy cables!!

Once we got through this section the steps were gone and it was just the steep granite where cables used to be. You could see the remnants of them in the ground but why weren't they there anymore?? Surely it can't get any steeper than this?!?!?!? It took nearly an hour to get to the top of this section then you see the "saddle" or "shoulder" section below...the narrow spot right before the cables. I had to keep my hands on either side of my face like blinders to keep from looking out and/or down. The climb down to the saddle section was awful--not only steep but slippery because of the gravelly sand that was there. We made it down and finally sat down on a rock at the base of the cables. There was a line of people waiting to go up and as I sat there for a good 20-25 minutes I couldn't help but take a peek up at the people going up and got sick to my stomach. Then a few times I took a peek out and felt a wave of terror rush through me. Up to that point, never once did it enter my mind to turn around and leave. I just kept searching and asking myself how I was going to find the mental and physical strength to do this. We had to wait and wait and wait until it was our turn. The waiting was awful. Then it was time....we put on our gloves and started up.

There are 2x4 slats every 5-10 yards up that you can "rest" on and contemplate your mortality. Some are missing. I wondered how can you really "rest"???? But thousands of people do it every year so how hard can it be??? It was about on the third 2x4 that I had a fleeting thought of turning around. As quickly as it entered my mind it quickly left and was immediately replaced with one terrifying thought and visual image after another. I had to constantly fight to get the negative images and feelings of falling out of my mind and replace them with what I physically and mentally needed to do to get to the top. Bret was always one 2x4 ahead of me and helping me the entire way up. It was definitely hot up there and at times the sun beating down on my shoulders and on top of my head was distracting but getting a little sunburn was the least of my worries.

None of the pictures explained what it is really like on those cables. First, they are narrower than I thought which initially I thought was a good thing because I was afraid they'd be too far apart to hold both at the same time. I was relieved to see they were close enough together to hold both. But in actuality they are not steady at all. They have a lot of slack in them and not only do they move around a lot as others grip, pull and slide along but the stantions that go into the ground move around too. When we reached the bottom we learned a person going down had done something to pull the stantion all the way out...not on purpose but somehow it popped out and the 2x4 slid away!!! He held on and was able to get the stantion back in and finish his descent. This is INSANE!!! Not only is there slack in the cables but some parts are frayed and some parts are all twisted up and misshapen. There are sections that are connected together with another section and pieces hanging here and there. There's even a section that is only about calf height so you have to squat down really low in order to hold on. I'm telling you it was AWFUL!!! People who do this are CRAZY but what choice did I have now?!?!?! Then there are big gusts of wind that appear out of nowhere. Along with all that...the space between the cables is not wide enough for 2 people and 2 backpacks to pass by without having to wiggle, squirm, twist, bend, lean and squeeze your way around each other. I kept looking down at my feet and never once looked up any father than the next 2x4 above me. Bret gave me constant feedback as to how much further I had to go, how many people were passing me and in which direction and how much I needed to wiggle, squirm, twist, bend, lean and squeeze to pass or get passed by a fellow climber going down. Some even go on the outside of the cable so you have them to maneuver around too!

I also envisioned my legs and arms shaking alot while climbing the cables but for some unknown reason they were perfectly steady although my heart was pounding so hard inside my chest and I was breathing really hard at times I had to take long, deep breaths to keep from hyperventilating. My mouth kept getting very dry I had trouble swallowing so I'd have to let go of one hand to take a sip of water. I was not happy when I had to let go of one hand in order to take a sip or let a person pass or to go over the end of the stantion which by the way was difficult to hold onto because not only did they move but would pinch your fingers on the ends so you had to be careful where you grabbed...like you have a choice!!!

So actually pulling yourself up the cables really wasn't that difficult or strenuous. It was more a matter of having to let go of the cable and hope your grip and strength would be enough to get you where you wanted to go without excessive slipping. I didn't look at anybody else's hands but I can't imagine doing this without good gloves. My boots and gloves seemed to working pretty well even though I felt like my hands slipped every once in awhile but my grip stayed strong as long as I took a few seconds to shake out my arms, hands and fingers periodically which also meant letting go of the cable one hand at a time. But I knew if I didn't do this I'd lose the strength in my grip and risk muscles cramping and then what would I do????

It took about 45 minutes to painstakingly reach the top. The middle section of the climb is steeper (about a 65 degree angle) than the beginning section and the last section is the least steep. Well, it's all STEEP!!! Once we got on top then my whole body started to shake and tremble and I started to cry. All the emotions I held in to get up there let go...I was sick to my stomach but knew I needed to eat to have strength to get back down....oh yeah...I had to get back down...I now started to think about that. I knew that would be scarier for me than going up but what choice did I have? On the way up several people said how going down was so much easier than going up so I thought since thousands of people do it every year how hard can it be???

Just before we started to climb the rock we made our phone calls to friends and family and said we'd keep in touch. So once on top we made another round of calls to let everyone know we were safe and made it. We assured them we'd call when we were safely at the bottom. It's really quite large on top (maybe 3 football fields??) and the fear of falling somewhat subsided though we never got closer than 10 feet to the edge. We walked around and took pictures but in no way did we relax and want to stay up there any longer than necessary...we stayed less than an hour. Enough time to rest, rehydrate and take pictures.

I was worried about stepping over the edge and taking that first step down so I was glad the first part going down wasn't the steepest. Some people came down face first, others came down backwards--repell style. I decided I'd feel better if Bret went first and guided me down. I started off going face first so there was no way to avoid looking down and out. I was determined to see only my feet and block out everything else...didn't really work but I kept focusing on Bret's voice and my feet. I would take a step and make sure it was steady then lift my other foot and make sure it was steady and just inched my way down. When we got to the steepest part my feet kept slipping and I couldn't figure out what to do to keep from slipping. Several people told me to turn around and go down backwards but that meant letting go of the cables and turning my body around...I wasn't willing to do that but no matter how or where I stepped I couldn't get a firm grip...it was just too steep and slippery. Somehow I managed to turn myself around---you do what you gotta do...and go down "batman" style...holding onto one cable with both hands...that was scary.... The good news was that I couldn't see down anymore but the bad news was that I couldn't see where I was going. There are cracks, crevices and ledges that you have to step around, through and over so Bret was there always on the next 2x4 down guiding me every inch of the way...where to put my foot, how much farther the ledge was, where the crevices were and who I had to maneuver around to pass or be passed by. The straps of my backpack also kept getting in the way of my grip. But gravity was causing them to dangle so I just had to work around them. No, going down was NOT easier than going up. For me, it required more strength than going up, more concentration...if that's possible.. and more patience. I just wanted to be done but it took a long time to get down...at least 30 minutes.

At one point I heard somebody above me sliding fast down towards me and wondered how many people he'd already taken with him. I thought for sure he was going to ram into me and that would be the end and just closed my eyed and gripped whatever I was holding onto. I felt his foot ram into the stantion I was holding onto and stopped him. I looked back and he was laughing...I wasn't. This happened a few more times and I finally figured out he was doing it on purpose. Sliding down like that was fun for him but was freaking me out as was everthing else. I asked him if he wanted to go around me and he said, "No that's ok". Not much conversation happens up there as your lives are in each other's hands and I wasn't going to argue with him. I had to keep my focus on what I was doing and try to not be concernced with what everybody around me was doing. I apologized a lot for going so slow and everyone was patient and kept encouraging me and saying what a great job I was doing. Why was this not terrifiying for anyone else??

Three times I slipped and fell on my butt and have no idea how I managed to hold on. Twice Bret had to come back up and get me. When I lost my footing and I fell on my butt I was barely hanging on with one hand. The cable was above my head and I had no way to get leverage to pull myself back up. I couldn't quit, I couldn't give up, I couldn't let go, I couldn't go home...none of those were options...you do what you have to do to not die up there. I was TERRIFIED EVERY SECOND!!!!

Once we got down to the saddle again I breathed a short sigh of relief but didn't know how I was going to get down the other steep part. My legs were tired and weak. By now we were 8 hours into the hike. It was hot and most of my water was gone. We had a good 4 hours of downhill hiking left to do. I didn't know how my knees, back and hip would hold up but I didn't care I had to get off that rock. I took a couple of deep breaths and followed Bret as he lead the way. He held his hand out behind him and I hung on for dear life. We went down one step at a time and surprisingly I was doing OK. Well, I wasn't OK, I was just slightly less terrified....Several times I even paused briefly to take a look around. Yes, it bothered me but I knew I'd better look now because I was NEVER doing this again and I didn't want any regrets. When we were safely on dirt again my whole body started to tremble and I started to bawl my eyes out-- again. I don't know how I did it but was sooooo glad it was finally over!!!!!

Over 21 miles, 13 hours and though not particularly physically strenuous or difficult it is by far the MOST mentally challenging thing I've ever done...also the stupidest thing I've ever done. The nightmares have now begun and I dread going to sleep at night. I still have the feeling like I'm going to fall and find myself grabbing for the wall when I step into the shower or down a step. I'm sure these feelings will subside and the memories will fade. I do not recommend hiking to the top of Half Dome to anyone and personally feel for me it was a huge mistake. I cannot believe the National Park Service allows this to happen. No regulation as to when or who does this climb. Even small children are climbing Half Dome and they aren't allowed on many roller coaster rides in amusement parks!! In my opinion it was not worth it...not the view, not the excitement, not the challenge, not the fun....nothing. I don't know what I expected to get out of this hike and really, had no expectations and I left with nothing but utter fear. We still have our lives and I'm eternally grateful for that. Maybe sometime I'll figure it out but for now I'm just glad to be home.

This is both sections of Half Dome. The first "hump" is steep with very steep steps zig zagging up and is a danger all unto itself. That thin line going up to the top that looks like ants is people going up the cables.

Those are the 400 feet of cables I'm trying not to look at.

This is the start of the cables. There's a plaque in front of the guy with the green shirt on that says "Do not climb if thunder clouds are on the horizon". That's the only warning of danger.

About 200 feet up the cables. Need I say more...

This is almost to the top. It wasn't as steep as the rest of the way up. Bret wanted to take a picture and asked me to turn my head so he could see my face. I slowly turned as much as I could and still feel OK but my eyes are actually looking down at my feet. I was still terrified.

This is the top...much bigger than it looks from below.

This is the "diving board" section of the top. One guy sat on the very tip of the lower edge and dangled his feet and waved his arms around while people took pictures. I couldn't watch.

These people are crazy for sitting so close to the edge. It's over 4400 feet straight down!!!

We're smiling but it's only for the camera. I wasn't happy....knowing I had to somehow get myself back down...

This is as close to the edge as we felt comfortable.

Trust me...the smile is just for show....you had to do something while you're up there...

The start of the descent. This is the less steep part. The part in the middle you can't see is where I started slipping. You can't help but see all that in your peripheral vision.

We are almost down from that rock!!! At least 4 more hours of hiking til we are back on the valley floor. Grateful to be alive!!!!