Half Dome

This awesome site greets you as you top the shoulder of Half Dome. Now you decide: do you go on?

The Decision

The Hike to Climb Half Dome

Once you top the shoulder and approach the cables, you are really at the crux of the climb. Here is where most people decide if they want to climb up Half Dome with the cables or not. Many do not. Some start but turn back.

There is a trick to it. If you are having second thoughts, take a rest and watch others doing it for a while. There is usually a box of gloves or a pile of gloves at the bottom of the cables. If you did not bring heavy gloves (I warned you!), you may be able to salvage a useful pair from the glove pile. They have seen better days.

The view up the cables from the bottom of the cables. As you can see, it is just steep enough to need the cables to walk up. It is not really so bad.

Once you are rested up, just go up a ways on the cables, stop, and check things out. Normally, you will find that it is not so bad, and not so steep with the help of the cables. Just go up a ways, stop for a rest (you will need it) and continue on. Just keep a sure footing and a death grip on the cables. On the way down one time, I was actually jogging while lightly holding on the cable (foolish). after a while you will be too tired to be weirded out by the exposure all around you. Just don't trip and fall. That could be bad.

I actually saw one person climbing up the cables wearing hard soled dress shoes!! Insane! Slippery too. Not a good idea.