![]() The prusiks were good for peace of mind and for leaning back on, but falling and shock loading your prusiks should only be an emergency last resort. I personally never felt in danger of slipping. We found this invaluable as the wooden planks that usually serve as footholds are also removed when the cables come down.Ĭonfidence is key. You can lean back and the prusik knots will lock on the cables so you can rest. Holding the heavy cables and pulling ourselves up required a good amount of upper body endurance. With 2 prusiks, you can tie in to the next section before untying from the previous section so that you are always tied in. The cables are bolted to the ground in several sections so you have to retie your prusiks to pass between them. We tied in to the cable with both prusiks and slid the prusiks along the cable as we climbed. Microspikes are also helpful (or essential, depending on the volume of snow) for early season trips. If you don’t have a reservation and the walk-up spots are filled before you arrive, you will not be able to backpack this trail.Įach person had 2 prusik loops, 2 climbing carabiners, a harness, and gloves to grip the cable. Walk-up spots open the day before your trip starting at 11 AM. The permit for this trip is Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley and the daily quota is 30, with 12 for walk-ups and 18 reservable. Trailhead quotas (see nps.gov) are in effect year-round but are only reservable between April and November. PermitsĪlthough permits are not required for Half Dome, wilderness permits are still required for backpacking. I crossed Half Dome off my bucket list on a beautiful clear day in mid-May without the headache of a permit lottery or crowds, and with the added thrill of a technical climb. Using a few basic climbing knots and techniques, you can climb Half Dome very safely while the cables are down. ![]() The poles that usually prop the cables up as handrails are removed and the cables are left lying on the surface of Half Dome. Permits are not required when the cables are down, but a little known fact is that you can still climb Half Dome. Read more about Half Dome permits when the cables are up for day hikers and for backpackers at nps.gov. This system helps prevent dangerous overcrowding on the cables, but it makes the Half Dome hike a kind of exclusive experience. A maximum of 300 permits each day, 225 for day hikers and 75 for backpackers, are distributed by preseason and daily lotteries. ![]() During this period, Half Dome permits are required (yes, permits for a day hike). The Half Dome cables are up each year from around Memorial Day to Labor Day. You also beat the crowds hiking all the way from the valley and are the earliest on the cables the next morning. This way, you can take your time to enjoy the iconic Mist Trail which passes 2 of Yosemite’s signature waterfalls, Vernal and Nevada Falls. Camping at Little Yosemite Valley the first night divides the ascent in half in terms of vertical gain. If you have the time, I highly recommend making Half Dome an overnight trip rather than a day hike from Yosemite Valley. The dramatic, vertical drop-offs to the valley floor are sweaty-palms inducing for even the most fearless hikers. When you are finally standing on the top of Half Dome, the sweeping views up and down Yosemite Valley are unparalleled. The strenuous hike gains 4500 ft from the bottom of Yosemite Valley and ends in the infamous cables section, a 45-60 degree climb up the granite dome. It’s Yosemite’s most sought-after hike to conquer and its fame even transcends the world of hiking enthusiasts, making cameos in Apple wallpapers. The striking dome-shaped feature looks like its name would imply, a dome that has been sliced through its middle. Half Dome is a granite monolith perched prominently above Yosemite Valley. We backpacked Half Dome in May 2019 from the Happy Isles trailhead with an overnight in Little Yosemite Valley.
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