On August 18th, 2015, Stephanie and I hiked to the top of Half Dome.
We got an early start and headed up the John Muir trail by ourselves. The solitude felt like a privilege, considering we were on one of the world’s most popular routes. Past Nevada Falls, past Vernal Falls, in the pitch black. We gazed at the stars and pointed out the occasional firefly companion. Not a soul in sight.
Onward past Liberty Cap, past Little Yosemite Valley Campground, then through a stunning grove of towering Sequoias. The miles clicked off effortlessly in the cool morning air. Soon, the sun crept over the horizon, illuminating the top of Half Dome. The forecasted high was 100 degrees. No time to dilly-dally.
We zipped through the woods and began encountering other hikers as we approached the sub dome. Little did we know, the intensity was about to get dialed from a two up to an eight.
The sub dome is adorned with a long flight of carved stairs that rises about 400 vertical feet. Luxurious compared to most mountain hikes, but still very airy and exposed. Slip anywhere on the stairs and you’ll die. People sat at the bottom and contemplated continuing. We passed these folks and headed up the stairs, spooked by the exposure, but in awe of the view. We questioned our own sanity.
Then we arrived at the cable ladder and instantly forgot about the stairs. The cables are a solid ten on the intensity scale.
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Photos of the cable ladder don't convey how intimidating it is. It is 400 feet tall and runs at about a 45 degree incline. However, it looks much taller and much steeper in person. It looked like a suicide mission considering that we did not have climbing shoes or any way to tether ourselves to the cables.
The ladder consists of about 600 feet of cable suspended in the air by 68 sets of poles. Between each set of poles lies a board. We watched as a couple of very fit hikers pulled themselves upward from one board to the next. PULLED! Their feet were practically useless. And they were wearing climbing shoes!
I donned a pair of leather climbing gloves and began pulling myself up the cables. I quickly realized they were too slippery and put them back in my pocket. Much to my surprise the cables were very sticky on my sweaty palms. Up I went, adrenalin surging.
I glanced back at Steph, about 50 feet below. She called up to me that she wasn’t willing to go any higher without being tethered to the cables, then she retreated to the shade of the sub dome below. A sane and understandable choice.
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After a few minutes on the cable ladder I began to develop a rhythm. PULLL-UP! Rest. PULLLL-UP! Rest. After about 20 minutes I was at the top. There were only 5 other people on the summit.
I wandered over to the visor, laid down and peered off. 3,000 feet of air straight down to the ground. Unforgettable!
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Thankfully, heading down the cable ladder is much easier than heading up. It was fun to chat with those finishing their ascents. The camaraderie and cooperation on the cable ladder is palpable; partly because all are sharing the same trauma and partly because the lives of all participants depend on maneuvering carefully around one another.
The hike down was hot, but fast. We passed about 150 people heading up that were getting roasted by the morning sun. I bet less than 20% of them reached the summit.
We waded through several thousand hikers between Nevada Falls and the parking lot. Many asked, “Did you make it to the top??”, meaning the top of the falls. We simply replied, “Yes.”
It was a fantastic hike with my favorite hiking partner. A day we will never forget.
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OUR STATS:
Distance: 17 miles round trip, measured from the Happy Isles parking lot, hiking the John Muir Trail up and down.
Vertical gain: +/- 4,800 feet
Time to summit: 4h55m
Car-to-car time: 10h23m (moving fast, but no running)
Starting time: 3:45 AM
FREE ADVICE:
During the summer months, start hiking 5 hours before dawn. For us, dawn was about 7AM, so we should have started hiking at 2AM. Waking up that early sucks, but it pays off BIG when you arrive at the cables. I ascended the cables at 8:20AM and still roasted in the direct sunlight.
Hiking the JMT is easy and fast. I recommend it over the Mist Trail because it saves a lot of wear and tear on your knees.
Trekking poles are a must. Leave them at the bottom of the cables and pick them up on the way back. Perhaps attach a note to them so nobody thinks they are free.
Wearing climbing shoes (or approach shoes) with 5.10 sticky rubber up the cable ladder is a great idea. I was wearing brand new Merril Hiking boots, and the grip was dangerously insufficient.
We recommend bringing a harness and two teathers (via ferrata or similar) to clip into the cables. You will look and feel a little silly, but feeling silly is better than dying from a minor mishap.
Bring 4 liters of water per person. I drank 4, Steph drank 3.
If you plan to summit, do it on a dry day. The cable ladder is impassible with even the slightest amount of moisture. Yes, fog counts.
Enjoy!
-Bob
