Everyone knows the famous Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, but few are brave enough to tackle it. And let me tell you it’s not one for the faint of heart!
We woke up at 3am, broke down camp and moved our cars to the trailhead where we ate a quick breakfast before heading out to the trail at 5:30am. It was still dark when we headed out. Head lamps on we pushed forward. There were quite a few other groups out on the trail too. As the sun started to rise we hit the majestic Vernal Falls which was a nice treat at first light. We continued on, and on, and on. Eventually passing Nevada Falls.
The hike to the subdome is a beautiful one! We passed little Yosemite, the backpacker camp where you can camp to make the hike up a little easier. The camp is about half way and I highly recommend getting permits to stay there the night before and after you tackle the dome. You will thank me later! The camp is also a great stop for refilling water in the river and vault toilets! Just past the camp you will find the nice Ranger waiting to check your permits to continue on up to the dome. They are 100% required and help to control the amount of people on the cables at a time.
We passed little Yosemite, the backpacker camp where you can camp the hike up a little easier and break it up a bit. The camp is about half way to Half Dome and I highly recommend getting permits to stay there the night before and the night after you tackle the dome. You will thanks me later! The camp is also a great stop for refilling water in the Merced River and the last option for water before the dome. They also had vault toilets which were a nice surprise! And it’s an absolutely stunning spot to hang out for the night. Just past the camp you will find the nice Ranger waiting to check your permits to continue on up to the dome. They are 100% required and help control the amount of people on the cables at a time. Even with the permit system in affect there are still quite a few people on the cables at one time. This makes it sketchy as you have to pass people going the opposite direction.
Finally we made it to the Subdome about 11am and then to the bottom of the cables around 11:30. What they don’t tell you is that the Subdome ( the bottom part of the rock to Half Dome that you have to climb to get to the cables) is just as hard as Half Dome itself. It’s very steep with lots of rocky switch backs, high steps and no railings. (See above, the red line of where you have to climb and the arrow that points to the top of Subdome where the cables begin.) If you are scared of heights also prepare yourself for this section of the hike!
What surprised me the most is how many people we saw on the trail that were unprepared. People in non hiking clothes, regular shoes or sandals and no water or snacks. We came across some guy from South Carolina that was not doing well. He wasn’t used to elevation nor did he water and snacks. We had to give him some so he could keep going. Still unsure if he made it to the top. Please come prepared with enough found and water (or a filter) for this hike! Not everyone will be as nice as us and give you hand outs. Half Dome sits at around 8,000 ft. so you also need to prepare for that!
My reaction when making it mostly up Subdome and getting a closer look at the Cables.
We took a break at the bottom of the cables and ate our lunch and watched people going up and down the cables. Mustering up the courage ourselves to conquer the Dome. After lunch we started up the cables, a couple of friends in our group only made it up 4 -5 slats before they turned back. And that’s OK! If you are scared of heights this probably is not the hike for you. If you only make it to the cables or the bottom of the Subdome that’s ok too! It’s a pretty tough hike just to there! It’s not worth risking your life to do the cables if you are terrified of heights! You gotta do you and stay safe!
As you go up the cables you have people also coming down. You have to pass and let them pass while you work your way up, which can be a bit tricky. You sometimes have to stand on one of the boards for a bit and let the traffic go around you. So the earlier you get up there, the better! Less crowds! On my way up I turned my head to the side to see the view, in which I also saw the incline of the rock I was hanging off of. I had a freak out moment and almost psyched myself out. (Best bet is to keep looking straight forward and up!) But I was determined to make it to the top, I didn’t come all this way to quit halfway up the cables. So I hiked up my big girl panties and pushed myself onwards and upwards. It was such an amazing feeling reaching the top! You literally feel on Top of the World! And the views are pretty epic from there!
The top is flat and you can wander around and check out the different view points. We stayed up for a bit exploring and taking alot of photos. It didn’t happen if you don’t have proof right! I do regret not bringing some water up the cables with me. I was so thirsty up there. But was scared to bring my backpack as I didn’t want to knock people out with it and wanted to be as light as possible with the least amount of distractions. I mean I didn’t even take photos while doing the main part of the cables. I was that focused! Lol!
My feathered friend showing me how the Bird’s Eye View is done! Worth every wood plank I had to climb to get there!
With my cousin at the Top of the Dome. I’m the fourth one in the family to conquer this rock!
After getting all the photo opps in we started our way down. I found the way down harder and scarier than the way up. It’s harder to come down slowly on the slick rock while dodging people coming up. I feel you have better balance on the way up. I had the death grip on those cables for sure! Two key things you need for this section of the hike is legit hiking boots with a nice sticky sole to stick to the granite and gloves! Gloves saved my hands from the cables and allowed me to have a really good grip on them. They were the best $7 spent for that trip. And were your basic gardening gloves with some really grippy rubber. We made it down the cables safely, took a few more pics and started our way down the sketchy Subdome. (Also worse on the way down in my opinion.)
The stoke was high after conquering Half Dome!
We stopped to filter water at the campsite as we would not have enough to make it back to the trailhead. I went through about 2.5 liters just on the way up! Be sure to bring some kind of water filtration system if you are not planning to carry a gallon of water. I have the Sawyer Squeeze system and I love it! It comes with 2 pouches and the filter. You can fill the pouches and squeeze water into your CamelBak, drink straight from the pouch & filter set up, attach the filter to a Smart Water Bottle or even cut the hose of your CamelBak and add it there. Also know how you plan to use your filtration system. We ran into a couple people who needed water and weren’t sure how their set up would work filtering from the river. The pit stop at the river was beautiful and relaxing! Really wished we had gotten permits to camp there to enjoy it more!
As we continued down I was taking a few pictures in this pretty grove of trees when I heard this strange rattling noise. I looked down and there was a huge rattle snake crossing the trail about 2 feet from me! I jumped back and watched it slither off. So glad I noticed! Be aware on the trail! And don’t forget to also look out for bears!
We continued down the trail and finally made it back to the car around 7:30pm. I was beat! What a day! 14 hours of hiking and 21.5 miles clocked! And the best feeling because I conquered a mountain that day!
Exhausted after a full day of hiking we were so ready to set up camp! Unfortunately we did not have a campsite reserved for the night after the hike. We tried to get spots in Camp 4, the first come, first serve site. But the ranger station was closed. So we were forced to drive the 45 minutes outside of the park in hopes to find a place to stay for the night. Luckily this campground had space. By this time we were so exhausted we could barely stay awake to make some quick ramen before passing out.
TIPS: Permits are tough to get, so be ready online on opening day to snag yours! I highly recommend also getting permits to backpack and camp 2 nights in Little Yosemite Valley. This will cut your hike to the Dome in half! If that’s not possible reserve a site in Upper Pines Campground, the closest to the trailhead. If you weren’t able to get a site in the park you can always apply for the lottery of the last few sites in the park or check Camp 4. (Note: you have to be present to get a site there. Your friends cannot save you one.)
Get some grippy garden gloves for the cables. They will save your hands and help grip the cables better. Wear hiking boots that are grippy, not tennis shoes or sandals. And be sure your boots are well broken in before you attempt this hike! The rock of the dome is very slick and you will need the grip to get in between the planks of wood. Come prepared with proper attire, enough food and a water filtration system for the hike. If you have knee problems, wear braces and bring your hiking poles for the way down. I regret not having mine. I was in pain! You can leave your backpack and poles at the bottom of the cables.
