17 :miles round-trip
12 :hours total time
4000'+ :elevation gain
8862'* :maximum elevation achieved (*less for the peeps like me who avoided the cables)
3 :Heinekens brought up to the summit and consumed
0 :People left behind
2 :Liters of H20 Dennis brought for the whole trip
4 :Liters of H20 Dennis consumed on just the hike up
It was extremely impressive that not a single person in our group of 16 turned back. Everyone made it to at least the base of the cables, at which point, a handful of us decided that living to see the next day was more important than trying to make it to the summit. Let me try to explain. The final 1000' ascent to the summit of Half Dome takes place in two separate stages:
- The first half is accomplished by scrambling over rocks and climbing up extremely-steep sets of switchbacks with stairs. I remember when we were at the base, looking up, Victor wondered out loud how this "could possibly be safe" to do. At the time, I was actually stupid enough to say something like "maybe its not as bad as it looks." And you know what? I was right. It was definitely much worse hahaha!
An actual description of the ascent is pointless because I lack the writing skills to accurately describe the intense fear I experienced on the way up. You'd think as someone who is afraid of heights, I would stop trying to climb stupid peaks.... but nope, I guess I'm just not smart enough to learn from my past. It should suffice to say that it was probably one of my scariest experiences outdoors, and something I will never, EVER forget. Clinging to the narrow pathway while trying not to look down was definitely not one of the fondest memories I had of this trip! - After you make it up the first part, things flatten out for a bit as you've now reached the base of the cable system leading up the final 500' or so of Half Dome. Believe it or not, this part is even steeper than the first section! Though you might have a cable to hang onto and somewhat shady-looking 2x4s to step on along the path up, make no mistake about it - one little slip could easily lead to sliding off the top of the dome (=death). This part has no vegetation or even any pits that might break your fall if you were to fall off. In fact, its eerily similar to walking up the back of a huge, smooth rock (which it is). Definitely not my cup of tea. The scariest thing? Tragedy struck this very part of the trail just weeks after we returned home.
Here's a clip I took at the base of the cable system. In case you can't tell, I am scared out of my wits at this point. This is definitely not a good place to be if you have vertigo (duh!). The photos/videos also dont give you a good idea of how crazy steep the ascent was because both are 2-dimensional representations.... you'll just have to trust me on this.
Looking back on the experience, I can truly say that I personally do not regret not making it to the 'true' summit of Half Dome. I like adventure as much as the next guy, but when I feel like I have to make compromises on my safety to experience something - that is a risk that I am unwilling to take. Your health is your most valuable asset and it is not something we should take for granted! I can still look back fondly at our experience as a group and be proud of everyone who rose to the challenge and made it to the top of this very challenging hike (or close enough for some of us).
So, the only question that remains is: where's the next adventure? :)
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