Route Climbed: JMT to Half Dome Summit Trail to The Cables Date Climbed: July 1978
Hiked to the top with a church youth group. Round trip from valley floor, noon to approx. 8:00 p.m. First "cable" experience. One of our new-hiker youth bellied up to the edge of Half Dome's face to peer over at a rock climber nearing the summit. He shouted down the nagging question that had kept him awake at nights: "How do you go to the bathroom?" The response shouted back: "Just like you do!"
Route Climbed: Snake Dike Date Climbed: September 12, 2001
Climbed it with a Scottish buddy the day after September 11. The sky was so peaceful it was eerie. Otherwise, Snake Dike is one of the most aesthetic routes I have ever done. Simply gorgeous.
Larry S. and I were the first ones on the route and enjoyed the beautiful solitude of having a classic all to ourselves. I thought the second pitch was just amazing! We used one 9 mm rope which in retrospect might not have been such a good idea especially if one of us took a 300 footer, which is possible I guess if things go way bad. Luckily the day we climbed was the first day the cables were put up so we had an easy time descending. A four star day!
Route Climbed: Tourist Cables Date Climbed: June 2003, 2004
everytime i do this it starts with a random night of sleeplessness in the SF Bay Area then a midnight phone call to my trusted go-anywhere friends three hours of driving, three more of hiking and a sunrise from the top of half dome. half dome is such an impulsive decision everytime
Route Climbed: Regular Northwest Face Date Climbed: Oct 1 1992
climbed this route in a day, the day after I got married with my best man. My wife new she was marrying a climber when she said, "I DO!" She is still with me 13 years later.
Route Climbed: Cables, Snake Dike Date Climbed: 1970 - 2000
The tick marks in my guide book say 19 trips to the top so far. Have done it in the 70s, 80s, 90s, & 00s. In my teens, 20s, 30s, 40s. Gotta do it again now I'm in my 50s. The best was when my (then) 9 year old daughter and I went up the cables. Four trips up Snake Dike from about 1973 through 2000. Will do it again this year. I blew my ACL on the Regular NW Face route in 2000. For some reason, I consider my retreat and subsequent unassisted descent of the Death Slabs one of my finest days in the hills.
Route Climbed: Regular hike (by the cables) Date Climbed: Oct 1992
Half Dome was the first day-long hike that I took with my sons Christoph (aged 11 at the time) and Alexander ( aged 9); it was an exhilarating experience for all of us, especially leaning over the top! Somehow that hike must have given the boys a positive impression of hiking and mountaineering in general. Indeed, both of them subsequently asked if they could join me in a quest to climb the Matterhorn in Switzerland ( in 2002, see details in Trip Report on Matterhorn).
Joined in a Sierra Club trip when I was in high school. Just looking to catch a ride to the mountains for some wilderness time - got Half Dome too. Bonus!
Route Climbed: Snake Dike Date Climbed: October 7, 2004
An eleven hour round trip from Little Yosemite Valley. A long day, but I was so happy to do the route, I wasn't tired. Thanks to my climbing partner for doing all the leading.
cjrandall - May 12, 2005 12:59 pm
Route Climbed: John Muir Trail from Happy Isles to the Cables Date Climbed: Summer 1995Did a round-trip day-hike from Happy Isles to the summit of Half Dome. We got back to Happy Isles around 11pm!
A member of our party got altitude sickness, and we had to descend carefully to acclimatize him.
mountaingazelle - May 1, 2005 10:34 pm Date Climbed: Oct 11, 2004
Route Climbed: Cables Date: October 11, 2004Hiked to Half Dome during a trip to Yosemite in October. It was a great hike and not crowded when I was there.
Alpine Eric - Apr 29, 2005 4:17 pm
Route Climbed: Cables Date Climbed: September 10, 2002Ok, so I only hiked the crummy cables route. Want to go back with me and do Snake Dyke?
Scary thunder storm (lightning) near the summit when I was up there and I high tailed it down without making much use of the cables.
jdavies212 - Apr 25, 2005 12:33 am
Route Climbed: JMT to Half Dome Summit Trail to The Cables Date Climbed: July 1978Hiked to the top with a church youth group. Round trip from valley floor, noon to approx. 8:00 p.m. First "cable" experience. One of our new-hiker youth bellied up to the edge of Half Dome's face to peer over at a rock climber nearing the summit. He shouted down the nagging question that had kept him awake at nights: "How do you go to the bathroom?" The response shouted back: "Just like you do!"
ASteele - Apr 19, 2005 1:02 pm
Route Climbed: Snake Dike Date Climbed: September 12, 2001Climbed it with a Scottish buddy the day after September 11. The sky was so peaceful it was eerie. Otherwise, Snake Dike is one of the most aesthetic routes I have ever done. Simply gorgeous.
brutus of wyde - Apr 12, 2005 6:26 pm
Route Climbed: Numerous Date Climbed: NumerousCables June 1978
Snake Dike w Pat Brennan and Jerry July 1978
Regular NW Face w Pat Brennan July 1980
Snake Dike w Stan Horn 1982
Cables with my daughter 1992
Salathe' route w Eric Coomer June 1995
Regular NW Face July 1995 w Inez Drixelius
Snake Dike w Nurse Ratchet and my daughter July 2000
Regular NW Face June 2001 w Nurse Ratchet, replacing bad bolts at p6, p11, and p17
bechtt - Mar 31, 2005 9:26 pm
Route Climbed: Cables Route Date Climbed: Jul 1989ExploreABitMore - Mar 4, 2005 10:25 pm
Route Climbed: Cable Route Date Climbed: 06/25/98Day hiked the cable route.
Freddys27 - Mar 3, 2005 1:18 pm
Route Climbed: The Cables Date Climbed: 1979, 1986, 1998I first climbed this when I was 7 years old. Thanks Dad!
jtree - Feb 27, 2005 12:57 pm
Route Climbed: Snake Dike Date Climbed: May 2004Larry S. and I were the first ones on the route and enjoyed the beautiful solitude of having a classic all to ourselves. I thought the second pitch was just amazing! We used one 9 mm rope which in retrospect might not have been such a good idea especially if one of us took a 300 footer, which is possible I guess if things go way bad. Luckily the day we climbed was the first day the cables were put up so we had an easy time descending. A four star day!
The Defiant One - Feb 23, 2005 2:31 am
Route Climbed: Tourist Cables Date Climbed: June 2003, 2004everytime i do this it starts with a random night of sleeplessness in the SF Bay Area then a midnight phone call to my trusted go-anywhere friends three hours of driving, three more of hiking and a sunrise from the top of half dome. half dome is such an impulsive decision everytime
bigwallt - Feb 22, 2005 12:01 am
Route Climbed: Regular Northwest Face Date Climbed: Oct 1 1992climbed this route in a day, the day after I got married with my best man. My wife new she was marrying a climber when she said, "I DO!" She is still with me 13 years later.
Franz77 - Feb 10, 2005 2:40 am
Route Climbed: The Cables Date Climbed: 24 May 2004Me and Paglia from Curry village in 5 hours. Nice view. Nice environment.
SgtSarge - Feb 2, 2005 4:13 pm
Route Climbed: Mist Trail Date Climbed: June 2004Beautiful views up here. Too many people though.
Gene - Dec 10, 2004 8:36 pm
Route Climbed: Cables, Snake Dike Date Climbed: 1970 - 2000The tick marks in my guide book say 19 trips to the top so far. Have done it in the 70s, 80s, 90s, & 00s. In my teens, 20s, 30s, 40s. Gotta do it again now I'm in my 50s. The best was when my (then) 9 year old daughter and I went up the cables. Four trips up Snake Dike from about 1973 through 2000. Will do it again this year. I blew my ACL on the Regular NW Face route in 2000. For some reason, I consider my retreat and subsequent unassisted descent of the Death Slabs one of my finest days in the hills.
bricewilson - Dec 8, 2004 6:33 pm
Route Climbed: The Cables Date Climbed: June 8, 2004Fun day hike, next time I'm going ultra-light and running!
JanG - Nov 19, 2004 1:48 pm
Route Climbed: Regular hike (by the cables) Date Climbed: Oct 1992Half Dome was the first day-long hike that I took with my sons Christoph (aged 11 at the time) and Alexander ( aged 9); it was an exhilarating experience for all of us, especially leaning over the top! Somehow that hike must have given the boys a positive impression of hiking and mountaineering in general. Indeed, both of them subsequently asked if they could join me in a quest to climb the Matterhorn in Switzerland ( in 2002, see details in Trip Report on Matterhorn).
ripper333 - Oct 24, 2004 5:15 pm
Route Climbed: cables Date Climbed: oct 2002/june 2003great experience both times. great weather
ChuckO - Oct 19, 2004 3:59 pm
Route Climbed: cables Date Climbed: late 1970'sJoined in a Sierra Club trip when I was in high school. Just looking to catch a ride to the mountains for some wilderness time - got Half Dome too. Bonus!
Gail J - Oct 14, 2004 1:28 pm
Route Climbed: Snake Dike Date Climbed: October 7, 2004An eleven hour round trip from Little Yosemite Valley. A long day, but I was so happy to do the route, I wasn't tired. Thanks to my climbing partner for doing all the leading.