Climbing Half Dome via Snake Dike

Graham and I started climbing less than a year ago in the gym but after meeting on the bouldering wall at Mission Cliffs, we ignorantly made it our objective to climb either half dome or El Capitan within the year. We had no idea there even was an easy route up Half Dome but after one trad trip under my belt and a decent amount of time watching videos on multi-pitch climbing, we set out to the Valley with Half Dome as our objective. We spent the first day on the Swan slab perfecting our multi-pitch technique and learning how to climb crack (Graham also had never climbed outside before so he had to figure that out too). We woke up at 4 am in Camp 4 the next morning and got to the base of the climb before anyone else. About 5 pitches up, we noticed a line of 4 to 6 other groups just waiting to get on the wall but we were cruising through and made it up to the top a little after 1 pm. Did the approach, climb, and decent in just under 12 hours car to car on September 19, 2017.

[@Lehmann108]

"Give me lots of slack because I'll be falling 150 feet anyway!" as he climbs a pitch where no protection can be placed. Nice climb!

[@BurkeLCH]

6:03

[@kid5Media]

When I climbed it in the 70s, each time in may by the full moon, there were single bolts every 75 feet between belays. All the bolts were of course 60s style bolts. Second time, since 3 0f the 4 of us had already done it, we didn't clip those bolts. No cams, of course.

[@TheJeffDing]

This dude really went from Snake Dike to Golden Gate in 3 years

[@bobbyd7363]

I just started seeing his vids a couple days ago and am blown away.

[@mls01981]

It's super hard to believe!!!

[@andrewp.menotti6756]

Thanks for posting a little bit of the slab above the climb. No one seems to show this, and I wanted an idea of how steep it really was.

[@Johnny-Rocks]

We climbed this route a couple weeks ago, excellent route and good short video you did to capture the essence of the climb.

[@jacksonb9560]

really good video! Impressive how you learned to lead on Trad gear and do multi-pitch climbs confidently in such a short time span. Well Done

[@Carl.Mansson]

This is one of those climbs where it's soooo easy, when you're the second man, yet seem terrifying to "lead"

[@drewcunningham2]

Wow, hard to believe you have only been climbing for a couple of years..... although graded as 5.7 it is definitely very run out which ups the fear factor more than a few notches to be sure...very well done indeed!

[@HondoTrailside]

Cool, I started climbing in '72 at the age of 12. There were no gyms, or internet, and nuts were only available in my second year. Trad is only trad if there is also a little adventure. You seem to have that part. Have fun.

[@greatamericansurvival]

Great climb. Brought back lots of great memories. Personally I haven’t been back to Yosemite since the 90’s spent lots of time there climbing everything we could even things we weren’t supposed to but snakebite was always a great climb. Thanks again.

[@dstallman]

Nice work on the direct slab start on pitch 1- I'd say more fun than the roof traverse from the right!

[@zakelwe]

Good video, nice weather. A classic VS route. At night with a clear sky would be epic.

[@NickDangerThirdGuy]

Last time I did snake dike was in 1987, nice to see someone put bolts in for the belays.

[@RandomClimbingGuy]

Good job dude.

[@apoorvpro]

I ended up wiping clean my screen few times during this video!

[@surfclimbcycle]

Thumbs up for the Dropkick Murphy's merch :)

[@bonefishboards]

First time I ever stood on top of Half Dome was after spending three days climbing the RNWFHD.

[@carloszenteno]

wonderful video. I don't climb but was on the tip of my chair. Who sets up the orange/purple anchors? Do they bring a drill with them?

[@NateLanza]

The bolts that those orange anchors are attached to are placed by climber's organizations, notably the ASPCA (I believe that's the acronym.) The orange/purple rope webbing you see attached to the anchor, as well as the carabiners, belong to the maker of the video- he puts all that on the two bolts when he arrives at them while leading. The bolts do require a drill to set- a hole is drilled, a bolt is placed in it, then a bolt hangar is attached to the bolt. The bolts are the only part of the climb that is permanent- the rest of the gear is supplied by the climbers and they take it with them when they leave.

[@roberthunt1460]

@@NateLanza a very very small percentage of all bolts placed are by any real organization most are placed by anyone with the chops to bolt on lead in yosemite. or by any dufus with a hilti gun anywhere else

[@mtadams2009]

@@roberthunt1460 I am from the east coast. I climbed back in the 70s and 80s and bolts were looked at poorly. There was some nut job I will leave nameless who used to remove bolts anyone installed. Back then we only trad climbed, it was either that or aid climbing, that all we knew. In the Gunks bolts of any kind were rare. How times have changed. Take care

[@freshmuscles]

@@NateLanza Lol, ASPCA is the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. I think you were thinking of the AMG (American Mountain Guides Association).

[@perrydoig2872]

@@freshmuscles so close!! It's the ASCA (American Safe Climbing Association)

[@wheelbegood]

Great climb :)

[@traveliersmusicmountains2180]

Wonderful,❤️❤️❤️🤩🤩🤩 What is the difficulty of the route? How Many pitch ? Great climb ✌️

[@traveliersmusicmountains2180]

Cheers Chris and Sara (Swiss )

[@CodGeronimo]

I don't know much about bolting etiquette but how come there aren't more bolts on such a popular route with so many run-out sections? Seems like it could be made a lot safer right? Thanks for the video!

[@SeroeKrevedko1]

I have the same question, really don't understand such thing

[@DougSatre]

Considered very bad form to add bolts to existing routes that were established from the ground up, so you take it as it is as part of the adventure.

[@mls01981]

I read that the first ascentionists didn't have tons of money and so they used bolts sparingly. If I could time travel, I would have given them two dozen more bolts making it more accessible to lesser climbers, like myself.

[@chrisgodsey3513]

I think if it were super bolted up nobody would care about snake dike

[@guest_house_platan]

Видео про то как вы умеете делать станции из реп шнура?

[@laser1330]

How long does it take to climb half dome?

[@JB-rt4mx]

A little more up views would have been nice with slower pans🐿

[@deanfitzgerald8063]

Can anyone tell me if it's possible to die of heart attack while watching climbing videos. If so, please let me know so I can stop watching them.

[@danielhawley6817]

YES! Stop watching them! gardening shows are an excellent alternative.

[@mountainmike3242]

I hate this world sometimes. Not climbing though

[@Constitution1789]

It'd be cool if there were a VR camera you could strap to your head so we could look around ourselves while you're climbing. Didn't enjoy watching mostly rock.

[@dougdavis8986]

Gopro on the helmut is the worst. Unwatchable

[@johntuttle9544]

If you are using a cordelette on a bomber 2 bolt belay you might be a gumby. Nice send. Try to get more efficient.

[@maturtlelaza]

yEaH wHaT ThE hEll mAn, riSK YoUr lIfE hArDer. YoU DOn't eVeN CRusSH 5.9 PLUS (like John).

[@KubaClimbsRocks]

Hey John, what anchor setup would you suggest using on a 2 bolt belay so as not to be a gumby and be more efficient? :)

[@bryanbattles8149]

@@KubaClimbsRocks Use a quad.

[@kyletyrnauer7752]

WhY uSe sUcH A BomBeR AnChor To StAy SaF3 yOu GuMBy?!

[@johntuttle9544]

@@kyletyrnauer7752 because it is unneeded.