Half Dome safety - when the cables are down

I posted a video in Nov. '20 about climbing Half Dome when the cables were down. In that video I didn't go into much detail and I got some good questions in the comments section. Hopefully this will help you on your Half Dome quest to make informed decisions about your personal safety. Remember, you can climb Half Dome any time of the year. Always have a turn-around time and turn back if the weather is bad or your intuition tells you to.
Please see the end of the video called "Deerskull Peak" where I describe how to tie the prusik hitch and the autoblock in detail:
• Deerskull Peak - Oregon

[@mariyakalynyuk162]

Such a good video thank you

[@summitsparrow]

No prob! Take care!

[@phantom12311976]

Good insight and info. Looking forward to more outdoors stuff...

[@marcump]

I appreciate your take

[@hossromani]

Excellent video and logic , thank you

[@summitsparrow]

Glad you enjoyed! Take care!

[@derrikferguson3219]

Thanks for the good info. Just getting into researching this. Gonna apply for permits tomorrow.

[@summitsparrow]

Hi Derrik, best of luck to you! Consider the off-season if you don't win the lottery. I've been playing it for about 12 years and I've never won a permit.

[@derrikferguson3219]

@@summitsparrow Oh dang. Ok thanks for the info. So you’re saying I have a better chance of winning the lottery than winning this lottery? Lol. Jk. I’ve probably never done such an intense hike before. But yeah might have a better experience off season without the crowds. Would just have to use proper gear. I did Angel’s Landing in 2021 and that was doable for me physically. There was a moment before the chains where I had to contend with an anxiety about heights but I did end up going and actually doing the hike was not too tough physically. I was thinking I should do this 12 mile walk from my house to a nearby town and ride the bus back. Then maybe see if I can walk 12 miles there then back. Although I used to live at higher elevation (5,000+) feet, I’ve been living near sea level in Florida for the past three years and will be flying in from Florida. Angels Landing was totally manageable but that summits at 5,800 I believe. Anyway thanks for all the info.

[@ZAINAZAIDI]

Great video! Thanks

[@summitsparrow]

Thanks and happy trails!

[@AngelGonzalez-hc4zw]

I am fairly new to the hiking/trekking world. I appreciate the information especially the safety matters. Thanks for sharing.

[@summitsparrow]

No problem! Happy trails!

[@Papershields001]

My brother and I went up with the cables down on Friday. We went up the mist trail at 3 am with a full moon. Absolutely magical. Didn’t use a hitch at all on the cables actually just used two carabiners.

[@summitsparrow]

That's so awesome! Night hiking is my favorite.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Why use carabiners at all without a friction hitch?

[@Papershields001]

@@BackcountryPilgrim it was mostly psychological so I’d feel like I was just going to fall to the bottom of whichever cable I was attached to, rather than all the way down to the col. Frankly, I think it’s safer to travel over that section quickly rather than spend all that time messing about tying and untying. If your comfortable with class 3 or 4 scrambling or easy rock climbing the cables are a piece of cake.

[@summitsparrow]

@@BackcountryPilgrim It's a compromise between speed and safety on easier terrain where the risk of a fall is low. The carabiner will easily glide up and down the cable but prevent a life-threatening fall. The use of a friction hitch is very time consuming comparatively. Many people choose to forego a safety system entirely. The choice is up to you; it's your life.

[@martinpattison8916]

@@summitsparrow I used a strap with a prusik loop. Bit of a nuisance and slows you down a bit. On these cables I don't think there is most risk for most people, but if you start getting cramp in your arms/wrists and find yourself having difficulty gripping the cable some sort of safety system will be welcome.

[@marcosanchezponce]

Just to make sure, you would not recommend microspikes or exospikes for hlafdomes when cabels are down? Hoping for late April attempt. Thanks for the info regardless.

[@summitsparrow]

This year, no. The snowpack will be very deep in April with all the snow we got this winter. That's my personal recommendation, as I believe it to be the safest approach. Microspikes provide some traction, but not enough in my opinion for situations where one slip will result in a slide down a cliff to certain death. Additionally, I'd consider bringing an ice axe for added support, especially this season. Lastly, an SOS beacon should be considered if you, for any reason, can't descend. You might be able to get away with microspikes 9 times out of 10, but that 10th time will be the time you die.

[@gunner2gunner]

I’m going to climbing HD next season. I’m an experienced rock, and mountain climbers. Due to blowing out my left knee while snow skiing, I have to wear a knee brace for all my sports activities. I’m slower and older now. I’ll be using a Via Ferrata when I climb HD. Not that I don’t trust my own ability, I don’t trust others on the cable. Plus my brother is coming alone and he has never climbed an ant hill.

[@summitsparrow]

Good luck to you both and hope you have a great climb!

[@gunner2gunner]

@@summitsparrow thanks, plan on it. Due to my bad knee, and this being my brothers first hike, we are getting a backpack permit and spend the night at Lower Yosemite. I’m retired and my brother is a teacher and off during the summer so we are open to any dates.

[@sergiu_bogdan]

I've been applying for the preseason lottery for a few years consecutively but never got in. I always thought they took the cables off completely in the off season til I saw your video. Too bad I'm very inexperienced and won't be trying this route, but it's an idea at least for the future if I ever get more into it.

[@summitsparrow]

Don't feel bad, I've never won the HD lottery either. The only time I've done it in the tourist season I used someone else's permit. I hope you do it one day. You don't need any permit in the off season and it's a way better experience without the crowds on the cables.

[@Oicurmty]

I climbed 4 weeks ago, no permit. I just got a 3 day pass, started hike at 5 45am and arrived at sub dome and asked if anyone had a spare ticket and got one straight away. Its very easy to jump onto a group for permit. Don't think about it just GO do it!!

[@summitsparrow]

@@Oicurmty That's awesome! Congrats!

[@georged822]

I posted a comment on your other video, but it’s more appropriate here: would you say going up the face you would have had better traction with regular approach shoes/boots? Or is the traction better on rock with crampons. Thanks!

[@summitsparrow]

I agree traction would be better with just boots. I personally use crampons anytime I'm near a cliff face and have snow to deal with and I take very little chances when it comes to safety. Thank you for your input!

[@Tech-49]

Just bought shattered air, i live in australia so might be the closest i ever get to half dome - cheers

[@summitsparrow]

Hope you can make it out sometime - you don't need to worry about a permit if you go in the off season.

[@marks6663]

who says that LNT is a principle? By that logic, all the stone steps on the subdome should not exist either. All the paths should not exist. Nor should there be any direction signs. If you want to make such a concept a principle, then apply it only to the visitors. The saying is "take only photographs, leave only footprints." Well on half dome, you don't even leave footprints.

[@summitsparrow]

Nobody is exempt from the leave no trace principle - not visitors, not park rangers, and not politicians. We only have one planet and we all have to be mindful of the impact we leave when we alter the land in any way. That includes stone-step trails, fire rings, park entrance signs, and bear lockers.

[@montanasojourn]

Don't "mountain climbers" drill holes and put in safety links? did the guy you mentioned actually climb the half dome with NOTHING but his hands and feet? just wondering...

[@summitsparrow]

As far as I know Alex Honnold is the only person in the world to have free-soloed the NW face. Others have climbed it with gear placements, but not by drilling. Drilling a hole is done in limited instances on an established route to place a bolt, which is basically a huge screw, in rock, but in most cases it would be highly illegal and unethical for you and I to do that. The purest form of gear placement is not with bolts or with pitons, which damage the rock, but with spring-loaded cams and nuts, which truly leave no trace.

[@montanasojourn]

@@summitsparrow thanks for the explanation.

[@seanng33]

@@summitsparrow Arguably, Alex was able to free solo because he was able to practice with ropes, in addition, clear the path prior to the free solo (which requires guys with ropes).