My Gear for Climbing Half Dome (Cables Up)

In my last video I showed you my one-day hike to the top of Half Dome Yosemite and back. Here I will show you the safety gear I used and discuss alternatives that might make for a better climb for you.
Intro 0:00
Gloves: 1:35
Harness, Sling, Carabiners: 4:30
Downfalls of this System 6:58
Dangers of this System 8:35
The Best Safety System for Half Dome Cables Up: Via Ferrata: 10:25
Problems with Super Grippy Gloves 11:08
The Best Safety System for Half Dome Cables Down: 12:00
Final Recommendations 13:16
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VIDEO LINKS
Half Dome Video: • Climbing Half Dome in ...
HALF DOME GEAR USED ON THIS CLIMB:
GLOVES: Mad Grip - amzn.to/4dEUmNK
GM 16mm Nylon Sling Runner - amzn.to/3eDp2PY
Black Diamond Rocklock Screwgate Carabiner - amzn.to/3fFf95w
Weanas Thicken Climbing Harness - amzn.to/3h9tibn
(BETTER Harness - Black Diamond Momentum - amzn.to/3pGIQt5)
VIA FERRATA GEAR:
Petzl Scorpio Vertigo Via Ferrata Lanyard: amzn.to/339Q8vH
Black Diamond Iron Cruiser Via Ferrata Set: Black Diamond Iron Cruiser - bit.ly/3LSOzpC
ARTICLES:
Safety Equipment for Hiking Half Dome: yosemitehouse.com/half-dome-s...
Mr. Half Dome (Gloves): hikehalfdome.com/gloves-cables...
How To Climb Half Dome Cables Down (Off Season): • How To Climb Half Dome...
Climbing Half-Dome with Cables Down: www.yosemite.ca.us/forum/view...
Rock Climbing Fall: • Rock Climbing: Lead Fall
Descent of Half Dome Cables (using caribiner safety system): • Descending The Cables ...
The Best Climbing Slings and Runners: www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics...
Choosing A Dynamic Climbing Rope - What Do The Numbers Mean?: mountainequipment.com/blogs/m...
Fall Factor and Impact Force Theory: www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/Fal...
Half Dome Deaths: www.businessinsider.com/how-m...
Half Dome seen from partway up the South Face of the Washington Column, with storm clouds approaching: www.summitpost.org/half-dome-...
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MY HIKING GEAR: www.BackcountryPilgrim.com/my...
BLOG - www.BackcountryPilgrim.com
INSTAGRAM - / backcountrypilgrim
FACEBOOK - profile.php?...
TWITTER - / backcntrypilgrm
-------MY GO-TO GEAR-------
PACKS & POLES
Osprey Atmos AG 50L: amzn.to/3bFCq5i
Mountainsmith Zerk 40L: amzn.to/2VWaaVl
Osprey Talon 22L: amzn.to/2VXcv2i
Mountainsmith Tour 9L Lumbar Pack: amzn.to/3eEDZBQ
Mountainsmith Waterproof Dry Kick Lumbar Pack 4L: amzn.to/2Y0sO0S
Gryps Waterproof Backpack Rain Cover: amzn.to/2Y41VcG
Osprey UL Packliner: amzn.to/3eRkLJN
Foxelli Aluminum Trekking Poles: amzn.to/2zqBeEB
SHELTER & SLEEP SYSTEM
3F UL Lanshan 2 Tent: amzn.to/3bBqRvL
Tent Footprint: amzn.to/2VxVVqU
Moonstone Sleeping Bag (Out of Production)
Nemo Tensor Sleeping Pad: amzn.to/2VPUiUo
Trekology UL Inflatable Pillow: amzn.to/2S4AtYm
Sunyear Camp Chair: amzn.to/2KvqjvH
HYDRATION & FOOD PREP
Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter: amzn.to/2yD2zDc
Cnoc Outdoors 2020 Vecto 2L: amzn.to/3ePRa3q
BRS-3000T Stove: amzn.to/3eY3K0O
Jetboil Jetpower Fuel: amzn.to/3cM1F6F
TOAKS Titanium 1100ml Pot with Pan: amzn.to/351LvCY
TOAKS Titanium Long Handle Spoon: amzn.to/2VB8amD
CLOTHING & RAINGEAR
Altra Lone Peak Trail Runners: amzn.to/2Kymtlm
Keen Targhee II Hiking Boots: amzn.to/350eMOs
Injinji Toe Socks: amzn.to/2KyLSLX
Darn Tough Hiking Socks: amzn.to/2KsGUjQ
Ex Officio Give-n-Go Briefs: amzn.to/353j8Eo
Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Pants/Shorts: amzn.to/2x6zRKD
Sunday Afternoons Sunday Afternoons Hat: amzn.to/2znPo9r
Marmot Beanie: amzn.to/354PQoM
Buff: amzn.to/3bCGpiZ
Outdoor Research Foray Rain Jacket: amzn.to/3eNG7Ia
Marmot Precip Rain Pants: amzn.to/350nGvp
Mountain hardware Ghost Shadow (Synthetic Whisperer): amzn.to/36fGl79
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MUSIC:
Intro/Outro Music: www.bensound.com

[@jrdawg25]

Love the info!

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Great to hear!

[@StepsbyKaatje]

This is a good video on safety! Thanks! 😀

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Glad you liked it!

[@chicoflash6377]

You’ve done it again Doctor. Eminently prepared and delivered video-motivation for my acrophobic self to get on a stepladder and clean my gutters! Looking forward to what’s next.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Gutters are scary for their own reasons LOL! Glad you liked it!

[@Banjomute]

Thanks! Great info.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

You bet!

[@SphoenixBlue]

I have been looking for a video like this for MONTHS! All I could find were over dramatized influencer videos with edm music😅 Thank you SO much for sharing your wisdom and experience! I hike Yosemite weekly and have been training to do Half Dome. You answered all of my questions without me having to ask them.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Glad you liked it!! I'm somewhat local to the park so I get to Yosemite pretty often as well (over-dramatized-but-non-edm videos often follow! LOL).

[@weezy5681]

@@BackcountryPilgrim .

[@ASTHECROWFLIESHIKING]

Nice video Doug. 👍

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Thanks Crow!!!

[@user-xo6yf2rz6n]

Thanks !

[@MiscMitz]

That was a great climb and great equipment

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Thanks! it was an amazing day!

[@gregors1422]

Great vid and good advice! I did this hike about 15 yrs ago and discovered that I had a fear of heights on it! I had made a DIY carbiner system which also helped me (mostly psychologically, as you mention), but had the most fear on the steepest part of the sub-dome (which has no aids). How did you find dealing with that section?

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

I'm actually sitting here right now nervous because I plan to do it again (cables down!) in about two weeks. *Gulp!* :) Yeah Sub Dome is no cake walk, but fortunately I am obsessive about research and was pretty much prepared for it. I did not find it too sketchy fear-wise because I focused on the climbing and not the views (saved those for the way down). Oddly, my mindset on the cables became the opposite. I took in the views in a panorama fashion so that I did not get choked up by the heights. It was so beautiful the fear kind of took a backseat. I told myself this was a "one-and-done" and I better soak it all in because I'd never come back...that turned out to be untrue but it helped motivate me at the time haha!

[@Russojap2]

I think you did the right thing using a harness ... I'm really surprised the park service doesn't make it mandatory, seems like a huge liability issue otherwise.🤔 Anyhow not using a harness would be insane, anything could happen to make you fall, somebody above you could fall and knock you over for example. Pretty sure I would personally give this hike a hard pass though, still seems like a pretty dangerous trip considering weather etc. Also not sure if I would have enough confidence in the cables themselves, or at least the attachment points.😂

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

It's not for everyone! I think too many people underestimate this hike and end up in trouble.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

With the cables down it would be foolhardy to not have a harness. With them up, it's more of a backup in case something happens TO the climber.

[@dahl2525]

What a legend replying to every comment

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Ha! I try. :)

[@carlwilliams6977]

I assumed the cables were attached to the rock at several points throughout the climb. This would mean that you would still have to switch attachment points a few times with the cables "down". In fact, I talked to somebody who did it, and said the one mistake he made was not making the lines on his carabiner long enough to make this transition smoothly (he had two awkwardly squat down at each transition). Thoughts? BTW, 300 people are issued permits per day with the cables ( more correctly - "stanchions") up. I've read that in good weather, about a hundred climb the rock each day with the cables "down". So the solitude you experience, would depend on your timing and some luck!

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

That is correct about the cables. "Down" refers to whether they are up on posts or down on the rock. They never come "off." If you want info on cables down climbing I'd watch the video I made for that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoDKiqltbbGjfdE I've only been up once when they were down. I had the place to myself for nearly an hour and maybe saw 5 people after that. I think it's becoming more popular! :)

[@thomza]

I assume you purchased the longer 4ft sling? This would give 2ft length for each sling attached to it's own caribiner. Do you think 2ft length for each sling is long enough or would a little longer sling such as 3ft each be easier to reach out to clip and unclip over the cable's poles?

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Yes I had the 48". A longer length would help with being able to stand up on the supports if you have longer legs but it would not help with how far you have to reach over because that is a function of your height. I think another foot or so would have been good for me for this application though.

[@thomza]

@@BackcountryPilgrim Thanks a bunch!

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

You bet!

[@MattD86]

Altra Lone Peaks with their big/long lug grips are not ideal for Yosemite’s smooth slippery granite. Your best bet is going to be vibram megagrip found on La Sportiva’s TX3 or TX4 approach/scramble shoes. Grippiest on the market.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

I've got that on my newish topo mtn racers. If I would have had them then I'd have used them!

[@MattD86]

@@BackcountryPilgrim Nice! How do you like those shoes? The specs look awesome

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

I did a review on them early on. I love them but the ones I got do seem to make me blister prone if I am not careful. Could be sizing though. Otherwise I'd say they're not Altra killers but they're a good option if you want a bit more hiking boot feel without the weight penalty.

[@guest00791]

At a glance those look like screw gate carabiners. Every time you clip it you need to twist it locked otherwise it won't actually support your weight the gate could pop open and you'll fall your death. Switching to auto locking is not expensive.

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Not a bad idea. I don't think popping open was much of a possibility given what I was doing with them on this trip but auto locking certainly wouldn't have hurt! :-)

[@SkiSkillsMontana]

Safety gear lol I didn't even bring gloves

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Hike your own hike bro.

[@arisaka9963]

You wore a $19 harness? Lol

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

It was $30, and that's because it has no padding and is built more like the harness you rent at a gym. It's rated to 25kn which I figured would be good enough given that with the cables up the worst that can happen is you slip and slide a few feet. ;)