A hike to remember- Half Dome, Yosemite
By: Shashank Iyer
Tags: Yosemite, Wilderness, Fitness, Adventure, Hiking

Fig 1: A great view of Half Dome from Glacier Point.

It was a beautiful morning on the 3rd of July, 2021 when some friends and I started our hike up the most iconic mountain in the Yosemite Valley — Half Dome!

The breathtaking and stupendous views on this route made it the best hiking experience I have ever had!

Standing at 8839ft, Half Dome is an awe inspiring granite formation that had first caught my attention when I visited Yosemite in summer 2001 (I was a little boy back then who was intrigued by the shape of this mountain :))

Hiking to the summit 20 years later was reminiscent!

Fig 2: A breathtaking view of the Valley with the famous Half Dome ledge on the left (and me on it).

I would like to share my experience hiking Half Dome and give you some pointers so that you are fully prepared and have the best experience.

Decide on your group of 6 hikers and have everyone register for the pre-season lottery. This happens in March. Proactive registration for the lottery ensures a higher possibility of success and lets you plan your trip in advance.

Have all secondary permit holders respond to confirmation emails from nps.gov. We missed doing that and requesting for an amendment in April was a very painful experience.

Make reservations for your accommodation well in advance. (Who doesn’t like a nice hotel with great breakfast options!). Making reservations for the night before and after your hike will make your trip less stressful, if your budget allows for this. We stayed at the Best Western in Mariposa. It is about a 90 mins drive from the valley. They have well maintained rooms and an excellent breakfast service.

If you are an excellent planner and can find accommodation inside the park, snag it immediately! Setting up base within the park will save you a ton of travel time. Curry Village, is a great option. They have reasonably priced and comfortable cabins that are only a 15 mins walk away from the base of the Half Dome trail.

Fig 3: The Dawn Wall to the left and Half Dome to the right, cloaked in sunlight, as seen from Tunnel View.

Half Dome checklist:

Your Half Dome permit! Gloves - rope climbing gloves from REI or workman gloves from Home Depot. You will need them while climbing up the cables. Water- More is always less. I carried 5 litres but ran out of water on my way down. If your budget allows, invest in a water bladder. This makes sipping while hiking very convenient :) Food- Energy bars and fruits were all I ate throughout the day. I carried half a dozen bars, 2 bananas and an energy drink for the hike. Backpack- with lower waist and upper chest straps. Your back and neck will thank you later. Having a rain fly may come in handy while hiking along Mist Trail. Jacket- lightweight hiking jacket just incase the weather takes a turn for the worse. Hiking shoes- it took me about 20 hours to break into mine. If you need to buy a pair, the sooner, the better. Socks- I carried 2 pairs of hiking/woollen socks. A great way to stay comfortable and avoid bruising your feet. It’s also nice to have a second pair to change into at the halfway point. Sunscreen- We carried 3 bottles between the 6 of us and applied fresh layers 3–4 times. A hat- This was a saviour! A torch or headlamp- It got pitch dark before we could return to the parking lot and having torches handy was helpful. Hiking poles- they were helpful, especially while descending. A nice camera- You probably want to make the most of this opportunity by getting quality photos :) Advil or other pain killers.

With all your gear in place, you should be ready for the hike of your life! Adventure and excitement await you…

Fig 4: Another angle of the Half Dome summit. (in pic- a friend and I)

This trail has 3 very popular and beautiful waterfalls which comprise a section of the Merced River know as The Giant Staircase- Vernal Falls, Silver Apron and Nevada Falls. So all you waterfall lovers are in for a treat.

We started our day at 4:30 am, our hike at 7am and returned to the parking lot at 9:30pm. It takes between 10 and 15 hours to finish the hike so plan accordingly. The earlier you start your hike, the more enjoyable your experience will be (and fewer random hikers photobombing you). It is pretty challenging to hike down the Mist Trail or the John Muir trail in the dark.

We took Mist trail on our way up. This probably is one of the most enjoyable sections of the hike. Hiking along this trail will be a refreshing experience. The cool mist, the early morning breeze and sunlight made this hike not only relaxing but great for photo ops. The Mist trail has a water re-filling station. This will be your last source of potable water during your hike to Half Dome.

Fig 5: Mist trail (bottom left) as seen from a vantage point.

As you hike along this trail while enjoying the mist, please watch your step. The trail is usually very slippery and the path is uneven with ragged rocks and stairs.

At the end of the Mist Trail stands Vernal Fall, a spectacular waterfall that is a part of the river Merced. The falling water collides with the rocks below to kick up a pleasant mist that makes this hike so enjoyable. In Spring, hikers may be drenched by the time they pass the mist from the waterfall. So more planning if you intend to hike at that time of the year.

Fig 6: The beautiful Vernal Falls and the mist it creates.

We made our way up from Vernal falls to John Muir trail via Silver Apron trail. More stairs greeted us!

Fig 7: Stairs on Silver Apron trail.

Fig 8: A Blue Jay on Silver Apron trail.

The long flight of stairs and enjoyable views brought us to John Muir trail. We rested here for a while, elated by our experience thus far.

It was 9:33 am. We were at an elevation of 6019ft and 4.5 miles away from our destination.

Fig 9: A sign board at the intersection of Silver Apron and John Muir trails. (Don’t forget your permit)

Onward and forward as we hiked into Little Yosemite Valley. This part of the hike is like a partial break as there only is a marginal elevation gain. Soak in the beauty of the valley!

We chose the valley as our second resting point, ate and hydrated. I found myself a comfortable rock and lay down on it for a few minutes.

Fig 10: John Muir trail passing through Little Yosemite Valley.

As we hiked up from the valley to Sub Dome, the trail became steeper and I will be honest, moving forward was very challenging. We climbed almost a thousand feet in an hour and arrived at another sign board that read, “2 miles to go”. (Woohoo!)

We met some people who were on their way down. When I inquired, they said that they had started their hike at 1:30am. A great way to catch the sunrise from the summit if you plan your trip well.

It took sweat and blood (minus blood) to hike another mile and arrive at the base of Sub Dome. This was our third major resting point. You will have to be vigilant about wild squirrels that often try to grab your food and other belongings. The ones at the summit of Half Dome are even more aggressive as vegetation and food are scarce up there.

Fig 11: A wild squirrel that was trying to grab my food.

We also took this opportunity to apply a fresh layer of sun screen as there is no tree cover on Sub Dome and Half Dome.

If you made it this far, know that you are on your final stretch uphill, you got this!

We went up to the ranger station, shared credentials and continued our journey. The Sub Dome hike probably is the most challenging as there is neither a well-defined trail nor steps and hikers need to maintain their balance as they hike up the mountain’s steep and slippery granite surface.

Stay vigilant and if for you aren’t confident about making it up the face of the mountain, there is no shame in turning back. Remember, you still have to hike back to the parking lot.

We arrived at the summit of Sub Dome at 1:30pm. It is important to secure all your belongings before you begin your ascent up the cables. (It sucks to lose one’s phone or camera) So take a moment to do that and put on your gloves.

Fig 12: At the base of the Half Dome cables hike.

While you are on the cables, be mindful of people climbing down and clearly communicate how you intend to cross one-another, lead with your feet as much as possible to avoid tiring out your arms and more importantly, enjoy the views and the experience.

We arrived at the summit of Half Dome at about 2pm. I found a rock to sit on and took several moments to just relish the moment. I had made it, we had made it!

Fig 13: A view from the summit of Half Dome.

We had a great time on Half Dome, meeting new people, clicking photos and enjoying the sense of accomplishment. We also saw a man propose to his girlfriend. I commend him for putting in great thought and picking such an iconic spot to pop the question.

Fig 14: My hiking crew.

I was lucky to have been able to do this hike with these cheerful, enthusiastic, caring and fun-loving folks. We helped each other when needed and kept everyone motivated throughout the hike.

I was pleasantly surprised that there were only a few people at the summit on the day of our hike. This ensured almost no wait time get shots on the iconic ledge. A benefit of the lockdown :)

Fig 15: The joy of having conquered the mountain.

We began our descent at 3pm and made it down the cables at 3:50pm. Amongst my group members, I was more challenged by the downward hike was than the upward climb. Having hiking poles was extremely helpful as they helped take some load off my knees and hips.

We arrived at the intersection of Silver Spoon and John Muir trails 3 hours later and rested there. We ran out of water at this point. Fortunately, we had brought a LiveStraw and so were able to drink from the Merced River. You want to avoid doing this as much as possible as the river’s currents can be very strong.

Fig 16: The Merced River.

We continued on John Muir trail and got a wonderful view of the majestic Nevada Falls.

Fig 16: Nevada Falls on the Merced River.

The setting sun lit up the water and granite providing a spectacular view.

The journey from Nevada Falls to the parking lot took us 2 and a half hours. There were numerous land slides that had blocked off sections of the trail. We had to carefully climb over those sections. You should try to ensure that you have crossed the switch backs and are back on Mist Trail before it gets dark.

Our hike ended at 9:27pm. Exhausted yet happy, sore yet accomplished, famished yet satisfied!

Half Dome was a challenging and a splendid experience. I will cherish these memories for years to come.

Fig 17: North Dome and Basket Dome to the left, and Half Dome to the right as seen from Glacier point.

I hope this blog helps you prepare better for your Half Dome hike or inspires you to give it a shot. If a bunch of completely out of shape software engineers could do it, I’m sure you can!