Half Dome (cables down)
I learned about Half Dome the exact same hour I learned about Yosemite. It’s the iconic, majestic trail known worldwide, and for good reason. Because of its popularity, getting on it usually requires winning a highly competitive preseason lottery.
For two years, I applied religiously. Result: Denied. For another year, I posted in hiking groups and begged around for an open spot. Result: Nothing.
It felt like the universe was keeping me off that rock. But then, a little bit of climber luck changed everything.
My friend Lauren was planning a trip to Yosemite for some rock climbing. I asked if I could hitch a ride, mentioning I was looking for either a massive day hike or—if the stars aligned—Half Dome.
There was a catch: the cables were down for the season.
When the cables are "down," it means the support poles have been removed, leaving the steel cables lying flat against the smooth, steep granite. It’s a completely different beast than the standard summer hike. Instead of backing away, Lauren jumped at the chance. As a climber, she offered to bring harnesses, a Personal Anchor System (PAS), and prusik loops so we could safely clip into the downed cables.
We packed our gloves, laced up, and just like that, the dream was on.
The Ascent: Mist Trail to the Subdome
We hit the trail at 6:30 AM sharp from the Upper Pines campground, choosing the infamous Mist Trail.
Passing by the roaring Vernal and Nevada Falls early in the morning was the perfect warmup for what was to come.
By 10:45 AM, we were standing at the base of the subdome, looking straight up at the cable route.
Gulp.
/| <-- 45 degrees of pure granite
/ |
/ |
/___|
Seeing that incline in person is a completely different experience than looking at photos. It is steep. I stood there staring at the sheer face of the rock, suddenly questioning all my life choices. Should I switch to my sticky rock climbing shoes, or trust my trail runners? After a moment of hesitation, I decided to stick with my Altra trail runners.
We stepped into our harnesses, flaked out our lines, and began the ascent.
45 Minutes of Pure Adrenaline
What followed was one of the most unbelievable, surreal experiences of my life.
Because the cables were flat on the rock, we had to haul ourselves up while using our prusiks to catch us if we slipped. About 25% of the way up, as the exposure started to really pull at my vision, I clipped in my PAS for an extra layer of security.
Surprisingly, the granite felt incredibly sticky under my shoes, and my gloves bit into the steel cables with a steady, reassuring grip. Still, my heart was hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs, and my palms were sweating inside my gloves.
The cable portion is technically short, but when you are treating every step like your life depends on it, time stretches. It took us 45 minutes of intense focus to pull ourselves over the lip.
But when we did? Pure magic.
Total euphoria. I was exhausted, terrified, and overwhelmingly happy all at the same time. We celebrated with a hard-earned lunch break, snapped some classic summit photos, and soaked in the high-altitude reward.
Kissing Solid Ground
The descent was a test of knees and nerves, but thankfully, a cool breeze kept our heads clear. Walking down backward or sideways on smooth granite is a mental game, but we took our time, trusting our gear.
When my feet finally touched flat, horizontal, solid dirt again, I literally kissed the ground. In that exact moment, my heart was filled completely with pure, unadulterated happiness. Three years of waiting, packaged into one perfect, adrenaline-fueled day.
We rolled back into the campground at 5:30 PM, just as dawn was fading into dusk.
📊 The Hike Breakdown
If you're planning to tackle Half Dome from the valley floor, here is what the day actually looks like:
Route: Upper Pines Campground via Mist Trail
Distance: 17.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 5,800 feet
Total Moving Time: 7 hours
Conditions: Cables down 😬
Gear Used: Climbing harness, prusiks, PAS, tough grip gloves, and Altra trail runners.
Half Dome: Status ✅ Completed.
Safety: Climbing Half Dome with the cables down requires specialized technical knowledge and climbing gear!
