Monolithic rock Half Dome (Half Dome) is located in the American national park Yosemite. This popular tourist attraction is considered one of the symbols beautiful nature reserve. The granite top of Half Dome is located at 2,694 meters above sea level. The rock majestically rises above the valley of Yosemite Park to a height of 1,450 meters and is included in the list of the largest monoliths in North America.

Half Dome has long retained the status unconquered summit. The first person to climb it was George Anderoson in 1875. In many companies and organizations, the picturesque granite rock is used as a logo. Her image can be seen on the 2005 25 cent coin. Since 2010, the rock has been featured on California driver's licenses.

About 50,000 people a year regularly climb Half Dome. A special cable route, created back in the 1919th century, leads to the very top of the monolith. To make the ascent, you need to take a special permit from the authorities. Now, due to the great popularity among tourists, no more than 400 people are allowed to climb the rock per day. The fine for getting up without a permit will be $5,000 or an alternative term in jail for 6 months.

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California (geographic map).

Yosemite national park. Bridevale Falls and the Merced River.

Yosemite National Park (Yosemite national park listen)) is a conservation institution in the United States, in eastern California, in the Sierra Nevada mountains, in the Yosemite Creek valley. First protected landscape in the US (since 1864), national park since 1890. Its area is 304 thousand hectares.

Sequoias in Yosemite National Park.

The founder of the park is the scientist and explorer John Muir. By the time the territory was discovered by white settlers (in 1851), there were 22 settlements of Yosemite Indians (or Uzumeti), which translates as "gray bear". On June 30, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Giant Sequoia Grove Act into law. Several types of sequoias grow in the park (giant sequoiadendron and evergreen sequoia), in the giant sequoia grove there are about 200 species, among them two “tunnel trees”, through the trunks of which a car can drive. Sequoia is sometimes called the monuments of antiquity, because their age reaches three thousand years.

California. Yosemite National Park. In the photo: Cascade Falls (total height - 727 m).

Most of the park is located in a mountainous area with coniferous forests, meadows, lakes and waterfalls. About 80 species of animals live here. More than half of America's major waterfalls are located in the park, including Yosemite Falls, Ribbon Fall, and Bridalveil Fall. Every year the park is visited by 3-4 million people.

Half Dome Peak in Yosemite National Park. Yosemite Park - the first protected landscape in the United States (since 1864), a national park since 1890.

The attention of tourists is attracted by granite peaks located in the Yosemite Valley. The most famous of them are: El Capitan, Half Dome, Mount Lyell. Yosemite Valley was listed in 1984 world heritage UNESCO.

Back in September last year, sitting on the pebbles at Glacier Point in Yosemite, we admired the large Half Dome rock, which looked like a half dome (hence the name), and then we firmly decided to climb to its top next year. And now the goal is achieved - we are at the top.

Half Dome was originally called " Tis-sa-ack“, which in Ahwahnechee language means Cleft Rock (cracked rock). This huge granite ridge rises 4,737 feet (1,444 m) above Yosemite Valley and 8,844 feet (2,695 m) above sea level.

Unfortunately, the courageous impulse to climb Half Dome can be immediately extinguished due to the problematic organization of this trip.

First, you need to win a lottery permit to climb The Cable Route (the last section of the path on which tourists use cables to climb to the very top). The lottery is held only once a year in March, and only 300 permits are issued per day (including 75 permits for backpackers who stay overnight at the campsite). Those. this very impulse came to you to climb the rock, say in May, but it wasn’t there, you have to wait a year to participate in the lottery, win, and only then climb or test your luck and participate in the Daily Lottery (daily lottery), which plays 50 additional climbing permits. The rule to have permission to climb The Cable Route 7 days a week was introduced only in 2011, before that, an average of 500-1000 tourists climbed the rock every day, which sometimes led to severe congestion on the trail, as shown in the photo below.

Here is how to participate in the lottery.

What if you don't have a permit and still climb the rock on The Cable Route? There can be 3 situations here:

1. You are very lucky, and you will not meet a ranger on the way, checking permissions, then you will calmly climb up and down the cliff;
2. You will meet a kind ranger who will simply turn you back;
3. You will meet an evil ranger who can fine you $5000 and/or send you to jail for 6 months. Cheerful prospect, isn't it?

Secondly, you need to book a campsite or a hotel, which is not always easy in a popular place like Yosemite. And some kind of accommodation is needed, because. the ascent takes 8-12 hours, and after it you don’t really want to get behind the wheel and go home. There is a list of all campsites in the park here http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm.

So, now about the path itself.

The Yosemite Rangers, as always, love to play scary stories and sometimes even say that the difficulty level of this path is 11 on a scale from 0 to 10. But you don’t need to have any superpowers to climb Half Dome, the only difficulty lies in the duration of the path itself - 14-23 miles depending on the chosen route. Yes, there have been accidents along the way, the last one was July 31, 2011, but almost always the cause of death is bad weather: lightning, slippery rock surfaces, cold rain, etc. Therefore, in order to protect yourself as much as possible, you should go here in good weather.

There are several trails to climb to Half Dome. Here is detailed description all routes. Some backpackers stay at the Little Yosemite Valley backpacker camp, which is only 7 miles (11 km) to the top of Half Dome. A permit is also required to stop at this campsite.

Length of routes there and back:

14.2 miles (22.7 km) via the Mist Trail
16.5 miles (26.5 km) via the John Muir Trail
20 miles (32 km) via Glacier Point
23 miles (37 km) through Tenaya Lake.

We decided to go up via the John Muir Trail, as it is more gentle, and go down the shorter route via the Mist Trail. The whole trail is quite comfortable, lined with pebbles in places, it is always clearly visible, so it is simply impossible to get lost.

And now the target is already visible - the Half Dome rock, however, it is difficult to recognize it from the side of the Nevada Fall waterfall: it is the last one in the photo below. The first rock is Liberty Cap. Well, you must admit that the view of these 3 rocks and the Nevada Fall deserves to sit here for an hour, just be silent and enjoy the beauty given to us by Mother Nature. Amazing place! Many tourists "mattress" (as Sasha says) only go up to this waterfall, rest and go back. By the way, here is the last civilized toilet, garbage cans and water.

Since our entire adventure took place at the end of May, the rivers and waterfalls delighted us with their turbulent waters, which are fed by melted snow from the tops of the mountains. Of course, not everyone can swim in such water, but it is quite possible to wash.

Already on the approach to Sub Dome, a gorgeous view opens up of the neighboring mountains covered with snow, the trees burned by last year's fire. But you can not stop, ahead of the last section of the path before the ascent. The weather is getting worse, you need to hurry. It's a pity.

Sub Dome- the penultimate section of the path, when you need to go through the steps carved into the rock. You have to look down! To make your head spin from the crazy view below, to appreciate the scale of the mountains, to think about how well done you are that you could overcome such a section of the path. You need to look down.

Well, and then, in fact, around which all the hype - The cable route. The cable was installed on a rock back in 1919 and became so popular that it was included in the National Register in 2012. Historic Places USA (National Register of Historic Places). The Cable Route is open approximately from May to October, it all depends on weather conditions, how quickly the snow melts, etc.

Is it difficult to climb The Cable Route? No. These are all the latest ranger myths that, with their inherent American security mania, scare tourists. It was a little more difficult to go on the way back when the feet slid along the rock. To reduce the possible risk of falling off the cable to zero, as well as to make your life easier and not stand in line for climbing, you can take harnesses and carabiners with you, which will allow you to safely climb on the side of the main path. Which we safely did (thanks to Misha).

And here is the top of Half Dome. It is quite wide and flat, not at all what it seems from below. You can even play football here. Why not? There will be the most extreme football in the world.

Most popular place at the top is the Diving Board, from where not only chic, but simply mind-blowing photos are obtained.

From above, everything seems so small, even you yourself seem somehow small, insignificant.

We rejoiced, ate, rested, were proud of ourselves, took pictures and went back.

We returned to the Nevada Fall by the same path, then turned onto the Mist trail, which led along the stone steps on the side of the waterfall. It was even very pleasant to cool off with splashes from a powerful stream of water, which breaks with furious force from 180 meters and hits the ground.

Then the trail led to another waterfall, Vernal Fall, it is slightly lower than Nevada Fall, but its power still commands respect.

The splashes from the waterfall create a light haze in the gorge, which adds mysticism to this section of the path, and the slippery steps do not let you relax. Probably, on a hot day, we would have appreciated this life-giving moisture more, but when our feet set foot on the Mist trail, the sun did not please us with its rays, so we wanted to go through the waterfall faster.

And so, tired, but pleased with ourselves, we returned to the parking lot. The whole journey took not much, not a little, but 10 hours.

What do you remember about climbing Half Dome? First of all, beautiful and neatly laid out paths, deer constantly roaming everywhere, waterfalls, fun while climbing the cables, delicious lard (yes, we ate lard at the top) and, of course, a cheerful company, which is the most important thing. Should I go to Half Dome? Of course, it’s worth it, it’s not for nothing that this path is so popular, although by and large the popularity of this trail is due to good advertising.

Parking. The nearest parking lot near the start of the trail is behind Curry Village, near the "Service Vehicles Only" sign, turn right. There are several iron boxes in the parking lot where you should hide all the food and smelly things from the car so that the bears walking around suddenly do not want to look at your car from the inside. You can also park in Curry Village itself if the first car park is full. You can park anywhere in Yosemite Valley, then take the bus to the start of the trail. Those who start their journey from Glacier Point, respectively, need to go there and park in the main parking lot.

Water. Rangers advise taking 4 liters of water with you. If you have a filter with you, then you can collect water in the river. The last water source will be near Nevada Fall.

Gloves. It is worth taking gloves with a rubberized palm with you, they will prevent slipping while climbing the cables, and also save your hands from cuts and scratches.

Cloth. It is worth taking something warm with you, because. it can be cold and windy upstairs.

Squirrels. These little pests will not leave any backpack unattended, having gained experience in tearing off any locks, they will steal any ration from any backpack in a matter of minutes. Moral: If you don't want to lose your rations or get a ripped backpack, don't leave your things downstairs while climbing The cable route.

Shower. Showers are available at Curry Village. Treat your body - take a shower after a 10-12 hour hike, especially since it's free, you only need to pay for a towel ($5) if you don't have one.

Here is a video of the ascent to Half Dome recorded by caring rangers. Not everything here should be taken seriously.

Half Dome - Yosemite's half dome August 23rd, 2013

Yosemite National Park is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the United States. Numerous artists and photographers have glorified its views, making it the most popular natural screensavers for the desktop of our computers. Three million tourists come to Yosemite every year to see the famous valley and other famous natural attractions live.

Tourist routes and trails cover only 11% of the total area of ​​the park, everything else is a protected wilderness untouched by man. Most of the park consists of granite and sedimentary rocks, which, under the influence of erosion, formed unusual elements of the landscape - natural columns and pillars, semicircular canyons and gorges, and domed folds. Half Dome is just a perfect example of the latter.

Half Dome - a granite rock (monolith), which is very popular with tourists and one of the symbols national park Yosemite. Located in the central part of the Sierra Nevada (California, USA). It is one of the largest monoliths in North America. The peak is located at an altitude of 2,694 m above sea level and rises 1,450 m above the Yosemite Valley. Consists of granite.

Its granite dome sits at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley. The 1444 meters high granite ridge is the most famous landscape of the valley. This image is depicted on the US 25 cent series and on a modern California driver's license.

In 1875, George Anderson was the first to conquer the mountain, making a dangerous climb that had previously been considered impossible. The ascent took 5 days. On this moment More than 10 climbing routes have been laid on Half Dome. In addition, one Via Ferrata route leads to the top.

About a thousand tourists storm the Half Dome every day.

Thousands of people who wish, under the control of the rangers of the national park, climb the rock, and from the 12 km of the path, the last one and a half hundred meters to the top they go along a special cable route (created in 1919), holding on to two stretched woven metal ropes.

Yosemite Valley is a national park in the United States, so there are strict rules for the preservation of nature and rocks in their natural form. Climbers must follow the principle: "leave no trace." In other words, they are required to take absolutely everything with them and leave nothing on the route, including waste products. In addition, no water or food should be left for the "next group", for the "next climb", or for any other reason. Hidden (stashed) water and food are garbage!

Fires should not be lit unless absolutely necessary. If, in the event of an emergency, the group needs to start a fire, they must use the existing fire pit and subsequently ensure that the fire is completely extinguished.

Overnight stays are not easy either. Permits for overnight stays on the wall or emergency overnight stays on the summit are not required. But, if the group plans to spend the night on the summit, they must obtain the appropriate permission. Parking under any wall is prohibited in Yosemite Valley, with the exception of Half Dome (“Half Dome”), for parking under which a separate permit is required. Overnight stay at the top of Half Dome is prohibited!

In addition, once the equipment had gone far enough, the ethics of climbing became essential. Climbers should prepare to climb routes without a hammer, i.e. by fitting cam hooks and any other equipment that can eliminate the need for chiselling. Climbers must also take the time to remove old quickdraws, unusable copperheads, and other useless hardware they find on the routes.

All this greatly increases the number of pleasant impressions from climbing even along the most popular routes.

There are many ways to get to Yosemite. For example, by plane from Moscow to San Francisco. Then by train or bus to Merced station, then to Yosemite Valley by bus, which takes about 3.5 hours. This is the easiest, but expensive way ($1000 for round-trip plane tickets). It is much cheaper to fly to Las Vegas ($700 for tickets), but it can take twice as long to get from there to the park.

Sarah Watson became famous for her amazing climbing career: she started climbing at a rather late age: at the age of 21, but after a year and a half, she, together with Sean Jones, created new route(21 pitches) on the south side of Half Dome, which was called "Growing Up" (5.13a, A0).

Sarah is also considered the first woman to summit Half Dome.

Such high popularity forced the authorities to announce in 2010 the introduction, starting from the 2011 season, of some restrictions (no more than 400 people per day), and permits to be issued in advance (a week) not in the National Park itself, but in the service National Recreation Reservation Service. Those who try to climb to the top "savages" without permission are punished with a fine of up to $ 5,000 and / or imprisonment for 6 months in prison

Half Dome - the hallmark of Yosemite National Park. The top of this monolithic rock is located at an altitude of 2,694 meters above sea level and rises 1,450 meters above the Yosemite Valley. Californian geologists in 1865 recognized Half Dome as one of the most beautiful peaks of the Sierra Nevada, which, however, will never be conquered by people. However, nothing is impossible for a person, and, 10 years later, climber George Anderson not only conquered this rock, but also laid the first track that would make Half Dome an achievable goal for many tourists.

Every year, thousands of climbers climb Half Dome, today it is a familiar and exciting entertainment for all lovers. active rest. To get to the rock, you must first overcome the transition of 13.7 km through the park, then climb 3.7 km and the final forced march along an almost sheer cable car, which takes about 400 m. The route of braided metal ropes was laid in 1919 by the Sierra tourist club for those who do not have special climbing equipment. Now Half Dome is visited daily by about a thousand tourists, a year this figure is about 50 thousand.

The rock is crowned by a small flat plateau, where climbers can rest and relax a little. Half Dome offers stunning views of the nearby mountain range and Yosemite Valley. Of course, one should not exaggerate the safety of the route, since caution and attentiveness are the main qualities that anyone who decides to repeat the feat of George Anderson should possess. It is known that since 1919 there have been six deaths during the ascent, however, several of them are due to the fact that travelers tried to conquer the peak in bad weather. In addition, the authorities make sure that ascents are made only in an organized manner, those who decide to climb "savages" receive a fine of up to $ 5,000 or are sentenced to six months in prison.