Cableless Half Dome Hike

Yesterday I posted a reel about Yosemite half dome cable-less hike and received a bunch of questions, hopefully this helps. The Half Dome cables are put up each spring and taken down each fall, typically from the Friday before Memorial Day through the Tuesday after Indigenous people’s Day. You must have a permit to climb while the cables are up, however, when the cables come down, that’s where the real fun can start and no permit is required. The cables are heavy steel ropes, that are bolted to the rock face and provide plank steps for hikers to climb to the top. Without the cables, you have to prusik knot climb to the top, carry the heavy cables, and then prusik down. To climb half dome with the cables-down, you need: a harness, Prusik, approach shoes, gloves, a buddy, and safety line (and of course your usual hiking essentials). We went in October the day the cables came down. We waited 3 hours for the rangers to take the cables down, plank by plank and ascended right after they left, getting to snap a picture with the whole ranger crew. As this sign says, if there is any sign of weather heading your way, do not climb because the rock face becomes slick and can pose grave danger. It was SO rewarding to do it this way because we got to use rope skills, we only shared the ascent with less than a handful of other people the whole day, and we beat the crowds because most hikers don’t bring rope equipment and/or don’t come outside of permitting season. Getting to enjoy the scenery at the top and having it to yourselves is a treasure, especially at this iconic and classic American hike. Cheers to your adventures in the moments ahead of you 🥂!