Hike up Half Dome, Yosemite NP, Sept 2006

It was 16th September 2006 and the previous night had dropped to -5˚C and I didn’t want to get out of the sleeping bag. We ate our porridge and cleaned up for a bit and then it was a 50 minute drive to the trail head for Half Dome. The place was actually heaving with people, totally different from the life that we had been living for the past few weeks! We parked up and bought food for the hike from a fairly well stocked shop (much better than the place that we had shopped in at Tuolumne Meadows). We kitted up and set off for the trail head. On the way we passed a small lap dog in the front basket of someone’s bicycle. The dog had some small goggles over its eyes (called ‘Doggles’) it looked hilarious. The trail is relatively gentle and its easy to gain a good pace of over 2-3mph. To be honest, after doing Wheeler Peak in Great Basin and on account of undertaking several weeks of gnarly hikes, we didnt really break a sweat. The main problem with the trail is the dust, kicked up by every other hiker (and we are talking stacks and stacks of hikers.. almost like a trail of ants).

After about 45mins, we came to a waterfall which is apparently the 5th highest in the world. Unfortunately, thanks to very little rain, it was a mere trickle. We had been informed that during the autumn/winter season it is one of the most amazing sights on earth. An hour or so later after a few miles of power hiking we exited the tree line and arrived at the base of the Half Dome rock outcrop. It looked well cool, you could see the cables that went up to the top. We'd left the hike till late in the day (so we could have a bit of a solitary experience on the summit) and as a result, there where only a few people descending. As we looked up we could see that one of the hikers was in difficulty, suffering from a sudden onset of vertigo, and was clasping to the chain. A dude at the bootom of the slab asked if we would mind assisting on our way up and pass her colleagues a rope to help her get down. I put it in my backpack and off Paul and i went to save the day. All of a sudden we heard ‘Don’t you want to take some gloves to hold on to the chain?’ – "no thanks" we replied... "we are the active brits"! Then a mad American said ‘they’re fine they look like the rough sort’!!!! Paul and I went up in no time at all and dropped off the rope and carried on up.

The climb looks steep but is actually not that bad, its a real optical illusion. Its just a matter of quickly adjusting to the slight drop then using your arms and legs to haul yourself up the chain rail. Its well worth the effort though. The word speechless comes to mind and at 8,842ft, you get amazing views of the peaks in the Yosemite Valley and beyond. The view down the sheer side of Half Dome is scary it is a 5,000ft vertical drop to the valley floor below it is the sheerest cliff in America. However, it was very peaceful up there and one of the most majestic places I have been to.

After an hour or so of exploring the summit, doing a little bit of extreme balancing, it was time to nail the downhill section as darkness was closing in. We discovered the easiest way down the chain was to treat it as if you were abseiling. Just grab the chain on one side and feed it through your hands as you jump down. It was a piece of cake and took no longer than about 3 minutes to negotiate. Once the hands had cooled down (hence the need for the gloves.. but to be honest i'd still wouldnt use gloves next time, really hate not being in 100% control and gloves can sometimes be a hazard if they dont fit correctly), anyway, we opted for a speedy decent, a combination of power hiking and jogging back to the car..

It was a fantastic day, fantastic views, fantastic people, fantastic banter, good beers .... bit too much dust..

Olly

North Dome - Yosemite National Park - US Trip 2006

North Dome is an absolutely stunning rock formation that gives you amazing views across the Yosemite valley to the infamous Half Dome. Although this is not a major 'to do' peak, it has got to be one of the best in the park and should be completed by all seasoned day hikers.

The trail head was a short drive down the road from Porcupine Flats, so after sorting out 2 weeks of disgusting filthy dirty clothing, we headed out in search of a sunset from hell and hopefully a breathtaking view of Half Dome. There were a few cars in the car park but we soon realised that there were hardly any people on this trail at all which led for an even more enjoyable experience. The trail was not technically difficult and was reasonably flat with only a few slight gradients and took us through a fantastic pine forest which after dark, was more akin to the Blair Witch project. After several miles we reached what we class as a 'false summit' which although provides you with fantasic views of Half Dome and Clouds Rest is not even close to the spectacular view you will be rewarded with if you continue onwards down a set of zig zags and upwards to the exposed summit of North Dome.

Ohhhh myyyy Gooddddd.. the views across the valley were spectacular and the near vertical drops mindblowing. The sun had just started to set and North Domes sheer face glowed like a beacon in the distance. This produced a range of different colours that we had not seen in the park before. On the way back we took a short detour to a really interesting geological formation called ‘Indian Rock’ a small arch thats sits at a prominaent elevation and provides you with a picture frame of the entire valley.From here it was a leisurely stroll back to the car and then a short drive back to an icey campground. Remember, this is September and you are at nearly 8,000ft so be prepared for the cold. The fire got lit first of all and that generated welcomed heat before we tooked into a couple of chilled lagers and an apple pie.

Word of warning if you do decide to ever stay at Porcupine Flats.. Its an official but somewhat wilderness campground. It does has primitive drop toilets but no tap water (carry water in or boil/ purify the stream water). You can only collect dead wood (so dont start hacking trees down) and remember its a long way to the nearest shop (which has limted foodstuff).... just be prepared. Also watch out for things that go bumph in the night.. namely black bears trying to rip your tent to shreds.. do the right thing and store literally everything in the metal lockers provided on each camp site... A fed bear is a dead bear.. or should i say.. a hungry bear can equal a dead tourist..

Thanks for reading.... Olly..

The Hike to Clouds Rest, Yosemite NP, USA, 13-09-2006

CLOUDS REST

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

'Clouds Rest' (9,926ft) is an absolutely awesome peak located mid way down the Yosemite valley. Its got to be one of the parks 'Jewels in the Crown' providing you with a breathtaking 360 degree panorama including views of the infamous Half Dome (8,842ft).

After spending most of the morning thawing out after a cold night in sub zero temperatures, we made our way from Porcupinte Flats (8,300ft) to the trail head. The route itself, although moderate in length did not require any technical ability and can easily be accomplished by the vast majority of hikers who enjoy distance day hikes. From the trailhead the path meanders through low level forests before arriving a short but steady climb which leads you across the ridgeline and onwards to a small but beautiful crystal clear lake. At this point its definately worth stopping for a few minutes to take in the peace and traquility before heading ever onwards and upwards to the summit of Clouds Rest. The scenery and rock formations along the way are also spectacular so dont forget the camera. At 2.40pm, we arrived at the summit and were greeted with views to die for.. "Oh my God, check out Half Dome, it that stunning or what!!!.... "Look at Mt. Dana further up the valley, lets do it tomorrow"... "I'm emigrating, this place is awesome". The whole place was so awe-inspiring that the entire active brits posse just wanted to set up camp for several months and do everything in sight. It was Psychs's birthday so for him it was also a dream come true, to climb a peak with his mates, see some top scenery and do what he does best. He has a tendency to go full on mentalistic in the mountains, think he must have been a goat in a previous life and was absolutely in his element, checking out the views and weighing up all the options for one-leg extreme balancing.


From the summit the drop down on either side was sheer as the photo on the left shows with me dangling my legs over the side and you wouldn’t survive a fall if you fell off, not only is it a long way down, (definate pavement pizza terriitory), but the granite would just cut you up into shreds.

After contemplating our feable and somewhat insignificant existence, the Active Brits decided that a relaxing sunbathe was in order. It was calm and peaceful and it is moments like that that make you forget about life back home. You just dont have a care in the world.

We were on the summit ridge for well over 1 hour. We would have stayed longer but we noticed a thunderstorm that was coming our way at rapid speed so thereore we decided that we should start to make our way down again but things took a turn for the worse.

In summary, the hike to Clouds Rest is a relatively easy one. There are a few steep ascents if you are not used to hiking but these are broken up by the presence of zigzags. The paths are easy to follow and if you keep to these then you are rewarded with a magnificent view across Yosemite that you will cherish forever. As with all hikes, make sure that you take plenty of water and food with you as you are a long way from a tap or a shop. In addition, and this is very important, make sure that you have wet weather clothing with you. This peak is not called 'Clouds Rest' for nothing, the clouds really do settle here in no time at all. If you are caught out then you could be in trouble. As always, we recommend to anyone that jeans and denim do not go with outdoor life. If this clothing gets wet then it takes a very long time for it to dry. In addition some of the paths are fairly rough and we recommend that you have a strong and sturdy pair of hiking boots. Enjoy and thanks for reading... Olly :o)