Half Dome
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Half Dome is a granite dome in Yosemite National Park, located at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley — possibly Yosemite's most familiar sight. The granite crest rises more than 4,737 ft (1,444 m) above the valley floor.
Ascents
As late as the 1870s, Half Dome was declared "perfectly inaccessible",[1] but it may now be ascended in several different ways. Thousands of hikers reach the top each year by following a trail from the valley floor. The trailhead is only 2 mi (3.2 km) from Half Dome itself, but the circuitous route is 8.5 mi (13.7 km) long. The final ascent is accomplished by following a pair of metal cables raised on posts up the peak's steep but somewhat rounded east face. The cable route was constructed in 1919, but followed close to the route of George Anderson's October, 1875 first ascent made by drilling iron eyebolts into the smooth granite.[2]
Alternatively, over a dozen rock climbing routes lead from the valley up Half Dome's vertical northwest face. Other routes ascend the south face and the west shoulder. The first modern technical route was the Regular Northwest Face route - originally climbed in 1957 by Royal Robbins, Mike Sherrick, and Jerry Gallwas. This 5-day ascent was the first Grade VI climb in the United States.[3]
Geology
Half Dome is nearly as whole as it ever was. The impression from the valley floor that this is a round dome which has lost its northwest half is an illusion. From Glacier Point or from Washburn Point, Half Dome can be seen as a thin ridge of rock oriented northeast-southwest, with its southeast side almost as steep as its northwest side except for the very top. Although the trend of this ridge, as well as that of Tenaya Canyon, is probably controlled by master joints, 80 percent of the northwest "half" of the original dome may well still be there. What probably happened is that frost splitting of the rock at the back of a tiny glacier against Half Dome above Mirror Lake gradually quarried back the steep northwest face. As the base of the cliff was hewn away, ultimately parts of the sheets parallel to the original upper surface of Half Dome were left projecting outward at the crest of the vertical cliff.
In culture
An image of Half Dome, along with John Muir and the California Condor, appears on the California State quarter, released in January 2005.
Half Dome was originally called "Tis-sa-ack," meaning Cleft Rock in the language of the local Native Americans. Tis-sa-ack is also the name of the fourth route on the formation, ascended by Royal Robbins and Don Peterson over eight days in October 1969.
Tis-sa-ack is also the name of a mother from a native legend. The face seen in Half Dome is supposed to be hers. [2]
Half Dome is included in many company and organization logos, including that of the environmental group, the Sierra Club and the game studios Sierra Entertainment.
Half Dome is the inspiration behind The North Face corporate logo.
Hiking the Cables Route
The Half Dome Cables Route hike is more than 8.5 mi (14 km) from the valley floor to the top with 4,800 ft (1,463 m) of elevation gain. The length and difficulty of the trail make it less crowded than many other park trails, but on long summer days there can still be quite a crowd on top. The trail climbs past Vernal and Nevada Falls, then continues into Little Yosemite Valley, then north to the base of the northeast ridge of Half Dome itself. The final 900 ft (274 m) of ascent are up the rock, and between two cables used as handholds.
The hike can be done from the valley floor in one long day, but many people break it up by camping in Little Yosemite Valley. The cables are raised onto metal poles in late May, and the poles are taken down for the winter in early October. Many hikers still climb the final leg when the cables aren't raised, using a single cable to pull themselves up. Gloves are recommended for the cable climb, as are proper conditioning plus sufficient water and food. There is sometimes a pile of gloves donated by hikers for those who forgot to bring them.[4][5]
Since 1971 there have been nine falls from the cables, but only three of them were fatal [6], Included in that total is the June 16, 2007 slip by a hiker who plunged to his death. [7] Lightning strikes are another risk. On July 27, 1985, five hikers were struck by lightning; two died.
Depending on the time of day, the cables can be crowded, and some climbers turn back due to fear. As many as 1,000 hikers may climb the dome on a summer weekend day.[8] The top of Half Dome is a large, flat area where many people can relax and enjoy their accomplishment. The summit offers views of the surrounding areas, including Little Yosemite Valley and the Valley Floor. A notable location to the side of Half Dome is the "Diving Board", where Ansel Adams took his photograph, "Monolith, The Face Of Half Dome (1926)."
See also
References
- ^ Jones, Chris (1976). Climbing in North America. Berkeley, California: American Alpine Club / Univ of California Press. p. 26. ISBN 0-520-02976-3.
- ^ Jones, Chris (1976). Climbing in North America. Berkeley, California: AAC / U of Cal Press. p. 27. ISBN 0-520-02976-3.
- ^ Jones, Chris (1976). Climbing in North America. Berkeley, California: AAC / U of Cal Press. pp. 207–211. ISBN 0-520-02976-3.
- ^ Warszawski, Marek (10/12/2006). "The haul to Half Dome". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved 5/15/2007.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ [1]
- ^ http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/19/BAGHNQHLEV1.DTL
- ^ http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/halfdomefall2007.htm
- ^ http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6183705?source=most_viewed&nclick_check=1
External links
