Half Dome - May 1, 2024 - Yosemite National Park, California - Using carabiners/slings - cables down

Taras Kurylo, Devan Peterson, Aaron Fulmek, and Doug Lutz ascending Half Dome, featuring a cameo by Kim Lynam and Alena Roney

After resting for a day after our Mount Whitney ascent, we set out at a "reasonable" time for Half Dome - it was daylight (a rare start time for my ascents!). I typically start in the dark because I live a minimum of 2.5 hours from the nearest mountain, so after an ascent, if I want to return home at a reasonable time, I need to start early... my other motivation for early starts is that SOMETIMES they turn into "epic" adventures, lasting 18+ hours :D.

For Half Dome, the team was pretty certain that we would not have an "epic", and we also wanted to thoroughly enjoy the views throughout the approach to Half Dome.

Our planned route was via the Mist Trail that would lead us past Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls. We didn't need to deal with the lottery permit system to ascend Half Dome as "the cables were down" - what this meant is that we would not have the typical assistance to half essentially a huge ladder to climb up the side of Half Dome. We would need to ascend by some other means. We had 3 choices: 1) We could affix two prussiks to the ascent cable, and transition each one separately across the anchor points for the vertically affixed cables (Taras did this); 2) Using two slings and two carabiners, we could do similar sort of transitions over the anchor points, but allow faster travel up and down the route (I did this); or 3) Use no protection other than grip strength on the cable and good soles on boots (Devan did this).

Each of these methods offered advantages. Taras' method was obviously the safest - if he want to rest, or lost grip with both hands or feet, the prussik friction would prevent a fall. My method allowed quick movement up and down the cable, and if I needed to go past a slower climber, I could easily transfer my carabiners to the other cable and continue up, then transition back. Devan's method allowed even faster movement - he didn't even need to grab onto the cable for the lower section.

Each of these methods also offered disadvantages. Taras' method necessitated slower movement as the prussik knots had to be slid up the cable, and then each one unwrapped and re-wrapped at each anchor point - this is more time consuming than the other two methods. My method's disadvantage was that if I lost grip with both hands or feet (or someone fell into me from above), I would have fallen to the next anchor point (up to 20 metres below). With Devan's method, a loss of grip of the cable (or someone knocking him off balance from above) could have resulted in a death fall.

It is important to note that there has been deaths on Half Dome - about 20 if you search for stats on the Internet... 9 of which were on "The Cables" route between 1919 and 2023. Even with the "cables up", allowing hand grip at a convenient height, inclement weather, a loose granite flake, or physical fatigue can cause a slip - and could result in a domino effect taking out climbers below. Use of technical gear mitigates this risk, and during high season when the "cables are up", many people ascending do not use technical gear such as harnesses, slings, and carabiners (even though that would increase their mitigation of unexpected falls).

However a person decides to ascend Half Dome, there is an element of risk that either needs to be mitigated or accepted.

I hope you enjoy the video/photos!

It was exhilarating ascending with only carabiners and slings while the cables were down, and beating the lottery permit system. Don't look down :D... Don't fall! Hold on to the cable like you have a strangle-hold on a venomous snake!

#beat #bypass #avoid #win half dome lottery permit system