Woman Dies from fall on Half Dome

[blownaway]

Wouldn't said people have to let go to get around you any way? What value would the harness have if he wasn't going to be tied into anything?

-percious

How much does he weigh? I was thinking he was light enough to carry on your back (in some sort of harness).

I understand where your coming from, but some people may get freaked out seeing anything attached to the cables and moving toward them.

If its not a busy time attach away. However, hooking and unhooking lanyards etc. may be a problem with a long line of people going up or down.

The cable rails are supported every so many feet with posts. So you would need to unhook every so many feet for them, plus for people coming down.

 

[Gris]

we thought we were going to die that day. erica actually ran down the nine miles to the bottom, and i jogged. my heart had never pounded so hard in my life!!! she will say the same..."remember the day we almost died on half dome." Good memories

The crazy things we do when we are young - and then we call em "good memories!" I recall almost dying one afternoon 25 years ago climbing a very steep, high, crumbly & slimy pyramid in the wilds of the Yucatan penninsula - and later laughing about it over Magaritas! Tragic this time though...

 

[percious]

Looks like 16.5 miles RT for the dome dayhike. Probably slightly out of the league of a just-turned 4 year old. I don't think we have too many days in Yosemite and will probably just get stuck doing all the tourist crap. Life of the family man!

Colden weighs about 30 lbs now and is free of the pack after 3 years of servitude. Or is it me who is free...? Not yet!

-percious

 

[Rob S]

Looks like 16.5 miles RT for the dome dayhike. Probably slightly out of the league of a just-turned 4 year old. I don't think we have too many days in Yosemite and will probably just get stuck doing all the tourist crap. Life of the family man!

Colden weighs about 30 lbs now and is free of the pack after 3 years of servitude. Or is it me who is free...? Not yet!

-percious

I'm sure you will still be able to get a few shorter hikes in with Colden. And despite the "tourist crap", I'd bet you two have a great time and bring back some some fine pictures and wonderful memories. In addition, this trip will just whet your appetite for future visits ...... in a few years, your "little boy" will be able to scramble up by himself ...... with you right behind him.

FWIW, I think you are making the right decision. Consider this trip your scouting trip for real adventures to come!

Rob

 

[TCD]

I'm with clg. Clouds Rest is great! Yeah, you don't get bragging rights, but I don't know how much bragging rights you get for climbing a cable route anyway. Clouds Rest has huge views, a very pretty and shorter hike, and you get to start in Tuolomne, at the incomparable Tenaya Lake, instead of in the crowded, traffic filled Valley. And if you start early, and are feeling enthusiaastic, you can continue to Half Dome from Clouds Rest, if I recall correctly.

 

[sierra]

I was thinking of doing something like this. The other option is to use two single length runners with two screamers. Would kind of suck to loose the screamer if he fell, but it would be worth it.

-percious

I seriously doubt you could load this device enough for the tacks to break in the application your suggesting, I used to use yates screamers ice climbing and you had to generate in the nieghborhood of 600lbs of force to break the tacks, not hard in a freefall but a sliding fall will not imo generate the needed force. Ive reviewed this thread and being familiar with the cables think its not ethical to "fix" yourself to the cables when others are passing, its causes a great inconvienence to the people around you. In your case I would suggest fixing a 6ft or so length of say 9mil cord between your harness and the person you want to protect,(thier in a harness as well) in addition you can rig 4ft slings to your harness with caribiners attatched ,so at any point you can "fix" yourself to the anchors if the need arose to regroup. just my 2 cents, ok maybe 3 cents.
P.S. I hope no one ever in the position of the poster back a ways who "went up anyway" in the face of impending weather does the same. Trust me wether in the sierra's or Rockies when thunderstorms are approaching you go DOWN, or you risk a terrible fate, I mean its called the cable route!!!!!!! Lightning is niether funny or a challange imo. ok 6 cents worth.

 

[blacklab2020]

people do ascend outside the cables, not using the rungs, but just the cable instead. It might be okay to rig you or someone else and go up the outside. However, if its crowded, its likely that you are not the only one ascending on the outside of the cables.

I agree with sierra on the screamers... a short slide probably wont initiate the zipper.

~J

 

[TomD]

Half Dome

Carmel, To say that you were incredibly lucky and incredibly stupid is an understatement. In 1985 a party of four guys from the Bay Area did just what you did-ignored the weather and climbed the cables. Three of them were inside the little cave at the top when they were all hit by two lightning bolts. One of them was outside and after being hit, fell off the face before his friends could pull him back. Another one inside was struck and killed as well. The other two were badly burned. One of them was barely alive when another party came up and gave them first aid.

It took a night helicopter rescue to save them. There is a book about this incident called "Shattered Air." Read that and you'll never want to be near lightning again.

 

[DougPaul]

Carmel, To say that you were incredibly lucky and incredibly stupid is an understatement. In 1985 a party of four guys from the Bay Area did just what you did-ignored the weather and climbed the cables.

The cables are also metal, so if you are anywhere on them when lightning strikes...

Doug

 

[NumNum]

It doesn't stop a lot of people though...

http://www.yosemitevacation.com/hd_gallery-images/halfdome-cable-crowd1.jpg

Looks like rush hour on the 93. Sad story!

 

[skibones]

I took a rock climbing lesson years ago in Yosemite. I got half way up -froze and refused to move up or down. Finally the instructor coaxed me down but was puzzled why I din't want to go back up because the day of lessons was already paid. That was the last time I tried rock climbing. I can appreciate anyone who climbs in Yosemite because there are no small climbs there.

 

[percious]

I seriously doubt you could load this device enough for the tacks to break in the application your suggesting, I used to use yates screamers ice climbing and you had to generate in the nieghborhood of 600lbs of force to break the tacks, not hard in a freefall but a sliding fall will not imo generate the needed force.

The screamer is intended to reduce forces on my son, not on the tacks.

Like I said, probably going to wait on this one.

I can also say, having been "up high" during a thunderstorm... NOT a good place to be. I cannot imagine being near a cable system with that amount of metal nearby. I didn't even want to have my wedding ring on when we were in danger!

-percious

 

[cbcbd]

The screamer is intended to reduce forces on my son, not on the tacks.

The screamer only reduces the force of a fall when the force generated is past the threshold for the tacks on the screamer to rip (which Sierra said was around 600lb of force). If you don't generate 600lbs of force then the tacks won't rip and the screamer will take the force like a regular static sling - well, maybe it'll give a liiiitle bit.

One way to make a system to reduce the force of falling under 600lbs force would be to use a piece of dynamic rope to connect yourself.

 

[Darl58]

I rock climbed up Half Dome and came down the cables 2 years ago. I think the cables were scarier than the climb. A lot of people get scared part way up or down the cables and it does seem to cause a lot of problems for others trying to get around. It's not a climb I would take a young kid up, it's just not worth the chance. I took bike gloves with me and they helped with the cables.

There are so many beautifull areas of Yosemite, the actual hike out to Half Dome is nice going by the falls. Tuolumne is also beautifull and less crowded. A lot of great hiking and climbing there.

Attached a picture of cables looking down:

 

[blownaway]

I rock climbed up Half Dome and came down the cables 2 years ago. I think the cables were scarier than the climb. A lot of people get scared part way up or down the cables and it does seem to cause a lot of problems for others trying to get around. It's not a climb I would take a young kid up, it's just not worth the chance. I took bike gloves with me and they helped with the cables.
There are so many beautifull areas of Yosemite, the actual hike out to Half Dome is nice going by the falls. Tuolumne is also beautifull and less crowded. A lot of great hiking and climbing there



Attached a picture of cables looking down:

Thanks Darl,

Great Photo!!

This shot makes me uncomfortable sitting in front of my computer. Looks like quite a tumble if you lose your balance.

 

[TomD]

The cables are also metal, so if you are anywhere on them when lightning strikes...

Doug

Yeah, that's happened too. In the incident I read about, the person got burned pretty good, but fortunately, not severely injured.

The interesting thing about the 1985 strike was that the lightning came from pretty far away. The origin of the phrase "a bolt out of the blue" is from lightning strikes that appear to come out a clear blue sky, but really come from the thundercloud lurking behind a nearby mountain.

 

[DougPaul]

Yeah, that's happened too. In the incident I read about, the person got burned pretty good, but fortunately, not severely injured.

The interesting thing about the 1985 strike was that the lightning came from pretty far away. The origin of the phrase "a bolt out of the blue" is from lightning strikes that appear to come out a clear blue sky, but really come from the thundercloud lurking behind a nearby mountain.

The cables also form a very large antenna--any lightning bolt halfway nearby (even if it doesn't touch ground) will induce a voltage in the cable. This voltage could be high enough to be dangerous.

My understanding is that it is possible to get a lightning bolt with no clouds neaby--hidden or not. Rare, but possible. I have no info on the origin of the phrase, "a bolt out of the blue", but common usage incudes the meaning, an unexpected event.

Doug

 

[blacklab2020]

My understanding is that it is possible to get a lightning bolt with no clouds neaby--hidden or not. Rare, but possible. I have no info on the origin of the phrase, "a bolt out of the blue", but common usage incudes the meaning, an unexpected event.

Doug

I lived in tucson, AZ for a while and this was a common occurence. I believe heat lightning is like this. I was looking up, while climbing, one day on the east side of the ridge about 6000 feet above sea level and a white streak of lightning shot directly over my head... maybe 10 miles or so ... craziest thing with deep blue sky in every direction

 

[albee]

I climbed Half Dome via the cables (with no slats) in February, 2004. I was a little scared at first, but it was quite the feeling of accomplishment. As I recall, there is usually a pile of canvas gloves under the rocks at the base of the cables so you don't cut up your hands on the steel. There were a few ledges to take rests on on the way up. It isn't steep the whole way, but it is steep enough to give you a thrill.

This hike was easily the most memorable day of a two-month road trip across the country and back. If you are anywhere near Yosemite, you should at least check it out - it truly is one of the most breathtaking places I've ever seen.