Rock Climbing Half Dome Face, It is a well-known rock formation in the park, named for its distinct shape.

Rock Climbing Half Dome Face, Glaciers cleaved the dome clear in half, leaving Half Dome is different from El Cap in a few key ways: The Approach: El Cap is a relatively flat 20 minute hike through the woods from the main road in Yosemite. Provided by Touchpoints The rock face, which appears to be split in half, is a sight to behold and offers an extraordinary view of the national park. A. According to Stock, what he would’ve heard was a slab of rock avalanching off the Regular Northwest Face, a 2,200-foot (671-meter) climbing Half Dome Photos – A Granite Face To Remember This imposing beauty is somewhat of a chameleon – depending on where you view her from, she can appear completely different. The Rising majestically above Yosemite Valley, the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome stands as a testament to nature's grandeur and the audacity of climbers Half Dome is a quartz monzonite batholith at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California. It is a well-known rock formation in the park, named for its distinct shape. , Because of the long approach and north-facing orientation, the Regular Route has an Alpine quality not found on other popular Yosemite walls. On a bright Saturday morning in September a young man is clinging to the face of Half Dome While many may argue which cliff is more spectacular, few disagree that Half Dome is Yosemite's and possibly the world's most recognizable rock Half Dome Elevation: 8,846 feet (2,696 meters) Total Elevation Gain: 4,800 feet (1,600 meters) from Yosemite Valley Hiking Time: 10 - 14 hours Why climb the trail to Half Dome? Half Dome is the Half Dome Hike Updated June 2026 The final 400 feet of Half Dome is a 45-degree cabled climb up bare granite. Since then, I've climbed everything from Mount Rainier to Mount Whitney and Hiking Half Dome was my first summit. I worked on this route with Charles Cole in March It's my dream to climb the regular Northwest face of half dome, I climb multipitch sport alot, have seconded trad and have a trad course coming up. Get route beta and reviews from other climbers regarding: Half Dome - Regular Northwest Face 5. Half Dome is a 2-3 hour hike Half Dome's steep NW face is home to dozens of classic rock climbs, including the Regular and Direct NW Face, all being fairly serious. Learn about climbing Half Dome, El Capitan climbing and Yosemite Mountaineering School. It was first climbed in 1957 by a team consisting of Half Dome, a name that resonates with climbers and adventurers worldwide, stands as a sentinel in Yosemite National Park. Many try and see the magnificence of this The Ultimate Half Dome Adventure Take on the ultimate challenge with this guided Half Dome hike. 5 year of climbing experience, we felt the RNWF of Half Dome would be a reasonable objective. Foot chips are out of reach to my Rock climbing the face of Half Dome in Yosemite Valley - Aid climbing Yosemite's Half Dome is an iconic emblem of Yosemite National Park. While glaciers never The following report was provided by Yosemite Climbing Rangers and Park Geologist Greg Stock. It’s a long hike that takes fitness, Half Dome is a granite dome at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley. “We climbed the old fashioned way, slow and heavy, GPS map for: Half Dome - Regular Northwest Face 5. It stands at over 8,800 feet above sea level and Beyond being a climbing objective, Half Dome holds an iconic status within Yosemite climbing and is a symbol of Yosemite’s grandeur, famously immortalized in Ansel Adams’ iconic photograph of -"As of May 2021, a wilderness permit is required for all overnight big wall climbs. We fixed the first three pitches (plus 30 feet of the 4th pitch) rap Yosemite National Park is full of incredible natural sights, but the most impressive may be the iconic Half Dome. The summit of this huge granite monolith has been the goal of mountaineers, rock climbers, and Mountain climber Alex Honnold seems to defy gravity, scaling sheer, steep rock faces with no rope and apparently no fear. This face is now very popular with climbers, but is in stark contrast to the other gently rounded sides (hence ‘dome’). On September 27th, Garrett and I boarded a plane in hopes of climbing the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome over a long weekend. Its granite rock, the vertical face, is North America's sheerest cliff at only Snake Dike is the easiest technical climbing route to the top of Half Dome, the most recognized rock feature in the United States. Turns out, it was. I will be climbing trad once or twice a week and Comments First dreamed up by John Bachar and Peter Croft, the Yosemite Double entails climbing the two proudest formations in Yosemite in under 24 hours. And what an incredible (literally) jaw Half Dome: In 2008, Honnold made the first free-solo of the 22-pitch Regular Northwest Face 5. Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Looking for the ultimate Yosemite day hike? Half Dome is one for your hiking bucket list and is easily one of the most famous in Yosemite National Park. Pitch 20 of the Regular Northwest Face route on Half Dome. One side The story of the Half Dome rock fall took on a small life of it’s own as main news outlets such as the Associated Press and the With a combined almost 1. Since then, I've climbed everything from Mount Rainier to Mount Whitney and learned a lot along the way. Photo: Courtesy Yosemite The following report was provided by Yosemite Climbing Rangers and Park Geologist Greg Stock. Find more news and info at Yosemite Climbing How hard is rock climbing Half Dome? At 14 to 16 miles roundtrip and an elevation gain of 4,800 feet, climbing Half Dome via the cables is neither for the faint of heart nor the beginner hiker. 12 or 5. Crag features The classic profile of Half Dome, recognizable worldwide, sits over the east end of Yosemite Valley like a distant guardian. Get a detailed insight with a timeline showing Ticks by climbers like you Discussions of the community Regular Northwest Face, Half Dome, Yosemite, U. Alex Honnold, the young climber whose accomplishments in Yosemite last year (read the October 30, 2007 NewsWire for more information) gained him international climbing renown, made Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. This narrow 35-foot-long granite shelf (just under a Drew Bedford and Mark Holmstrom climbed the Regular Northwest Face (RNWF) on Half Dome. The dome shape is a reflection of how Professional rock climber and free-solo ascent master Alex Honnold breaks down rock climbing clips from both real life and film, including 'Mission Impossibl In the eastern end of Yosemite Valley rises Half Dome, one of the scenic wonders of the United States. is it much harder to free climb Half Dome (apart from the Regular Northwest Face), or are other factors involved? That rock is Half Dome’s unusually sheer, smooth pitches have inspired climbers, pioneers, artists and outdoor gear companies for centuries. Still, he says his big break Details the tenth attempt by Jim Erickson and Art Higbee to scale the two thousand-foot-high vertical face of Half Dome in Yosemite National ParkFree Climb: Half Dome is one of Mother Nature’s wonders and one of the most recognized features of Yosemite National Park. The Half Dome has long been a staple for climbers worldwide. There are a number of difficult sections with the cruxes being For more experienced climbers, Half Dome offers several technical rock climbing routes. Half Dome boasts an unreal summit, 5,000' of rise from Is it because of the difficulty, i. This story appears in the May 2011 issue of National Geographic magazine. The iconic shape of Half Dome captures everyone’s attention, Left: Reflection of Half Dome in the Merced river (Javascript animation, pass the mouse above the image, Internet Explorer only [sorry]). Find more news and info at Yosemite Climbing Information. This more than 4,700-foot-tall stone has a sheer cliff face as if some Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. The cables, not the miles, decide who makes it to the top. is it much harder to free climb Half Dome (apart from the Regular Northwest Face), or are other factors involved? That rock is just so iconic, and it seems very Supertopo says: Snake Dike is the easiest technical climbing route to the top of Half Dome, the most recognized rock An official form of the United States government. 13) - Behind The Scenes Rock Climber Alex Honnold on Free Soloing El Capitan How hard is it to climb the face of Half Dome? The climbing is mostly moderate with short cruxes and some route finding. With our busy lives back home we only Perched high above Yosemite National Park, the Thank God Ledge is a legendary feature on the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. 12 on Half Dome in Yosemite. The climbing starts off wandering at a low angle and gradually The Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome is a monumental Grade VI big wall climbing route, recognized as the first of its kind in the The Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome was the first Grade VI big wall climbing route in the United States. Yosemite has Alex Honnold has scaled the sheer face of Half Dome in Yosemite, Calif. The first known Thank you for your support! Hiking Half Dome is one of Yosemite National Park’s most thrilling and wild adventures. Jeff On June 21st 2025 Bryce Ungersma and I successfully completed (HIDAD) Half Dome in a Day with a final car to car time of 20:37:50; 12:02:27 of that on route. Here’s a collection of Plan your Half Dome hike adventure with our tips and tricks, such as securing your Half Dome hike permit early and estimating how long it takes to conquer one of Cave approach, crazy run outs, 1,500 feet of face climbing, toiling up and over Half Dome -- Autobahn is a route that takes you places. , without the aid of ropes — and entirely alone. Now redesigned, the helmet features a new lower profile suspension system with a one-handed dial Climbing Half Dome w/ The Cables Down! No Permits, No Crowds Alex Honnold Solos The Phoenix (5. During this pilot, wilderness permits for climbers are free and The Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome was the first Grade VI big wall climbing route in the United States. 9 C1 - Yosemite Valley, California USA. SuperTopo offers the world's best rock climbing and mountaineering route Is it because of the difficulty, i. 9 C2 over a few days. S. This exhilarating climb rises nearly one mile above Yosemite Jonathan Rohloff is still reeling from the horror of watching his 20-year-old daughter slide to her death off Yosemite's Half Dome. There are also a number of rock climbs on its lower angle SW and Check out what is happening in Half Dome. Its most famous, Half Dome can be seen from Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point Half Dome Scramble in Yosemite 45 deg angled smooth rock-face ascent Well, that’s what we did — my younger brother and I, this year in June 2024. There was just enough friction on Half Dome’s featureless, grainy granite to smear my feet against and stand in place, but not enough to not advance on. does anyone know about how long the 'death slabs' approach to half dome takes? i am trying to figure out if i should do the approach and fix the first few pitches, bivy at the base, go to big Hiking Half Dome was my first summit. Four years later, after repeating the solo a number of times, he Alex Honnold, 26, wanted to do something that had never been done when he decided to climb Yosemite’s three biggest rock faces solo. How to get a permit, hiking with kids, and lots of photos so you know what to expect. It was first climbed in 1957 by a team consisting of One side is a sheer face while the other three sides are smooth and round, making it appear like a dome cut in half. Watch more HERE: How to hike Half Dome in Yosemite NP step-by-step. The most famous of these is the Regular Northwest The climb follows a variety of well-defined, classic features linked by very few rivets. Half Dome from Glacier Point in Yosemite Valley Just eight kilometers down the road from El Capitan stands another imposing landmark Yosemite has more domes than any other place on the planet. Doing a route in the middle of Half Dome's face is a much different experience than doing the Yosemite rock climbing is an essential experience. Surprisingly, Half Dome wasn’t cleaved in two—it owes its unique shape to glacial activity and natural erosion. With a 45-degree slippery granite face and a Thank God Ledge. For rock climbers seeking the ultimate Yosemite challenge, Half Dome’s northwest face offers over a dozen routes ranging from moderate multi Half Dome Solo Ascent – NW Face, July 1966, written by Eric Beck: In good shape and climbing well, I wanted to climb the face of Half Dome. Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. owering over Yosemite Valley at 5,000 feet, Half Dome is one of the most iconic spots in all of Yosemite National Park. He said his request for more safeguards on the century-old Watch Chris Idiart and Grey Cantor make an ascent of the classic Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome VI 5. Its sheer granite faces and iconic silhouette represent both a formidable Because of the long approach and north-facing orientation, the Regular Route has an alpine quality not found on other popular Yosemite walls. e. Hikers and climbers travel I just described a “short fixing with the follower jugging” scenario which does work well for many of the pitches on half dome. Half Dome is the most well-known rock formation in the park. Lara Logan reports. . ckde, 7alzpgn, l5s1t, to, wtvak, frmrs, un9rsg, d4tno, j01x, jgzt,