Half Dome In Yosemite Valley

Half Dome in Yosemite Valley is easily one of the most recognizable sights in the valley and in all of nature, and also one of the most familiar for many people. The crest is made mostly of granite and rises more than 4,700 feet above the floor of the valley. It sits at the Eastern end of  valley, and can be seen from various areas in the valley. It stands out as a landmark and provides a great hike for anyone who wants to venture to see the sight for themselves.

Even into the late 1800s, Half Dome was declared inaccessible by all accounts, but since then, there have been many paths proving this declaration wrong, because there are hikers numbering in the thousands each year that ascend the trail to the summit of Half Dome, as well as circling the sight and viewing it from various points along the trail. The trail itself is a mere 2 miles away from Half Dome, but the route takes you around the dome, making it an 8.5 mile hike for those who dare to traverse it. Although the trek is fairly simple, the final climbing section to the top is conquered with the assistance of metal cables that were built in 1919 by drilling bolts made of iron into the smooth granite surface.

This makes Half Dome in Yosemite Valley a much safer hike for those who want to make the trip, and likely saves many lives as well. In addition to the trail, there are numerous routes for rock climbing that will take you from the valley leading up the vertical face on the northwest side of Half Dome. There are more than a dozen routes here, and additional rock climbing routes on the south face and the west shoulder of the formation, allowing a challenging or simple climb for anyone who visits the beautiful formation and wants to enjoy a climb.

The Half Dome in Yosemite was first climbed in 1957 by Royal Robbins, Mike Sherrick, and Jerry Gallwas, taking five days and was the first Grade VI climb that occurred in the United States. This route is known today as the regular northwest face route. Although the formation appears to be missing its other half, it is actually as intact as it ever was intended to be by nature.

Depending on where you view it from, you can get many different views of this natural wonder, including a place at Glacier Point where the dome looks more like a narrow ridge of rock. No matter what you see or how you interpret the formation, it is easily the most popular attraction in Yosemite Valley.