Summary

• Climbing Half Dome in Yosemite National Park can be fatal; more than 20 people have died due to the challenging rope system.
• Weather plays a crucial role in safety, as rain and lightning contribute to accidents on Half Dome.
• To ensure safe conditions and limit the number of hikers, a permit is now required to hike Half Dome.

California is home to some of the most beautiful hiking trails in the country. With a variety of locations from the coast to redwood forests and everything in between, there is a hike for everyone. However, it is important for hikers to know their limits, as there are some difficult hikes in both the Golden State’s state and national parks. Failure to respect these limits can result in injury or worse. Unfortunately, more than 20 people have died on a popular hike in California. This just goes to show that even some of the best hikes in the U.S. can also be some of the most dangerous hikes.

One of the most dangerous hikes in California is one of the most difficult hikes in Yosemite National Park. Here, more than 9,000 people successfully complete the trail each month. However, there is no room for error. When hiking Half Dome and the trails leading up to it, it is imperative that one not only focuses on the trail, but that hikers are honest with themselves about their hiking abilities on one of the best hikes in Yosemite so that more deaths do not occur along the trail.

More than 20 people have died while hiking on Half Dome

In recent decades, more than 20 people have died while climbing or descending Half Dome

Half Dome is one of the most famous hikes in Yosemite National Park. What makes it special is that hikers literally climb the face of Half Dome using a rope system to reach the summit and be rewarded with spectacular views.

It is these very cables that cause many injuries and deaths while hiking Half Dome. This is because the cable system is more demanding than hikers who are climbing Half Dome for the first time expect, even for experienced hikers.

Reasons why the cables on Half Dome can cause injury or worse include:

• Fear of heights
• Fear on the cables sets in
• Faster hikers try to overtake slower hikers
• Don’t take the hike seriously and let go of the ropes
• Failure to check the weather forecast before the hike

For these reasons, more than 20 people, and according to some reports as many as 40, have abandoned their trek to ascend or descend Half Dome.

Jonathan Rohloff, who tragically lost his daughter Grace Rohloff during a hike up Half Dome in July, is calling for these cables to be replaced so that hikers can travel more safely in the future.

“Grace would want to make it safer for the next person so she could save a life.” – Jonathan Rohloff

To achieve this, Rohloff hopes that changes can be made to the cables without compromising the beauty of the Half Dome.

When not to climb Half Dome

Half Dome should be avoided in rain, hail or lightning

It is necessary to avoid hiking Half Dome on days when the sky is not clear, as bad weather has caused many deaths while hiking Half Dome.

Most deaths on Half Dome occur when it is raining or hailstorming. This makes the granite that the cables are attached to very slippery. When this happens, there is a very real danger of sliding hundreds of feet down the face of Half Dome.

Unfortunately, more than half a dozen people have slipped and died while ascending or descending Half Dome due to bad weather.

For this reason, the National Park Service has put in place safety precautions for hiking up Half Dome. These precautions include not climbing Half Dome if any of the following apply:

• Storm clouds approach Yosemite National Park
• The ground is wet
• The cables were dismantled in winter

In addition to rainy weather, hikers should also not attempt to climb Half Dome during thunderstorms. Lightning has also been responsible for several deaths at Half Dome, as the landmark is often blocked during storms.

Even those who have sought shelter near Half Dome during a storm have been hit by thunderstorms, so if rain is in the forecast, it’s best to avoid the trail.

If you decide to hike Half Dome, a permit is required.

Anyone wishing to climb Half Dome must enter a lottery for a permit and pay $10.00 per person for the permit.

Until 2010, hikers could climb Half Dome at will. This meant that during peak season, thousands of people per day could be on the ropes, creating unsafe conditions. The National Park Service wanted to try to make hiking Half Dome safer, and because of this, permits are now required for those who want to hike to the top of Half Dome.

When the Half Dome cable cars are in operation, permits are required seven days a week. 300 permits are offered per day, with 225 for day hikers and 75 for backpackers. The cost is $10.00 per person.

Anyone wishing to apply for a permit has the opportunity to do so through a lottery in March for dates throughout the hiking season and then to raffle off daily for those permits that remain after the main lottery in March.

Permits tend to fill up quickly, especially during peak season. Those who know they want to climb Half Dome and have time on specific days have a better chance of getting a permit than those who wait until the last minute for the daily lottery to secure their spot for the day they climb Half Dome.