How steep is Half Dome?

Half Dome Cables. Once at the top of Sub Dome, there's only one way to the summit: the legendary Half Dome cables. Half Dome's final 400-foot ascent heads up bare granite inclined between 45 and 60 degrees. It's too steep to hike without falling, so the park service employs a unique metal cable system.



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The National Parks Service describes Half Dome as the most strenuous day hike in Yosemite, and probably the toughest (recommended) day hike in any National Park. So while you can certainly just show up and give the hike a go, you'll enjoy it more if your fitness level is up to snuff.

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This climb is hard! The granite surface has been worn smooth by the shoes of the thousands of people before us. The climb is so steep that we pulled ourselves up more with our upper body strength than by walking up with our feet. It took us roughly 20 minutes to climb the 400 feet up the Half Dome cables.

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The National Park Service considers ascending the 4,800 feet and traveling the minimum 14.5 miles to Half Dome's summit, “one of the most challenging day hikes in any national park.” Measured by vertical ascent, hiking Half Dome is roughly three times as challenging as hiking Angels Landing, and even includes a 7-mile ...

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Supertopo says: Snake Dike is the easiest technical climbing route to the top of Half Dome, the most recognized rock feature in the United States.

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Half Dome has an elevation of 8,844 feet and sits 4,737 feet above the valley floor. It takes an equivalent 473 flights of stairs to reach the top, which means 118 trips from the First Floor Lantern to the McFadden-Willis Reading Room.

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Most hikers take 10 to 12 hours to hike to Half Dome and back; some take longer. If you plan on hiking during the day, it's smart to leave around sunrise (or earlier) and then have a non-negotiable turn-around time. For instance, if you haven't reached the top of Half Dome by 3:30 pm, you will turn around.

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The cost for Half Dome permits is $10 per person, payable at a wilderness center the day of or day before your trip, and is therefore not refundable.

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Angels Landing is 5 miles and 1500 feet gain. Half Dome is 3 times that - the actual cables are only a small part of the entire hike. Personally my biggest problem is how insanely steep it looks from the top when you have to go back down.

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Angels Landing is known as one of the most dangerous hikes in the United States. The summit is over a thousand feet off the valley floor and has no guard rails. People have hurt themselves, and even fallen to their deaths, so this is a trail to take seriously.

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