Hike to Half Dome

Brodie Fisher

Hike to Half Dome

12/10/15

I did this hike in Spring of 2014 with two of my best friends. The entire time one of my friends was battling massive leg cramps, but he powered through it and we finally reached the cables. Once we got to the cables we stared at them for a good 10 minutes deciding if we should attempt to climb them. The only problem was, the cables were down for another week and we had no harnesses. My friend who was experiencing leg cramps, wisely didn't attempt to make the dangerous climb. My friend Ryan Hanson, being the insane kid he is, climbed the cables without any harness at all. He made it look very easy, so I got ready to climb. As I reached for the cables a stranger offered me his harness for protection, as he was too afraid to climb the massive rock. I gladly accepted, and started my climb. Ryan had reached the top and I couldn't see him any longer. I was about 3/4 of the way to the top when one of my two carabeaners broke off my harness and tumbled down the mountain in what seemed to be slow motion. I was a little panicky, but managed to calm myself down. I still had one carabeaner left, so the only time I was ever in true danger was when I had to unhook the carabeaner from one cable and hook it to the next. In that instant, if I were to fall, I would be dead. I kept climbing, but I reached a part of the climb that had a very tiny overhang. Nothing too big, but enough to freak me out. I unhooked my carabeaner, and immediately decided to hook it back and that it was too dangerous to climb the over hang. I managed to find a small rest spot on the Rock and sat there for about 10 minutes debating if I should continue my climb, or if I should go back down. And I decided to go back down, and didn't reach the top. Although I was extremely disappointed I didn't reach the top, I think I made the right decision. At that time I was very new to rock climbing, and barely new the functions of the sport and the equipment. Now, a year later, I am plenty educated on climbing equipment and understand what my body can do. For an entire year I was disappointed in myself, thinking I was too scared to finish the climb. But I finally realized that I made the right choice. I'm fully capable of climbing the cables of half dome now, and a year ago I was not. I'll see you this spring, Half Dome!

5.0