I’ve found other people’s trip reports useful on several of my past trips, so I’ve decided to put up a few with respect to several climbs I’ve done over the last few years, including this one.
Me, Matt D, and Eric K left the Valley pretty early morn not long after dawn broke in mid-May. We carried one pretty skinny rope, and an extremely light rack (maybe 3 or 4 cams, a couple of nuts, and few slings). Hike up Mist Trail was pretty cool, if little wet.
We turned off the trail before the steep switchbacks near Liberty cap and found the climber’s trail. At this point there was a little bushwhacking, but trail was relatively easy to stay on (thanks at times to cairns, even in trees).
After a while, we got to the base of the south face of half Dome, and started climbing up pretty easy 3rd class ledges.
We found the base of the climb with no big trouble in my memory.
The first pitch is pretty all in. I ended up leading up the right side of it then traversing in maybe 15-20 feet up onto the slab. Really no protection here. If I do it again, I’ll probably go straight up, as you really can’t protect it either way, and I think straight up is easier than the traverse. Either way, it is 5.7R and no gimme. Eventually you can get in BD 0.5 or 0.75 below the little roof and finally take a deep breath. But, put a long sling on it or else rope-drag would be a nightmare. The roof is then pretty easy to turn on the left and up into an easy corner to a belay.
Second pitch is also pretty exciting. Move out right of belay and traverse right for a while. No real pro here either. My memory is that eventually you can get something in a crack and not too long after set-up a belay.
Again, this pitch probably is relatively easy 5.7, but the runouts make it full value. Past that, my memory is that you get into the dike and just follow it up. Very little pro on most of the rest of the pitches, but climbing gets easier and easier.
But, it is real climbing, and it is real runout.
Views are quite spectacular (though people are strange).
Upper pitches go on for good while. Eventually, pitch eases to where you can unrope and hike up the slabs to the summit. I don’t even think I’d call it 3rd class.
Summit of Half-dome is pretty cool. Good view up to Tuolumne.
We got there just before they put the cables up, which was great as we had essentially the whole peak to ourselves. We got down by essentially batmanning down the cables.
This was pretty straightforward, but kind of hard on the back. Still, better than facing the hordes after the cables get put up. Hike down was long but uneventful. All in all, just an awesome day out. Really as good as they get.
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