Half Dome w/ Cables Down

From what I understand doing Half Dome during the off season and going up the cables can be a fun, less congested, way of hiking the mountain. To anyone whos done it, how difficult or scary is it really?

I look online and I mostly get info coming from non-climbers who have a different perspective of danger and risk management. I can't imagine it being worse than actually climbing Half Dome. If it is pretty sketchy though I can always try for the permit during the season, I'm just not fond of crowded hikes (is anyone?). One day I'll find a partner for Snake Hike or maybe even NW face but for now I'd like to get my rocks off in other fun ways. 

I recall walking down next to the cables in Tevas back in the late '90s. If you're doing the cables after the summer season, keep a good eye on the weather forecast, an early snowstorm could cause problems. 

I went right before the cables went up a few years ago and it wasn't bad at all -- tied a prusik onto the cable and felt super secure. Would've felt sketchier without the prusik, the rock is pretty polished at this point. I'd definitely second what Mark said about the forecast, wet rock and/or snow and/or lightning can make for a bad day up there.

Bring a harness, prusik or two, and gloves to hold the cables on the way down.  It's pretty casual (and I'm quite risk-averse), and it's nice being the only one up there.

As Zay said, you don't need a prussik. Wear gloves, pick up the cable and batman up/down, clip in with a PAs. It's no big deal, especially with approach shoes on.

It won't be quiet I was up there a couple of weeks ago and there were a couple dozen hikers pruissiking up/down the cables, it was a shit show. We had to wait 90min for the cables to be free to descend.

There is no snow left up there. 

You guys are much more hardcore than I am. I went down the cables one winter and was sketched the whole time. Had a sling attached for a few bits and that felt a little better, but as said above, it was slow. I'm not disagreeing with other commenters, just giving another perspective.

I’ve never been there so I’m slightly confused. In the off season do thy remove the poles but the cables are still attached? Do the cables attach to something every 50 ft so if you fall, a PAS and biner will stop you?

Isaiah aka Zay Foulks wrote:

You pretty much got it yeah. Stands are gone. Cables stay (2, in my exp) There are junctions that a sling/biner/PAS would catch on.

Thanks. I feel like a dynamic PAS would be a good idea or it would be a pretty painful stop if you did fall. 

Not that kind of fall...think low angle.

Matt wrote:

Bring a harness, prusik or two, and gloves to hold the cables on the way down.  It's pretty casual (and I'm quite risk-averse), and it's nice being the only one up there.

It makes sense to bring gloves with you.
Although when permits were just introduced there was a huge pile of discarded gloves at the base of this climb. So you could have "borrowed" a pair of gloves there.

The only reason to bring harness is to capture some photos e.g. of your friends.
I assume that most people would not be comfortable taking pictures without such protection.

I think it's easier with them down. 

I typically have Sunday-Monday off so I plan on starting the hike to Sub Dome before dawn and hopefully miss any crowds or people when I start the climb. I had the same ideas as Zay or Cory, 2 pas and maybe some gloves and climbing shoes. I've soloed some stuff in the valley before and am not so worried about the hike and going up and down the cables themselves as I am worried about the rock polish and major crowds haha. Thanks everyone!

Isaiah aka Zay Foulks wrote:

Zach,

Do u have approach shoes? Climbing shoes would be overkill. Any good sticky rubber shoes (like with vibram soles) would be just fine.

Also, for your PAS(es) bring the largest carabiners you have (like those big pears). I used regular quickdraws, and the biners were just tight enought to create annoying friction on the cables. 

Definitelty being gloves, and dont leave them up there!

Honestly, my approach shoes are flip flops lol. Hiked all over Yosemite in those bad boys. The only other pair I have is running shoes I use to hike. I have some pretty big locking carabiners I'm sure would work fine. As for gloves I'm sure I can just pick up a pair from walmart or a surplus store.

I've gone up and down the cables five times now and definitely recommend bringing a prussik cord. The 13.5" hollow block works best, but a loop of 7mm cord works great as well. They're nice for two reasons:
1) They allow you to stop and take a break, which is great if you get tired or stuck behind a slower party.

2) They are definitely safer than just using a locker on a sling. Sure the cable route is somewhat low angle, but I definitely think it's possible for a sling to break on you if you shock-load it after picking up some speed sliding down the slab for ~100ft should you lose your footing. You'd also likely be sliding into someone below you, which puts that person at risk as well.

When I get to a spot where one cable ends and the next one begins, I just clip in above with a locker on a sling, untie the prussik from the lower cable, then retie it to the upper one. Having two prussiks would make this process even easier - just tie one to the upper cable, untie from the lower cable, and you're good to go. This really doesn't take much time at all, maybe 1 minute / per transition, and there are ~10 or so transition total. Odds are your upward progress will be limited by slower parties anyways. 

Zach G wrote:

 I am worried about the rock polish

Rock polish is only between two cables.
If you move outside this path, friction is much better.

Running/hiking shoes with good rubber are sufficient for this hike.
Neither climbing nor approach shoes are mandatory.

For anyone who hasn't seen them down, just came down them on Monday, May 2. Steeper than this looks. I was happy to prusik, but to each their own. Only had to switch over the connection junctures 4 or 5 times I think. Didn't seem like that many.

Probably over a hundred people friction hitching up the cables on Saturday 5/14.

Please use carabiners rated for climbing.