Is It Safe to Climb Half Dome?

The sad death of Grace Rolhoff on Half Dome has once again raised questions about the safety of Half Dome's infamous cable system. Safety, though, is a relative concept: a hiking trail has very different requirements to be considered safe than a rock climbing route. So is the Half Dome ascent a hike, a climb, . . . or something else? How you answer may be more important than you know.

0:00 Death on Half Dome
1:08 The Half Domes Cables
3:32 Deaths on Half Dome
4:29 Safety Gear Controversy
6:24 Yosemite Rangers On Safety Gear
7:23 Arguments Against Safety Gear on Half Dome
8:23 Does Safety Gear Slow Half Dome Climbers Down?
9:42 Does Safety Gear Affect Half Dome's Fear Factor?
10:24 Is the Half Dome Ascent a Hike or a Climb?
11:11 Assessing Half Dome Cable Safety as a Via Ferrata
13:11 Final Conclusion

MY PICKS FOR BEST SAFETY GEAR
Harness: Black Diamond Momentum - https://amzn.to/3pGIQt5
Lanyard: C.A.M.P. Kinetic Rewind Pro Via Ferrata Lanyard - https://www.rei.com/product/206145/ca...
Gloves: Mad Grip F100 Pro Palm Knuckler - https://amzn.to/4dEUmNK

SOURCE LINKS
College student slips on Yosemite's Half Dome cables, falls to her death - https://www.sfgate.com/california-par...
Arizona hiker -    • Arizona hiker dies after falling from...  
NPS Yosemite Page - https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisi...
Death on the Dome: Epidemiology of Recreational Deaths on Half Dome in Yosemite National Park- https://www.researchgate.net/publicat...
Here’s What Really Kills People in the National Parks - https://www.backpacker.com/survival/d...
Deaths in National Parks - https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/mortality...
Half Dome Deaths as of July 2024 - https://theworldtravelguy.com/half-do...
How To Hike Half Dome - https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/y...
Half Dome Cables using via ferrata -    • Half Dome Cables using via ferrata  
Harness on Half Dome (Reddit) -   / harness_on_half_dome  
Safety Equipment for Hiking Half Dome - https://yosemitehouse.com/half-dome-s...
Alex Honnold - http://www.alexhonnold.com/
Climbing Half Dome in One Day -    • Climbing Half Dome in One Day  
Climbing Half Dome: What You Need to Know (Day Hike / Over Night / Cables Up / Cables Down) -    • Climbing Half Dome: What You Need to ...  
Ranger telling people not to use safety gear on Half Dome -    • The ultimate cut-the-crap guide to Ha...  
Descending The Cables At Half Dome -    • Descending The Cables At Half Dome  
Ambulance Drivers Should Wear Seat Belts Too - https://www.trainorders.com/discussio...
Climbing Half Dome Guide - https://www.yosemite.com/things-to-do...
Introduction to Via Ferrata: Where Hiking and Climbing Meet! -    • Introduction to Via Ferrata: Where Hi...  
I Did My First Via Ferrata! -    • I Did My First Via Ferrata!  
How I Almost Died Climbing Yosemite’s Half Dome - https://indiacurrents.com/how-i-almos...
Accident at Half Dome Here’s the whole story of what happened at the Half Dome Sep 21 2023 -    • Accident at Half Dome | Here’s the wh...  
Woman Survives Fall From Yosemite's Half Dome -    • Woman Survives Fall From Yosemite's H...  
Hiker falls to his death at Half Dome cables in Yosemite -    • Hiker falls to his death at Half Dome...  

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---- MUSIC ----
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