Falling off of Half-Dome....

Thousands of people make it up (and back down) the cable route safely each year - after all, it's only 400 feet of angled granite, and you have a nice, firm cable to hold on to. But, sometimes things can go wrong - the granite surface is worn slick, and you can trip, slip, or get jostled by someone behind you. Or, you can just get distracted, something I am very prone to. I trip over small items on a regular basis. There are cases of hikers falling out from the cables - the lucky ones manage to grab something or someone grabs them, but the unlucky ones slide off of Half Dome. It's a long way down without a parachute.

Having experienced the joy of short distance falling as a rock climber, with one not too short fall that landed me in the hospital for a long time, my sense of self-preservation will probably win out over pride. I'm planning to clip into the cables both ways. I found my old harness (anyone ever here of Forrest Mountaineering?) and a pile of carabiners and bought a few new slings.

I will probably be ridiculed by small children and hikers young and old during the climb - look at the sissy wearing a climbing harness. I have 7 weeks to come up with some snarky come-backs.

Next Post - Gearing up (unless I do another hike)