Re: Half Dome diary from Daily Kos

For obvious reasons I'm not a fan of Daily Kos.

But here is a short diary. I offer no opinion on it (yet) other than to say great photos.


Daily Kos Half Dome

The story also includes a poll.

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Vince
For obvious reasons I'm not a fan of Daily Kos.

And yet you read it. Hmm...

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Vince
For obvious reasons I'm not a fan of Daily Kos.

But here is a short diary. I offer no opinion on it (yet) other than to say great photos.


Daily Kos Half Dome

The story also includes a poll.

Well, I have an opinion on it. I like the poll, but the story has a number of minor errors, mostly related to the physical nature of the trail (it isn't 20-30 feet between stanchions and 2x3 boards, for example, but much less, maybe 8-10 feet).

I certainly favor leaving the climb as is, and warning the heck out of people who think they're invincible with signs at key points. The signs must convey the message with a "we're not kidding!" sense of authority. A quota will not help stupidity, nor will altering the equipment. Only education can do that.

Weird. He wasn't scared by Angel's Landing at all, yet he said he was so petrified by the Half Dome cables that he thought he couldn't continue after going only a third of the way up?

I thought Angel's Landing, while being significantly easier from a physical conditioning standpoint, was just as scary as Half Dome. The exposure is just as deadly and it is quite narrow in many spots.

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dqniel
Weird. He wasn't scared by Angel's Landing at all, yet he said he was so petrified by the Half Dome cables that he thought he couldn't continue after going only a third of the way up?

I thought Angel's Landing, while being significantly easier from a physical conditioning standpoint, was just as scary as Half Dome. The exposure is just as deadly and it is quite narrow in many spots.

I didn't find Angels Landing that scary at all. That didn't mean I didn't take the dangers seriously, but for myself the differences were in the distances covered. Angels Landing has a lot of exposed areas, but they're relatively short. There were places one could just stop, take a breath, relax, and take in the view. Maybe even eat or drink. Going up or down Angels Landing there were times where I felt I could pull out my camera and take pictures. I'd put it away when I thought I had to use the chains. I've heard some trip reports where people noted that they didn't even use the chains, instead relying on traditional scrambling technique.

Half Dome's cables are a completely different animal. That's a 400 ft continuous steep grade. Your hands have to be on the cables for the duration. Your mind has to be attuned to the dangers at all times. You're acutely aware that there is no room for error and no room to redo something you should have done before. Very few people are interesting in the view; self-preservation seems the main issue. On HD, there was no safe way to retie my shoe laces (I heard some group leaders emphasize checking shoelaces), clean off my shades (or even put them away), or readjust my cap. It was terrifying.

Re: Angels Landing
http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index10.htm

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter
Re: Angels Landing
http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index10.htm

"Are we there yet?"

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eeek

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Frank Furter
Re: Angels Landing
http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index10.htm

"Are we there yet?"

Ah. Walter's Wiggles.

Daily Kos rocks... thanks!

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Bob Weaver
Daily Kos rocks... thanks!

Yes, Vince, thank you for finally making a useful post on this forum.

It seems that even when it comes to the same fear (heights in this case) we are affected by different things.

Though HD initially looked terrifying to me, once I started up I had barely an adrenaline rush; just the acute awareness that I had to pay full attention to what I was doing.

Now, here I may be opening myself up to ridicule. But, Lembert Dome, a feature that numerous people have walked up; I just can't get up the nerve to do it. I've gone up 3 times, each time I sit and look at the route trying to find a way that I feel comfortable with, but have always come down. What bothers me about LD, is that, unlike HD you don't have anything to hold onto. And it is steep enough that slipping doesn't appear to be all that unlikely...especially if you stepped on some sand or gravel. And talk about nothing to grab onto if you did!!

Jon

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sierranomad
Though HD initially looked terrifying to me, once I started up I had barely an adrenaline rush; just the acute awareness that I had to pay full attention to what I was doing.

Did you feel the same way coming down?

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eeek
Did you feel the same way coming down?

Yes. I felt even more comfortable than going up.

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sierranomad
And it is steep enough that slipping doesn't appear to be all that unlikely...especially if you stepped on some sand or gravel. And talk about nothing to grab onto if you did!!
Jon

This last weekend, I was walking along some slanted, glass polished granite (flood level) on the west side of the Tuolumne river, without warning, or a moment to react, my soles broke loose from the surface and I was sliding down seconds later. I have much more respect for the slickness of granite.

sierranomad,

Don't know if this helps but the only time I've been up Lembert nobody else was around to tell me not to go straight up from the tree line. After getting to the top where other hikers were standing I was told you go about half-way up from the tree line and then swing around wide to the left side where it is much easier going. This eliminates some hand over hand rock climbing.

Jim

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tomdisco
sierranomad,

I was told you go about half-way up from the tree line and then swing around wide to the left side where it is much easier going. This eliminates some hand over hand rock climbing.

Jim

Thanks Jim. I've always been by myself, and there's never been anyone else to watch. Next time I'll take a look at your suggested route. I imagine the views must be incredible from the top.

Jon

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?1,10266,10381#msg-10381

The beloved Chick-on on top of Angels Landing on page 2.

Once in a while Daily Kos or Huffington Post run an article that isn't dripping with liberal slobber. The Half Dome article was worth repeating here.