Half Dome Yosemite Valley, United States

Half Dome is a granite dome in Yosemite National Park, located in northeastern Mariposa County, California, at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley - possibly the most familiar rock formation of Yosemite. The granite crest rises more than 1,444 m above the valley floor. Half Dome is nearly as whole as it ever was. The impression from the valley floor that this is a round dome which has lost its northwest half is an illusion. From Washburn Point, Half Dome can be seen as a thin ridge of rock oriented northeast-southwest, with its southeast side almost as steep as its northwest side except for the very top.

Half Dome was originally called Tis-sa-ack, meaning Cleft Rock in the language of the local Native Americans. An image of Half Dome, along with John Muir and the California Condor, appears on the California State quarter, released in January 2005. Starting October 2010, an image of Half Dome is included on the new revised California drivers license in the top right-hand corner. Half Dome may now be ascended in several different ways. Thousands of hikers reach the top each year by following an 13.7 km trail from the valley floor. After a rigorous 3.2 km approach including several hundred feet of granite stairs, the final pitch up the steep of the peak but somewhat rounded east face is ascended with the aid of a pair of post-mounted braided steel cables originally constructed close to the Anderson route in 1919. The Half Dome Cables Route hike runs from the valley floor to the top of the dome in 13 km via the Mist Trail, with 1,460 m of elevation gain. The final 120 m ascent is steeply up the rock between two steel cables used as handholds. The cables are fixed with bolts in the rock and raised onto a series of metal poles in late May. The cables are taken down from the poles for the winter in early October, but they are still fixed to the rock surface and can be used. The National Park Service recommends against climbing the route when the cables are down and when the surface of the rock is wet and slippery. The top of Half Dome is a large, flat area where climbers can relax and enjoy their accomplishment. The summit offers views of the surrounding areas, including Little Yosemite Valley and the Valley Floor.

/Wikipedia.org/

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