Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Half Dome Cables

Does anyone know the situation of the cables on Half Dome?

Here is what the park service says:

•The Half Dome cables are down. There is no estimated date when the cables will be put up.

Steve C and I hiked Half Dome on the 21st. One of the Yosemite employees on the shuttle told me that last year the cables didn't go up until the middle of June and they were expecting to put them up later than that this year. As of the 21st, there was still a good 10 feet of snow on the subdome. I haven't been back since so I don't have any more current information than that.

I vastly preferred being on the cables when they aren't up on the poles because there was hardly anyone else up there on the cables as opposed to the usual traffic jam that I have experienced before, but sub dome was a bit scary without crampons and ice axe.

Brent N

Just remember permits are now required 7 days a week to climb Half Dome, maximum 400 per day. My only question is who is checking for the permit at the base of the cables?

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm

Good idea? Not sure but maybe it will help keep things safe and stop the gridlock on the cables.

If you go, make sure to bring gloves. That really helped me with a better grip!

The YNP website states the trail will be evaluated on June 15, and on the 16 there will be a posting. I'm going the last week of June, so bring on the melt!

Permits are not required until the cables are up. As they aren't up yet, no permits are required.

Stated more succinctly: Permits? We don't need no stinkin permits!

But to hike the trail to the cables no permits are needed...Correct?

No permit is required to hike to the base of the subdome if it is a day hike even if the cables are up. Any overnight trip into the wilderness areas requires a wilderness permit. If your wilderness permitted trip takes you by Half Dome you will also get a permit to do Half Dome.

Thanks Mike