A ranger in Yosemite told me my planned route was 'a classic mistake'

I was set on doing the Half Dome cables in a single push from the valley floor, about 17 miles and 4,800 feet of gain. He looked at my map and said, 'You're linking two of the hardest climbs back-to-back with no acclimation day. That's how people get hurt.' I changed my whole trip, adding a night at Little Yosemite Valley to split the effort. Has anyone else had a ranger point out a major flaw in their plan?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles_garcia2mo ago

Man, that ranger saved your trip. Calling it a "classic mistake" is spot on. People fixate on the total distance and miss the real killer, which is stacking huge climbs. Doing the Mist Trail and then Half Dome in one go? That's asking for blown knees or worse by the time you're on those cables. Smart move to listen.

terryg472mo ago

Yeah, the elevation gain is the silent trip killer.

spencer82mo ago

Miles is right about that ranger saving the trip. It reminds me of how we all get fixated on the end goal and miss the steps in between. You see it with people trying to learn a new skill in a weekend or start a huge home project without the right tools. That ranger basically gave the best kind of advice, which is someone pointing out the obvious thing you're too excited to see.