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Begin your Half Dome training about 2 months prior to your trip. By starting your conditioning early, you will have time to recover from any injury prior to the hike. Get clearance from your doctor. Build your training sessions until you can walk well over 2 hours at a good pace. If you can run, progress to running 2 to 3 miles. Find hills and move your workouts there. Biking, the stair stepper, elliptical trainers, and an aerobics class will all help. When you’re within a month of the trip, seek out long hills to hike. Work up to 90 minutes, then 3 hours. The Half Dome hike will take 12 hours or more; a good test will be to see if you can walk that long during your training. In the last week, reduce your workouts and taper down. Do nothing for 3 days before the hike.
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On this extremely strenuous
hike good boots and walking poles are essential. |
Boots: for most, lightweight boots with ankle support are best. Tennis shoes are not advised; you’ll be stepping on many pointed rocks and the cable trail has worn smooth since it was built in 1919. Full-fledged leather hiking boots with Vibram soles are best, but make sure they are broken-in. Showing up to do the hike with brand new boots will result in sore or blistered feet. Thin liner socks and medium-weight hiking socks are recommended.
Pack: you’ll need a container to carry your food, first aid kit, water treatment system, raingear, etc. A compact, waist-mounted fanny pack works well because it rides above your hips and near your center of gravity. It should have pouches to hold water bottles and a small central compartment for food and supplies. You can strap your water filter pump under your fanny pack. Backpacks may feel hot and cause back strain. Bladder-tube water carriers are hard to refill on the trail, and become very heavy. A fanny pack will allow you to easily remove your bottle from its holster while you are on the move.
Water: Water is the most important factor on this hike. Dehydration will sap your energy, cause you to think irrationally and can result in severe medical consequences. Either bring all the water you’ll need, or purify water along the trail. Water weighs 2 pounds per quart. Bringing a water purifier pump is a good idea. A 200 pound man needs about 6 quarts a day. Women and smaller people need less. Giardia is a major concern in Yosemite, caused by infection of the intestine by the single-celled parasite, Giardia lamblia. It is spread by contact with fecal matter - deer, rodents, bears, birds and people. The risk is a range of discomforts including severe diarrhea. Don’t assume that because you find a “natural stream,” or see the crystal clear waters of the Merced, that you are safe. Treat your water. Iodine tablets work, but take 30 minutes to be effective. This is another reason for investing in a water filter pump. Drink before you are thirsty. Clean your hands frequently with anti-bacterial gels.
Other: Good food options: energy bars, trail mix, electrolyte powders, jerky and fruit.
Misc. essentials: hat, shorts, sunglasses, flashlight, spare socks, blister pack, first-aid kit, sun screen and trekking poles. These lightweight poles will aid your uphill hike and save your knees on the long downhill. Remember, half of this 16 mile hike is down!
Accommodations: Plan to book your reservations early. Yosemite is in high demand during the summer. You are competing for space with the entire country – and the world! Call or book on line at: (559) 252-4848 and www.nps.gov/yose/. The Curry Village tent cabins are close to the trailhead, sleep up to 4 in beds (with blankets, pillows, towels included) and are very economical. You can book them a year in advance. Yosemite boasts many fine alternative accommodations as well, from basic ground-tenting (reserved 6 months in advance) to the Yosemite Lodge to the Ahwahnee Hotel. Off-site hotels would be a long drive before and after the hike.
Conclusion
Half Dome can be a life changing experience for you. Or it can enhance your already active life. Set a goal. Go for it!
Rick Deutsch is an avid adventure traveler living in San Jose, California. author of “One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome”. For more information see www.HikeHalfDome.com
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