Re: Get Pam to the top of Half Dome
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:01 pm
I have done the route four times- only once with the cables up, three times in the Spring before they were up. Half Dome and Cloud's Rest each have their own character and I like both. I like that Half Dome is accessible. The non-technical climbing friends I have taken up there really enjoyed it. We avoided crowdes by timing- did it a 7AM when the cables were up. No crowds. I agree that it is a management problem. The answer is not to take down the cables. It is unfortunate that it has become simply an item on someones "tick list". And it is very unfortunate that scalpers have undermined the entire process of permitting which is a reasonable management tool to make the route safer. I cannot blame anyone for wanting to do it. For each person who had a pained look on their face, there was a person who was absoutely thrilled. I have also seen people on the route who had no business being there, were doing stupid things that actually endangered people below them. It is a difficult problem. I hope someone comes up with a good solution. In the mean time, I wish you the best luck to get Pam to the top.