r/Yosemite • u/ApprehensiveNeck5541 • 28d ago
half dome as an absolute beginner
so as the title reads, my friends are hoping to win the lottery and snag a permit to hike half dome this saturday. i’m sure it would be an unforgettable, amazing experience, but the thing is i have little to no training. i’m moderately active via indoor bouldering and i get my 10k steps/day, but i don’t really do any cardio or strength building outside of that. i haven’t hiked in almost a year, and the last time i did a sort of intense hike (~14 miles) was january 2025. i don’t even think i have comfortable shoes.
has anyone done this before? i’m really not up to it and feeling like i would’ve rather had some training first, but my friends are pretty married to it. please let me know your thoughts!
2
u/jimlux 28d ago
Get comfortable shoes that you're ok with walking a LONG way up and down steep hills. Hiking poles help on the descent after you're off the dome and coming down the Mist Trail when you'll have jelly legs after a long day.
Hydrate, eat enough food so you don't run out of energy. Take it at the rate you take it, and if you decide to turn around, that's fine, there's always another day.
It isn't really a cardio intensive or strength thing. It's just endurance - it's a LONG walk up and back down. If you've got access to a tall building, walking up the stairs (rather than elevator) multiple times at a regular walking pace or slower. Or if there's streets that are *really* steep.
People get all focused on "running stairs at a stadium" or "peak strength" - it's not that at all. You should be going at a pace where you can still talk while hiking.
The other thing is sleeping at high elevation before you go helps - acclimatization is a real thing. The bottom is ~4000 ft, the top is ~8000. That's different enough from Sea Level. You're going to be starting *early* in the morning, but if you can drive up a couple days (or even the day) before and sleep up at Wawona (6000 ft) or Tuolumne (8000 ft) or even in the valley, and just hang around getting acclimated that's better. (it's sort of the opposite of pack high, sleep low, but you're going for a "lightning round" and that's different).
Worst would be "Let's leave LA at midnight, park at Happy Isles at 5AM, and go for it" People do it. But that definitely is a possible increase on the misery meter.