In wake of Half Dome tragedy, should cables come down?

Monday's report on the death of Manoj Kumar, who slipped and fell 200 feet as he was descending the cables on Half Dome, stirred robust debate.

Some people merely commented on what a wonderful experience it is to achieve the summit of the massive granite shoulder in Yosemite National Park. Others discussed the care required of those who wish to make the daylong climb safely.

Then there were those who strongly suggested the laddered cable system should come down, or argued that the cables should remain in place.

As one who has never climbed Half Dome but hopes to someday, I believe they should remain. This is not because of selfishness and I mean no disrespect to Kumar, his family or friends.

They ought to remain because they provide a reasonably safe means by which careful hikers can conquer a truly majestic landmark within a spectacular wilderness setting.

There is risk, but also reward and presumably a feeling of major accomplishment among park visitors, young and old, who complete the marathon hike and climb.

A primary risk is ascending or descending the 400-foot cable system in wet weather, when the granite and cables become slick.

Kumar and others should not have been on the cables at the time of his fall. Storm clouds were in the vicinity and it had been raining frequently during late afternoons inside the park. His fall was followed by the controlled evacuation of 41 hikers who had become caught on the cables in rain and hail.

A week earlier a woman was seriously injured when she slipped and fell while descending the cables. It was cloudy and damp then too. The only two fatalities involving women on Half Dome were off-season, when the cables were "down," or laying flat against the granite without pole support. Both occurred during wet weather.

In fact, park spokesman Scott Gediman said, there has been only one fatality when the granite and cables were dry. That occurred when Hirofumi Nohara slipped and fell June 16, 2007.

It's worth noting that the cable system has been in place since the early 1930s, and that an estimated 55,000 people successfully climb Half Dome annually. As Gediman implies, people might be safer on Half Dome than they are in a car on the highway. Exaggeration? Perhaps. But the park has no plans to take the cable system down, and that's a good thing.

-- Pete Thomas

Top photo: Hikers negotiate Half Dome cables on an unusually uncrowded day. Credit: Associated Press

Bottom photo: Campers enjoy the evening beneath Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Credit: Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Nancy]

Pete Thomas brought up a point I was afraid would be mentioned - that there are some who think the Half Dome cables should be dismantled. This would be a tragedy, as they have served as enjoyment for millions of responsible people. The warning signs are in several languages. Irresponsible people are still going to disregard warning signs - - look at how many are fatally swept over the waterfalls in Yosemite, or fall off the edge of the Grand Canyon (or die of dehydration in spite of the warning signs). Let's not let the few irresponsible people ruin life for the responsible people.

[Palmer]

I've climbed to the top of half dome, and there's nothing really dangerous about using the cable system in appropriate weather. The problem is that at times it is unbelievably crowded, and the false move of one idiot could literally kill dozens of people. The only time I was scared up there was when overzealous hikers were trying to pass people on the narrow cable path. There should be a little bit more supervision of the cable from the Parks service, including limiting the number of people on the cable at one time.

[Jennifer]

I think they should put up more cables. There should be a one way up and one way down. The way it is now people are battling going up and down at the same time and it can be a bit tricky. I hiked this last year and while it is safe if you hold on to the cables, it just isn't safe when too many people are on it and your hands are grasping for an open area on the cable. So put up another set of cables already. Duh!!!

[Keith - Hermosa]

Stop whining. Anyone who has left the US knows the rest of the world doesn't make everything Disney safe. People do things like climbing mountains so they can brag about doing something crazy and dangerous. When you take risks, you might get hurt. Get over it.

How many people die in bicycle accidents every year? Should they be banned? How about car accidents? Maybe 30,000 people every year. Any talk of banning them?

A UCLA tennis player is in a coma after being sucker punched at some hick concert in Texas. Should we have a healthy debate about banning hick country music? Or should we ban travel to Texas?

[Mark]

The sign at the base of Half Dome reads:

BEWARE

If a thunderstorm is anywhere in the horizon
DO NOT PASS BYOND THIS SIGN
Lightning has stuck Half Dome during every
month of the year.

(repeats in Spanish)

[Bob]

Ban travel to Texas, keep the cables.

[Douglas Westfall]

No. Removing the cables from Half Dome is like removing a part of our history. Anyone capable of making this climb should do so, as have millions of people since the Sierra Club put up the first set of cables in 1919. I personally have done so a half-dozen times.

Injuries will occur, sometimes even deaths. Just as the climber last week died up by Mirror Lake, you can't protect everybody. People die every year going over one of the waterfalls where there are cables there as well. A young man died in Yellowstone National Park just this week, going over the falls.

Removing the cables from Half Dome, would be like shutting off all of the water falls in the valley. Protecting the few, to remove the experience for millions is not the way to go. Leave 'em up.

Best Regards, Douglas Westfall, Author

[brad]

Climbing Half Dome is one of California's better natural experiences. Should the cables come down, the typical person would not be able to do it.

Keep 'em

[Larry]

My condolences to Manoj Kumar's family and friends. His death is a tragedy.

Removing the cables, establishing trail quotas or other restrictive non-sense I've seen suggested serves no purpose but to broaden this tragedy.

[Jay]

If you're going to ban cables, you should also ban skydiving, bungee jumping, surfing, and a whole host of other activities that could get you killed. Even walking. Keep everyone at home.

[halfdomer]

WWJMD? What Would John Muir Do?

[Madson]

Do you use both sides of the cable to go up and down or right side each way?

[Drew9]

They should make it a via ferrata and require harnesses. That would help reduce the chance of one person taking out several. In addition, they should limit the number of people going up at any one time to prevent the crowding hazard.

[Mike in SD]

Bringing the cables down because people ignore obvious conditions of danger (i.e., wet smooth-surfaced granite) would be the dumbest of ideas.

Those cables are a safety feature. You don't think that people -- even with cables no longer in place -- are going to try and walk up the same route, sans cables? If they are taken down, it is just inviting even more injury and death.

The only thing that should be done, in terms of safety, is to have somebody controlling the amount of people moving up and down the cables at any one time. It has become a dangerous rush-hour on the cables.

[RJ Godin]

I have climbed Half Dome and a half dozen more Sierra peaks. Summitting is a great experience that gives one a truly unique perspective on the scale of the planet and one's place on it.

There is real danger in climbing, as there is in many worldly activities, and that is part of the experience. One must always judge the conditions and their abilities carefully. Gravity does not tolerant mistakes.

Any discussion about the removal of the cables has to take into consideration that safety of the alternative. Cables were installed because some visitors feel compelled to attempt the summit with or without cables. The number of accidents, injuries and fatalities would certainly go up without cables in place. One possible improvement would be to add harnesses that could hook up to the cables by carabiner but this would greatly increase the complexity and logistics - and be ignored by the many speed hikers that insist on muscling past slower climbers.

The hike to the top of Half Dome is a very strenuous day of approx 20 miles with a challenging elevation change. Even fit hikers that get to the summit can find themselves exhausted and impaired on the descent. Accurately judging one's own capacity and abilities is the only way to maximize safety.

[Stan Keith]

I have hiked/climbed up Half Dome many times in my life. I have led both of my children to the top when they were teen-agers. Safety is primary in climbing up that rock. The sign is very clear and specific - do NOT climb the cables if there is lightning or rain.

My condolences to the family of the man who died recently. But he climbed when it was raining.

One of the great treasures of Yosemite is Half Dome. Closing or removing the cables would add to the tragedy. People who are in the backcountry do so at their own risk. I have backpacked all across the Sierra's and there ARE dangers out there. From rattlesnakes to bears, to cliffs to roaring rapids. If you don't use your head, you could get injured or die.

As far as more USPS rangers on the cables - back off! There are too many restrictions placed on us in life. We don't need some ranger telling us how many people can be on the cables at one time! Do so at your own risk and accept responsibility for your actions.

[J Reece]

"The only two fatalities involving women on Half Dome..." What about fatalities involving wise Latinas? Is there no issue where diversity-obsessed LA Times journalists can refrain from injecting identity politics? This frequent Yosemite hiker/climber wants to know.

[Fernando F.]

I don't think removing the cables would be a way to fix anything. If anything, it would make matters worst. Personally, I have climbed halfdome 4 times, and its a experience that I wish everyone would have a chance to have. The sense of achievement, the beauty of the scenary, the meaning that this climb takes on any one that embarks on this challenge can't be replicated somewhere else. It would not be fair to remove the cables for future genarations on the tragedy of one or few persons. Accidents happen and will continue to happen because they are unexpected and that's a risk that anyone that climbs halfdome should be willing to take. Don't make this tragedy worst by removing the cables, they should stay as they have been for so many years.

[Rick Viall]

I'm hiking Half Dome 9 days from now. My wife would appreciate it if you would keep the cables up. Thank You.

[TEXAN]

On behalf of all TEXANS, I agree. Keep the California fruits, nuts and flakes out of Texas.

[Dave]

"The only two fatalities involving women on Half Dome..." I don't understand what the point of this comment was. Two that fell and died since 2006 were men, two were women. I assume that all of them slipped, and I assume that if they could do it all over again, they would have taken the last step more carefully. I totally agree with J. Reece, there was no reason to insert gender politics here.

[aneriz]

My husband and I climbed Half Dome. When we arrived at the cables, we put on our harnesses and clipped and unclipped our carabiners all the way to the top and back.

[Chuck Norris]

What's this about Texas not having any nuts? I'm for the secession of Texas, and nominate myself to be President of this fine Republic.

[AT]

What a ridiculous question. If the rock is dry, the cables are unnecessary, and it is easy and reasonable in my experience to just walk up the slope without using them. If the rock is wet, the hiker is fine if he/she simply holds on to the cables while walking. If he is not confident that he can do that, caveat emptor.

[LC]

This is a pseudo-controversy--

Here's another article for your blog:

I tripped on the sidewalk in front of my house and hurt my head. Do you think that the sidewalk should be removed and the area should be fenced off?