Get your gear and partner in order. Do an excruciating approach up thousands of feet, passing hundreds of knackered tourists from all over the world. Although a few will recognize you as a climber, most will look at you like you're a bit off in the head for shlepping an enormous, orange plastic backpack up the several million steps. And in many ways they're right, for you're about to pull off one of the most spectacular climbs on the face of our fair planet.
After you get your ropes and anodized knick-knacks settled at the base and take your last pee, cast off! A sea of rock; steep corners and blank faces; evening light and morning shadow; torn hands and no water to spare. Ledges that are just a little too small; gravity-defying rodents scamper about your face/head/neck and chest in the dark hours of the night looking for a wee delicacy.
At some point you're near the top. They probably see you first, because They are always there, looking down, looking out. They exclaim in surprise and are honestly stunned. They cheer, and jeer, and all of a sudden you realize you're the center of attention like rarely ever in your life. You're a hero.
Then you top out. Your partner jugs. You haul a bag that is, finally, light. And the questions come. Food and water are offered, and goddamn it, it tastes GOOD. The light is amazing. The view incredible...the elation is darn near making you float, and the reality of the brutal descent isn't even enough to dampen it a bit. Congratulations!--wasn't it worth it?
Most of the climbing is very moderate--cruxes are short. Route finding is involved but not difficult, especially with a Supertopo. Difficulties are substantial but can be solved via smart thinking and tenacity.
The Routefinding Crux --For me it was pitch 22. As the topo suggests, there is a smattering of bolts all over the darn thing. Trick is, it's hard to determine which bolts to use and which to forego. Seems as though folks have bolted different variations and knowing which bolt to pendulum to and which to pendulum from is a nit bit tricky.
The Technical Crux--Color me stupid, but the 5.8 squeeze at the after the Thank God Ledge traverse is something that no man or woman should need to endure.
The Psychological Crux--The aforementioned Thank God Ledge Traverse lives up to its billing. You won't forget it. Watch your rope drag, too.
The Physical Crux--Let's just say it rhymes with "falling" and "crawling" and it sucks the life out of you even faster than it sucks out the energy. Go light, or suffer.
Location
Follow the John Muir Trail for about 7.5 miles until you get to the shoulder. Follow the climbers' trail downhill along the base of the climb for about 25 minutes. Identify the base of the route by picking out a bay tree (looks more like a bush) about 70 feet up in the middle of the first pitch.
There is a spring at the base of the route that runs from June to August, although it sometimes runs longer. It seems that about 50% of folks treat the water. The spring is great because there is no need to hike excess water to the base of the route.
Protection
2 sets of nuts 2-3 sets of cams to a 3.5". 1 4.5" Aliens are great on this route, but not as valuable as they are on many other Yosemite walls (there are less flaring pin scars). There is fixed gear all over the place: ancient cams, stoppers, pins, and shiny bolts.
Most of the belays, especially down low, make use of fixed pitons and bolts and are pre-equalized with old rope as a rap-station. There are a few natural belays, most notably the top of pitch 7, which makes use of an oak tree that is a fair bit too small for comfort. It can be backed up though.
Add PhotoPhotos of Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome
Nevada Falls on the Approach
Looking into the Sierra from the top.
Looking down valley
Looking up at pitch 13/14. Most of this is pretty...
A lazy afternoon at Big Sandy. Big Sandy is plent...
Andy up on pitch 2 (I think).
Andy scampering up pitch 8. This is the pitch rig...
Euan and Keith on the belay ledge for the last pit...
Leading up the last pitch, underneath The Visor.
BETA PHOTO: Looking back along Thank God Ledge
BETA PHOTO: Half Dome NW Face Regular route - Free Topo
On Thank God Ledge (Aug., 2002).
The NW Face in afternoon light.
Kevin Brown racing up the bolt ladder on pitch 10 ...
Steve Cox scrambling up the 4th class choss on pit...
BETA PHOTO: Detailed photo showing the route taken by the NW F...
Add CommentComments on Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome
Thanks Nate for the great story and description...inspiring and funny. I will be a hero someday! I attempted a solo in mid-july last summer with a hand-drawn topo and not much beta on the route. Needless to say, I didn't know about the spring at the base. Yes, unfortunate, but true, I carried 5 gallons of water plus all the gear for the climb up the backside. See the photo for the results of such a ridiculous idea. Your info (and better research on my part) will help next time.
Does anyone have the free climbing beta for the zig-zags? Would the pitches be described as enduro, cruxy, technical, or powerful?
By Mike Morley Administrator From: Oakland, CA Feb 21, 2007
You might try getting in touch with Micah Dash. He lives here in Boulder.
From the 2004 American Alpine Journal: Half Dome saw more free attention this year [2003], and the original 5.11d rating for the ZigZags is apparently a sandbag. First, Micah Dash and David Bloom made possibly the first all-free (entire team) one-day ascent. Dash rated the last ZigZag pitch at 5.12b/c or “Boulder Canyon 5.13b.”
By Euan Cameron Administrator From: Redlands Feb 22, 2007 rating: 5.9 C1
The zig-zags are doable but they are technical and sustained - no doubt about it they are hard. There is a fair amount of fixed gear in place which makes it easier, but your still need to place a fair amount of gear.
The zig-zags aren't the only hard part on the route. I climbed the route last year, freeing as much as we could, but it was beyond my onsite ability carrying bivvy gear as we climbed. Keith and I climbed every pitch, if the second had jugged with a bigger pack it would have been much better.
I've posted a topo with some info of your free options.
Does anyone know which pitch was the original "undercling pitch", where said formation fell off about 10 years ago? I think it was pitch 13 or 14.
I remember it took us something like 3 hours to aid the three zig-zag pitches. Then this one-day team appears behind us, and French frees all three in like a half hour! This was rather impressive, and led me to have new found respect for French free skills.
Solid French free skills are a must if you want to climb this in a day (unless you happen to be a bad ass free climber or capable of blasting through C1 aid). Our party of 3 did it in a day with the good fortune of having the route to ourselves - if crowded it would have been a much bigger challenge. We also spent the night before at the base and didn't sleep much due to bears rustling around very near us. We had our food hung in the trees, but that didn't provide much sleeping comfort laying there in bivy sacks. The next day on the route we could see the bears scavenging around our bivy spot, so beware. We went up the death slabs and back down the main trail - the slabs are without a doubt the best way if you're comfortable with pulling up fixed ropes and scrambling.
Taking issue with the previous remark, which disinclined (but didn't dissuade) me from attempting this route in a single day/push: I'm a (merely) competent free-climber and hadn't aided anything but a bolt ladder or two in 26 years (and still haven't). My good fortune -- an 11.5 hour ascent of the route last Sunday, 5/6/07 -- was hugely abetted by a partner who is competent-plus (places minimal pro and quickly) and fast, who led the chimney pitches and the Zig Zags, and yet: I led 6 of the 16 pitches we did the route in (70 meter rope, a little simul-climbing), and each of us free-climbed all the 5.10 and easier pitches apart from the second Zig Zag, which Jason mostly freed and I jumared. This is to say, it's do-able in a day. The physical crux of the route is the squeeze chimney. The psych. crux is time, with the chimneys a close second. I have more suggestions about HDiad for ordinary climbers, including detailed rack info. jhowland@urbanschool.org
By Adam Stackhouse Administrator From: Escondido, Ca May 10, 2007
Great description/story! Thanksgiving and Thank God ledges are analogous?
My apologies to Jonathan for overstating the single day push. It's definitely very do-able and I'm glad I didn't dissuade you. It's just a long route and you have to keep moving. Nice job on your ascent!
By brent armstrong From: Closer to RR than the Strip Jul 16, 2007
I thought the RR on half dome one of the all time great routes too.
I found the end of the first pitch of the Zig Zags hard--probably about 12 A. I onsighted the rest of the Zig Zags--I didn't think it was harder than mid 11. We did the route in 7 hours, around 03; car to car in 14 hours.
By Nathan Furman From: Salt Lake City, Utah Oct 23, 2007
I would add that the "death slabs" approach is not really that bad and way faster than the grueling 7.5 mile thing around back.
Nuts are NOT necessary on this climb due to the fixed stuff. Doubles to #3 camalot felt very comfortable. We pitched it out without simul-climbing, aided the zigzags and some of another pitch down low, and made the route easily in daylight. I was a confident 5.10 leader and my partner was a confident 5.9 leader.
Did the Technicolor Crux in a pouring thunderstorm. Feet were skating so bad that my partner said he had to "lock off and look away."
Memorable. Chossy in places. Heads up for missiles. I agree about the Death Slabs. The hike is humongous.
By Bowe Ellis From: Taos, NM Jun 17, 2008 rating: 5.9 C1
This is one of the three climbs in California that make me miss California. Without a doubt a classic, not for its rock (which is actually lesser grade for Yosemite), but rather for its line, its variety, is location, and its remarkable doability.
The best advice I received before climbing the RNWF is do it in a day and leave the wall gear at home. This also was the silliest advice, realized around pitch 14 when night was upon us and all we had were some space blankets. But this turned out to work and the frantic feeling of Day 1 gave way to an ease in Day 2 as we tackled the Zig Zags. This would be my recommendation to anyone - go light, but take enough water to survive 2 days. Skimp on everything you can, or else the chimney and endless traverses will teach you misery.
Some other suggestions: Be competent at 5.9 lead, lead what you can, and yank on anything else . This is an alpine climb. Fix ropes the day before - we fixed P1-P3, I believe. Then jug before dawn. Take the 5.7 airy chimney - look for the bolts. Use some French free. A great example for this is pitch 12. Have a partner with a sick sense of humor. Remember, this is fun!
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