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Half Dome Hiker Falls to His Death in Yosemite

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By Bob Janiskee - June 14th, 2009

A male hiker fell to his death from Half Dome on Saturday afternoon at about 3:40 p.m.

The victim, whose name has not been released, had apparently been using the cable handrails.
Weather conditions were poor at the time of the accident, with rain and hail having made the granite dangerously slippery.

Other climbers witnessed the accident. Afterward, rangers helped more than two dozen other Half Dome hikers descend to safety.

Like the Angels Landing climb at Zion National Park, Yosemite’s Half Dome cable handrail climb has attracted a good deal of attention because of its high risk factor and occasional fatal accidents. The last fatality at Half Dome occurred two years ago this month when a Japanese hiker slipped and fell from the cable handrails.

The vast majority of the 50,000 or so people who hike the Half Dome Trail each year negotiate it safely. However, accidents like the one that happened yesterday underscore the fact that poor weather and other factors can make the cable handrail climb lethally dangerous.

Comments

Submitted by admin on March 10, 2010 - 3:29pm.

Half Dome now has implemented a permit limiting 300 permits and 100 (wilderness permits) for Friday, Saturday and Sundays. They go quick so get them early.


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