I have a fear of heights, though it’s not so much about being high up as it is a serious fear of falling. So you generally won’t see me near the edge of a rooftop, on a ladder, bungee jumping, that sort of thing. One summer when I was in high school, I did the cable ascent to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite, albeit with quite a bit of help from my teachers, who spotted me above and below so that all I had to do is look at the rock straight ahead of me and climb. God bless them for seeing how much I wanted to do it and allowing me the chance!
The hike alone is brutal, but that final ascent to get to the top is nuuuuuuts! That, to me, is still the greatest achievement in my life to date. Look at that!!! I can’t believe I did that! My heart started racing as soon as I looked at the picture I linked above, in memory of how terrifying it was.
Difficulty: Extreme. It’s long, steep at the beginning and end, and more dangerous than most Yosemite hikes. It’s probably the most difficult of all Yosemite day hikes. On the traditional 1 to 10 scale, this one rates an 11.
Insanity Factor: 9 out of 10. Wait ‘til you get to the cables, and you’ll see what we mean.
(via)