To the editor: I have climbed Half Dome 13 times, descending by cables each time. I have more experience than most, so here is my take. (“Want Half Dome Safer? Remove the Climbing Cables for Good,” Letters, August 11)
The National Park Service never takes down the cables. That's a misunderstanding of what they do. They remove the struts that hold the cables about three feet from the rock and remove the wooden planks that serve as support. The cables are always there.
The first time I went up the cables with my son, I thought they had to be very safe or else they wouldn't let us do it. That's not true. There are many things in nature that are inherently dangerous, and the park service doesn't have a responsibility to make everything completely safe.
Cables are dangerous. Encountering a bear in Little Yosemite Valley is dangerous (as we did once). Driving to Yosemite is dangerous. Get over it.
There are many signs that tell you not to go near the rock if bad weather is approaching. Sometimes, people don't realize that bad weather is approaching.
It's sad that a young woman died, and I'm not sure of all the circumstances of her death, but removing the wires won't stop people from dying when they make bad choices.
Jim Dover, Wild Idyll
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To the editor: A few years ago, I saw an old photo from the 1930s showing a group of Boy Scouts as they prepared to ascend the cables to the top of Half Dome. What struck me was that each Boy Scout was wearing a harness with a cord that attached to the cable during the climb, which would likely save a life if someone slipped.
This seems like a common sense strategy in 2024. If it were required along with the climbing permit, we wouldn't have to read any more stories of climbers falling and dying.
Dan Murray, San Mateo, California.
