To the editor: I have climbed Half Dome 13 times, down the cables each time. I have more experience than most, so here is my opinion. (“Want to make Half Dome safer? Remove the climbing cables for good,” letter, August 11)
The National Park Service does not take down the cables, ever. That’s a misconception of what it does. It removes the poles that hold the cables about three feet from the rock and removes the wooden planks that provide footing. The cables are always there.
The first time I climbed the cables with my son I thought they must be safe or they wouldn’t let us do it. That is not true. There are plenty of things in nature that are inherently dangerous, and the Park Service is not responsible for making everything completely safe.
The cables are dangerous. Running into a bear in Little Yosemite Valley is dangerous (as we did once). Driving to Yosemite is dangerous. Get over it.
There are plenty of signs telling you to stay away from the cliff if the weather is on its way. Sometimes people don’t recognize that the weather is coming.
It’s sad that a young woman died, and I’m not sure of all the circumstances surrounding her death, but removing the cables won’t stop people from dying when they make bad decisions.
Jim Dover, Idyllwild
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To the editor: A few years ago I saw a vintage photo from the 1930s depicting a group of Boy Scouts preparing to ascend the cables to the top of Half Dome. What impressed me was that each scout wore a harness with a string that would be attached to the cable during their climb, which likely saved a life if someone slipped.
It seems like common sense in 2024. If it is required along with the climbing permit, we wouldn’t have to read any more stories of climbers falling to their deaths.
Dan Murray, San Mateo, California.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.