Rising nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley and 8,800 feet above sea level,
..Half Dome is a Yosemite icon and a great challenge to many hikers. Today, thousands of people reach the summit. For most, it is an exciting, arduous hike; for a few, it becomes more of an adventure than they wanted. Indeed, park rangers assist hundreds of people on the Half Dome trail every summer. Most of these emergencies could have been prevented.