Yosemite National Park, Californa – Rising nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley and 8,800 feet above sea level, Half Dome in Yosemite National Park is an icon and a great challenge to many hikers. These days thousands of people reach the summit and enjoy the views safely. However, some can’t help themselves from high-risk maneuvers like this father of two.
The man in the video is a rock climber and is very comfortable with heights. In his estimation, “No Half Dome summit is complete without dangling your feet”. Yet, his social media post spurned an outburst of criticism that he was setting a bad example for his children.
It is easy to judge this man as the video is quite shocking. However, his background in mountain climbing should be taken into consideration before casting dispersions:
“From this vantage point you can see the “Thank God Ledge.” Years ago I climbed the Regular route and it took 2.5 days. It would be so rad to do the route again with my kids in the future. We are hopefully headed there this fall with some smaller multi-pitch climbs to tick.”
Whether or not you agree with his actions, his intentions of sharing his passion for climbing Half Dome with his kids when they are old enough is pure. If you are interested in taking on Half Dome yourself, check out the below video as it gives you an excellent preview of the challenge.