A climber's dream: Half Dome is one of the most scenic peaks in Yosemite National Park. Half Dome Rock: A Scenic Symbol of Yosemite National Park Half Dome Yosemite National Park

Half Dome - business card Yosemite national park . The top of this monolithic rock is located at an altitude of 2,694 meters above sea level and rises 1,450 meters above the Yosemite Valley. Californian geologists in 1865 recognized Half Dome as one of the most beautiful peaks of the Sierra Nevada, which, however, will never be conquered by people. However, nothing is impossible for a person, and, 10 years later, climber George Anderson not only conquered this rock, but also laid the first track that would make Half Dome an achievable goal for many tourists.

Every year, thousands of climbers climb Half Dome, today it is a familiar and exciting entertainment for all lovers. active rest. To get to the rock, you must first overcome the transition of 13.7 km through the park, then climb 3.7 km and the final forced march along an almost sheer cable car, which takes about 400 m. The route of braided metal ropes was laid in 1919 by the Sierra tourist club for those who do not have a special climbing equipment. Now Half Dome is visited daily by about a thousand tourists, a year this figure is about 50 thousand.

The rock is crowned by a small flat plateau, where climbers can rest and relax a little. Half Dome offers stunning views of the nearby mountain range and Yosemite Valley. Of course, one should not exaggerate the safety of the route, since caution and attentiveness are the main qualities that anyone who decides to repeat the feat of George Anderson should possess. It is known that since 1919 there have been six deaths during the ascent, however, several of them are due to the fact that travelers tried to conquer the peak in bad weather. In addition, the authorities make sure that ascents are made only in an organized manner, those who decide to climb "savages" receive a fine of up to $ 5,000 or are sentenced to six months in prison.

It is very difficult to write anything about Yosemite. I just want to pop out somewhere with a hundred photos, the most successful of the thousand that I made in three days on a soap box and phone. However, when I look at my photos, I understand that they are not up to par ... So then, be sure to look at some more professional ones. Actually, I have been to many beautiful places, and it’s not so easy to surprise me, but Yosemite impressed me to the fullest.

It is located in California, in the Sierra Nevada mountains, about 250 kilometers from San Francisco. Yosemite only competes with Yellowstone for the title of the most famous national park in the US. (Do not confuse them - although both names begin with "y", the parks are very different.)

The park is huge, but most of the most recognizable natural wonders are located in its center, in Yosemite Valley. The Merced River flows along the bottom of the valley, but it was not she who carved such a deep groove in the granite rocks - glaciers worked here, which have been covering this area for 30 million years, every few tens of thousands of years. Yosemite Valley meanders for 11 km with an average width of just over one and a half km.

The most beautiful peaks of gray bare granite rise on the sides 900-1200 meters above her bed.

Where the rocks are not too steep, they are covered with beautiful coniferous forests.

As often happened in America, Indians lived in these places for many centuries, until gold was found in the surrounding mountains in the late 1840s. A gold rush began, and the European population of the area jumped at times. The Indians came into conflict with the white settlers, the conflict ended with the fact that their tribe was dispersed.

One of the most famous rocks in Yosemite is the monolith El Capitan (the name is often abbreviated "El Cap"). Its sheer walls rise 900 meters above the valley.

Climbers consider El Cap one of the most technical climbs in the world. It is said that many of the modern rock climbing techniques and technologies were developed right here in Yosemite by people who dreamed of one day conquering this peak by climbing up its bare facade.

The first successful climb was completed in 1958, and took 47 days - Warren Harding gradually conquered the wall, climbing higher and higher. Today, experienced climbers can climb to the top in 4-5 days, sleeping in hanging cradles right on the wall. The world record for this moment- 2 hours and 24 minutes.

In addition to rock climbers, the monolith also attracts other extreme sports enthusiasts - base jumpers who jump from this peak with parachutes.

For ordinary tourists best view on El Capitan opens from here, from the point of Tunnel View, at the entrance to the valley. (He is on the left in the photo.)

Another famous Yosemite rock - Half-Dome (Half-Dome, or half-dome), like El Cap is a granite monolith. From the bottom of the valley it really looks as if someone had carefully sawed off the top of a round stone dome.

The cut looks incredibly smooth. The rock itself, at a height of 1,400m above the valley, is higher than the Captain, but the height of the cut is about 600 meters.

If you look at the Half Dome from the side, it becomes clear that this is not a dome at all - its "back" wall is almost as vertical as the facade:

Due to its very recognizable shape, the Half Dome, in a stylized form, appears in some logos:

Whoever recognizes the logo on the right, write down 1,024 bonus points for yourself

You don't have to be a super hard climber to climb Captain and Half Dome - you just need to be in good physical shape. Hiking trails lead to the peaks of both rocks. True, in the case of Half Dome, you will have to plan in advance - for climbing, due to popularity, a permit has been needed for several years now, and they are issued in limited quantities during the lottery process ...

In addition to the incredible rocks, Yosemite is also famous for its waterfalls. The most famous of them bear the name of the park. In fact, Yosemite Falls is a series of waterfalls that collectively exceed 730 meters in height, giving local guides the right to call them the highest in the world. North America. Their interesting feature is that they do not feed on a river or lake, but on melted snow. In the spring, after snowy winter Yosemite Falls looks like this:

We were less fortunate - we arrived already at the height of summer, and in general there is a drought in California. The upper segment of Yosemite seemed to us a rather pathetic sight:

But the lower segment falls in the middle of a beautiful pine grove, and is very easily accessible to tourists.

They say that it happens that by the end of summer the waterfalls dry up completely. But we were lucky, on the very first day of our stay in Yosemite, downpours hit the park, and the waterfalls became a little hot.

This difference was very noticeable at the Vernal and Nevada waterfalls - a hiking trail leads past them, they are simply not visible from the valley.

When we got to it, Vernal was blowing in powerful streams.

Tonya said that when she saw him six years ago, he was a pitiful wisp in comparison.

Regarding the legalization of same-sex marriages in the country, the park administration turned on a rainbow at the foot of the waterfall. Tourists, not embarrassed by the loss of family values, immediately began to photograph her.

The Nevada Falls, located above, also looked very impressive.

But upon closer inspection, it turned out that it was full of dirt washed up by rain the day before.

I have never seen such a dirty waterfall. Disorder...

As if mountains and waterfalls weren't enough, Yosemite still has groves of giant sequoias.

Address: USA, California
Foundation date: 1890
Square: 3081 km²
Coordinates: 37°52"09.3"N 119°30"13.5"W

Yosemite national park spread out on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in the state of California and occupied over 3 thousand square meters. km of land, which in ancient times belonged to the Miwok Indian tribe. The central part of the national park is the valley, but it occupies only 1% of the territory. When you are at this point in the park, you can clearly see the El Capitan granite rock, which is popular among rock climbers.

Yosemite Valley

If you look at Yosemite Park from above, you can see its resemblance to a triangle, which is surrounded by high canyon walls. The formation of an attractive park valley is associated with the movement of glaciers, which, during the last Ice Age, made their way through the Merced River, which flows through the park. Under the weight of ice, soft granite disappeared, but high vertical rocks formed by themselves. With the melting of glaciers in Yosemite, a lake was formed, but over time it became covered with silt and dried up, and a wide valley appeared in its place.

It is noteworthy that over 4 thousand years ago, Indians from the South Miwok tribe ruled here. Their main activity was trade, and it was so well-established that they managed to form a friendly alliance with the Paiuts Mivkam tribe, and not just start business relations. And the cultural traditions of the Miwok were so developed and diverse that they had their own religion with all the relevant rites, and their society was a strict political division. In general, the Indians lived in the territory of the present park until the beginning of the second half of XIX centuries before the California Gold Rush began.

As for the study of the park area by Europeans, the first attempts were made by them in 1833 under the leadership of Joseph Walker. After 20 years, another group of Europeans also visited here, but at that time the Avanichi tribe lived in the park, whose activities were hunting and trade.

The year 1848 became a memorable date for the Yosemite territory - at that time, in connection with the discovery of gold deposits in California, the Gold Rush began among the population. Therefore, many people went to the valley in search of a valuable shiny metal. Such a considerable influx of those wishing to enrich themselves could not but affect natural resources this region - they began to deplete. In addition, the struggle between the Indians and white-skinned gold seekers escalated. Such events did not leave the California government indifferent, and its attention to the problems of the Yosemite Valley became more intense. In order to resolve the conflict, a special battalion was even formed, whose commander-in-chief was James Savage. The purpose of the creation of this group was the formation of a punitive expedition directed against the Indians. How beautiful Yosemite Valley is, the Americans could only guess until they saw firsthand the extraordinary and picturesque nature of the area protected from the natives.

Dr. Bunnell, an active member of the group, suggested giving such a beautiful valley a name. After going through several options, the Americans settled on the name Yosemite, since the Indians from the South Miwok nicknamed the members of the Avanichi tribe with this word. In the Miwok language, "yosemite" means "they are killers." Subsequently, the battalion destroyed the Indian settlements - he burned them, and captured the Avanichi Indians. Their further fate was a settlement on the reservation.

The beauty of Yosemite Valley impressed Dr. Bunnell so much that he wrote a book about the beauties of the region defended by his group. As the book gains popularity, everything large quantity Americans learned about this beautiful corner of nature in California. Further, the Yosemite Valley began to be populated by "whites", but for the virgin pristine nature, such an unceremonious invasion turned out to be disastrous, since the forests were cut down, and residential buildings and pastures occupied their place. In addition to permanent residents, tourists began to fill the territory of Yosemite.

Yosemite Falls

However, two influential people in California learned about the disappointing state of affairs in the valley. It was the senators who put forward the idea of protecting this area from human interference. And despite civil war, American President Lincoln approved the project, according to which both the Yosemite Valley and the adjacent Mariposa Grove were united and received the status of a national park. The goals of the government project were the protection of nature and the organization of a place for tourist recreation.

Attractions in Yosemite Park

Sheer cliffs are considered one of the main attractions of Yosemite National Park. Thanks to the majestic stone cliffs towering over the valley, many rock climbers come to Yosemite every year. Next to the rocks is "Camp-4", which became the founder of rock climbing in the USA. The most famous rocks over the years of the park's existence are El Capitan and Half House. The height of the first rock exceeds 900 m and there are routes of different complexity on it, the conquest of which is possible all year round.

The second majestic rock Half Dome is located in the east of the valley. It resembles a huge granite dome, whose height is 144 m. At one time, it was immortalized on 25-cent coins in the United States. Its first conquest dates back to 1875, and today several routes have been laid along its surface.

The third most important rock is called Lost Arrow Spier. She earned worldwide fame thanks to her unusual appearance It is a solid granite column. The pages of the book “50 Ascents of North America”, beloved by climbers, describe in great detail the process of climbing to the top of this amazing rock.

Mariposa Grove and Mirror Lake

Mariposa Grove, named after one of the California counties, is located in the southern part of Yosemite National Park. It is famous for its giant sequoias - trees covered with gnarled red bark. These evergreens are hundreds of years old, and they are recognized as the longest-lived green inhabitants of the Earth. The oldest tree in the grove is the Giant Grizzly - its age varies between 1900 and 2400 years.

Another unusual representative Yosemite flora is the Wawona tree, whose circumference is 27 m. At the end of the 19th century, it leaned over, and a tunnel was made in its trunk, along which horse-drawn carriages and cars moved to the other side of the park. The Wawona tree is over 2,000 years old.

One of the most beautiful places The park is considered Mirror Lake. The one who saw him finds his "mirror" name is fully consistent with reality. The perfectly smooth, shiny surface of the lake reflects the surrounding mountains and rocks like a mirror. Mirror - the lake is quite ancient, but in fact it is only the remains of an ancient glacial lake that covered almost the entire territory of Yosemite Valley in the distant past.

Waterfalls of Yosemite National Park

Numerous magnificent waterfalls tumbling down from high cliffs have become attractive sights of the reserve and objects for photographing by tourists. At the same time, there are so many waterfalls in Yosemite Park that there is no such impressive concentration of waterfalls in a relatively small area all over the world. It is best to admire their beauty in the spring, after the snow has melted. The waterfalls are especially good in April-May, but by the end of summer they already turn into thin streams of water. Some of them even dry up.

The main "water" symbol of the park is Yosemite Falls, which can be seen in almost all photographs of the reserve. In terms of height, the value of which is 740 m, he was able to enter the top ten high waterfalls world and took 7th place. It originates in the mountains, where the Yosemite River of the same name is formed. Flowing through the valley to a sheer cliff, it falls down with great speed. At the height of spring, when the melting snow begins to feed the river, the waterfall becomes so violent that its noise is heard throughout the valley.

Bridalvale Falls have also become attractive to millions of tourists.- it is visible immediately at the entrance to the park. Despite the low height of 188 m, it is still beautiful. In windy weather, air currents deflect the water jet in all directions. If it rains, the water simply dissipates beautifully at the granite foot.

Rock Half-Dom

Unusual in its kind and waterfall Horse Tail. It is not high and does not carry large streams of water, but only a few days a year it attracts the attention of park visitors with the bright red color of its water. There is an explanation for such an unforgettable spectacle - this is the fall of the rays of the setting sun, because of which the waterfall seems to be fiery.

There are 2 waterfalls on the Merced River - Nevada and Vernal. As Nevada water flows fall, a water mist forms around the granite surface. The waterfall is located far from the entrance to the national park, but it is perfectly visible from Glacier Point. The second waterfall (Vernal) is located downstream of the river, behind Nevada Falls. It is noteworthy that it does not dry out during the hot months of the year, but at the end of summer it is able to turn into several streams of water. In the neighborhood of both waterfalls there are reservoirs in which swimming is prohibited. However, some tourists ignore the warning signs and endanger their lives, because the underground currents are very strong.

California (geographic map).

Yosemite National Park. Bridevale Falls and the Merced River.

Yosemite National Park is a conservation institution in the United States, in eastern California, in the Sierra Nevada mountains, in the Yosemite Creek valley. First protected landscape in the US (since 1864), national park since 1890. Its area is 304 thousand hectares.

Sequoias in Yosemite National Park.

The founder of the park is the scientist and explorer John Muir. By the time the territory was discovered by white settlers (in 1851), there were 22 settlements of Yosemite Indians (or Uzumeti), which translates as "gray bear". On June 30, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Giant Sequoia Grove Act into law. Several types of sequoia grow in the park (giant sequoiadendron and evergreen sequoia), in the giant sequoia grove there are about 200 species, among them two “tunnel trees”, through the trunks of which a car can drive. Sequoia is sometimes called the monuments of antiquity, because their age reaches three thousand years.

California. Yosemite National Park. In the photo: Cascade Falls (total height - 727 m).

Most of the park is located in a mountainous area with coniferous forests, meadows, lakes and waterfalls. About 80 species of animals live here. More than half of America's major waterfalls are located in the park, including Yosemite Falls, Ribbon Fall, and Bridalveil Fall. Every year the park is visited by 3-4 million people.

Half Dome Peak in Yosemite National Park. Yosemite Park - the first protected landscape in the United States (since 1864), a national park since 1890.

The attention of tourists is attracted by granite peaks located in the Yosemite Valley. The most famous of them are: El Capitan, Half Dome, Mount Lyell. Yosemite Valley was listed in 1984 world heritage UNESCO.

Half Dome - Yosemite's half dome August 23rd, 2013

Yosemite National Park is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the United States. Numerous artists and photographers have glorified its views, making it the most popular natural screensavers for the desktop of our computers. Three million tourists come to Yosemite every year to see the famous valley and other famous natural attractions live.

Tourist routes and trails cover only 11% of the total area of the park, everything else is a protected wilderness untouched by man. Most of the park consists of granite and sedimentary rocks, which, under the influence of erosion, formed unusual elements of the landscape - natural columns and pillars, semicircular canyons and gorges, and domed folds. Half Dome is just a perfect example of the latter.

Half Dome is a granite rock (monolith), which is very popular with tourists and one of the symbols of Yosemite National Park. Located in the central part of the Sierra Nevada (California, USA). It is one of the largest monoliths in North America. The peak is located at an altitude of 2,694 m above sea level and rises 1,450 m above the Yosemite Valley. Consists of granite.

Its granite dome sits at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley. The 1444 meters high granite ridge is the most famous landscape of the valley. This image is depicted on the US 25 cent series and on modern driving license state of California.

In 1875, George Anderson was the first to conquer the mountain, making a dangerous climb that had previously been considered impossible. The ascent took 5 days. At the moment, more than 10 climbing routes have been laid on Half Dome. In addition, one Via Ferrata route leads to the top.

About a thousand tourists storm the Half Dome every day.

Thousands of people who wish, under the control of the rangers of the national park, climb the rock, and from the 12 km of the path, the last one and a half hundred meters to the top they go along a special cable route (created in 1919), holding on to two stretched woven metal ropes.

Yosemite Valley is a national park in the United States, so there are strict rules for the preservation of nature and rocks in their natural form. Climbers must follow the principle: "leave no trace." In other words, they are required to take absolutely everything with them and leave nothing on the route, including waste products. In addition, no water or food should be left for the "next group", for the "next climb", or for any other reason. Hidden (stashed) water and food are garbage!

Fires should not be lit unless absolutely necessary. If in case emergency the group needs to build a fire, use an existing fire pit, and subsequently ensure that the fire is completely extinguished.

Overnight stays are not easy either. Permits for overnight stays on the wall or emergency overnight stays on the summit are not required. But, if the group plans to spend the night on the summit, they must obtain the appropriate permission. Parking under any wall is prohibited in Yosemite Valley, with the exception of Half Dome (“Half Dome”), for parking under which a separate permit is required. Overnight stay at the top of Half Dome is prohibited!

In addition, once the equipment had gone far enough, the ethics of climbing became essential. Climbers should prepare to climb routes without a hammer, i.e. by fitting cam hooks and any other equipment that can eliminate the need for chiselling. Climbers must also take the time to remove old quickdraws, unusable copperheads, and other useless hardware they find on the routes.

All this greatly increases the number of pleasant impressions from climbing even along the most popular routes.

There are many ways to get to Yosemite. For example, by plane from Moscow to San Francisco. Then by train or bus to Merced station, then to Yosemite Valley by bus, which takes about 3.5 hours. This is the easiest, but expensive way ($1000 for round-trip plane tickets). It is much cheaper to fly to Las Vegas ($700 for tickets), but it can take twice as long to get from there to the park.

Sarah Watson became famous for her amazing climbing career: she started climbing at a rather late age: at the age of 21, but after a year and a half, she, together with Sean Jones, created new route(21 pitches) on the south side of Half Dome, which was called "Growing Up" (5.13a, A0).

Sarah is also considered the first woman to summit Half Dome.

Such high popularity forced the authorities to announce in 2010 the introduction, starting from the 2011 season, of some restrictions (no more than 400 people per day), and permits to be issued in advance (a week) not in the National Park itself, but in the service National Recreation Reservation Service. Those who try to climb to the top "savages" without permission are punished with a fine of up to $ 5,000 and / or imprisonment for 6 months in prison