Regular Northwest Face 5.12 or 5.9 C1

Currently 5.0/5

Half Dome

Yosemite Valley, California USA

Trip Report

A Chilly Half Dome With My Daughter

Tuesday January 10, 2012 11:33am

The astute reader might be detecting a trend in our choice of routes lately. But at the risk of covering some well-trodden territory, here is our fun, if nippy and long, day on Half Dome:

http://vocr.sri.com/herson/climbing/tr/hdiad-kara.html

-Jim


	Half Dome summit sunset, 12/30/11 Credit: Jim Herson

Trip Report Views: 6,546

Jim Herson

About the Author
Jim Herson is a climber from Emerald Hills, CA.

Comments

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survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

Jan 10, 2012 - 11:38am PT

Wow. Wow. Wow.

YOU GUYS ROCK TOO HARD!

I tremble at your feet.

David Wilson

climber

Jan 10, 2012 - 11:49am PT

way to haul your dad up that route Kara !

there's a bit more sun on the big formation across the way, called el cap - is that next?

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Jan 10, 2012 - 11:56am PT

Too cool! I love your TR's!

John

Scraptee

Trad climber

Tacoma

Jan 10, 2012 - 11:58am PT

Jim,
Great trip report, but I had to read it twice to be sure I was really understanding what you did, when you did it and who you partner was. I'm 61 and house-trained. How about adopting me?
Terry

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Jan 10, 2012 - 12:25pm PT

Way to go, Jim and Kara!
I thought you'd be back.
Excellent upgrade on the logistics.

Good luck on deciding on what comes first on El Cap - Salathe' or Nose :-)
Of course you can delay this tough one by scampering up the Lost Arrow Chimney, West Face of El Cap, etc.

jfailing

Trad climber

PDX, North Slope, The Open Road

Jan 10, 2012 - 12:00pm PT

her entire knowledge of Valley climbs has been filtered through me. And I'm like the Fox News of climbing beta. What I lack in objectivity I more than make up for in partisan enthusiasm.

Hilarious! Great TR - really enjoyed it. Thanks!

nutjob

Sport climber

Almost to Hollywood, Baby!

Jan 10, 2012 - 12:05pm PT

Stunning!

Either you and your son have dopplegangers, or I saw you last Sunday on the flanks of Stately Pleasure. I was nursing two scamperers on top-rope up the approach slabs that you and your son 4th-classed to avoid our ropes?

martygarrison

Trad climber

Washington DC

Jan 10, 2012 - 12:33pm PT

Great report, what a memory for your daughter and you. No jumars? Does she tension up sections or use aiders? Climb 5.12?

Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member

Jan 10, 2012 - 01:22pm PT

Jim Herson: not only the best el cap free climber that is the least known, but maybe the best TR writer out there!

Everyone should go check out the archives on his site. He has been writing awesome trip reports for years and only just now started making them more widely known.

Oh, and Jim was one of the early and active ASCA supporters.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Jan 10, 2012 - 01:32pm PT

Dood, aren't you afraid someone from Child Protective Services is
gonna see this thread?

Whoa- Kore Kid!

A5scott

Trad climber

Chicago

Jan 10, 2012 - 08:40pm PT

amazing report Jim... thanks for sharing!

scott

WBraun

climber

Jan 10, 2012 - 08:57pm PT

Jim Herson: not only the best el cap free climber that is the least known, but maybe the best TR writer out there!

I agree ....

Double D

climber

Jan 10, 2012 - 09:53pm PT

Wow... that's impressive. Wouldn't want to face the in-laws though.

E Robinson

climber

Salinas, CA

Jan 10, 2012 - 10:40pm PT

Too cool. Kudos on the hat, gloves, jackets, and headlamp. Can't sait for the Lost Arrow report.
E

micronut

Trad climber

Jan 10, 2012 - 11:36pm PT

Absolutely stellar. Way to make my day after Snake Dike trip seem like an utter waste of time, effort and testosterone. From one dad to another, congrats on a successful father/daughter mission. We were in the neighborhood at the same time, sharin' the same dome on New Year's Eve/Day.

You guys were a few hours early. You were the last ones on Half Dome for 2011. We were the first of 2012. We win. Take that.
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/The-Gift-New-Years-Eve-and-A-Long-Day-on-Half-Dome/t11321n.html

steveA

Trad climber

bedford,massachusetts

Jan 11, 2012 - 04:17am PT

Fantastic TR! Still want to do that route with my son, but he is a bit older than your adorable daughter.

Tony Bird

climber

Northridge, CA

Jan 11, 2012 - 04:49am PT

check out the rest of his website.

"some pig ... some spider" -- e.b. white

some family.

Dos XX

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Jan 11, 2012 - 05:44am PT

You two are the coolest! 'Nuff said.

YoungGun

climber

North

Jan 11, 2012 - 06:14am PT

This TR makes me question the wisdom of my choice not to reproduce.

Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber

San Francisco

Jan 11, 2012 - 08:06am PT

wow this is awesome, thank you for sharing!

Macronut

Trad climber

Fresno, Ca

Jan 11, 2012 - 08:18am PT

Too bad our paths didn't cross. Would of loved to top out with you guys! It was a beautiful day in the mountains.

wayne burleson

climber

Amherst, MA

Jan 11, 2012 - 09:05am PT

I suppose it was inevitable.
You are thorough...
Way to exploit the weird weather...

The most memorable part may be the caching of the child...

And the flight back East...

Happy New Year!

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

Jan 11, 2012 - 10:44am PT

Jim, had to come back for another read.

Just a note to throw in with the grandmothers a little.

First, I applaud your effort and skills and your daughters toughness and attitude. I agree that not reversing the slabs at night was the right thing to do. I have seen strong people struggle on them in daylight.
I myself almost surfed off a cliff once when a loose flake took off with me on it. So hoofing the long trail was the right thing to do.

You are obviously an accomplished guy, so I won't rant or be rude.

But, you were surfing the razors edge with your daughter in tow.
What if something had happened to dad, like a fall or a dislocated knee or any other of about a million things that can go wrong?

Bad things sometimes happen in the mountains, and that is a mighty high and cold place to be paying the bills, that's all I'm saying.

That being said, I've done more than my fair share of bone head moves, so I'm no judge.

Congratulations on a supreme day.

Ron Anderson

Trad climber

Soon to be Nipple suckling Liberal

Jan 11, 2012 - 10:47am PT

NICE!!!!! I guess Your Daughter will be rope gunning for ya next season!;-D

aspendougy

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Jan 11, 2012 - 12:50pm PT

These are always great trip reports.........Jim, it is possible to say no to a son, but your daughter.........they pretty much call the shots, don't they?

le_bruce

climber

Oakland, CA

Jan 11, 2012 - 12:54pm PT

Left speechless once again by you two, who together have got to be considered THE most incredibly kick-ass team of the year.

My guess is that for many of us parents reading along there is a blend of Survival's sentiment, well-expressed, and utter admiration. Just like he's saying. And yet you two seem super competent and at no point over your heads or even close to it. It's so far out there - in a good way - that it leaves us gripped and exhilarated at once.

Said it before, but I'd love to read one of these sends from Kara's perspective.

Silver

Gym climber

Jan 11, 2012 - 01:08pm PT

Awesome! Really inspirational and what a great way to enjoy a day with your daughter.

Must be odd when she goes back to school and her friends are asking where were you yesterday? Hard to explain that you just sent the RNWF of Half Dome in a day with your dad.

Jim Herson

climber

Emerald Hills, CA

Author's Reply

Jan 11, 2012 - 03:26pm PT

Survival,

It's hard to argue that a winter HDIAD with a 12 yo isn't pushing it.

Was it worth it just to share a few warm memories and a smile with her when I'm a doddering old fool? I hope so. Maybe I'm rationalizing but on an absolute scale it was a much less risky climb than my first time up HD as a group of 3 completely green gumbies. How we didn't win a Darwin award for that trip is beyond baffling!

As far as the freak, what-if scenarios, a car careened out of control and killed two people in front of us on the drive back from LA. Does that make having visited Aunt Pat to eat birthday cake unnecessarily risky? To answer we need an equation:

EV = (1-P)*X

where
EV = Expected Value
P = Probability of car crash
X = Joy of eating birthday cake

or

EV = Expected Value
P = Probability of slipping on HD
X = Joy of climbing with my daughter

In both cases P is small and X is huge.

-Jim

Cancer Boy

Trad climber

Freedonia

Jan 11, 2012 - 04:28pm PT

Superhuman! You two are in a class with Charlie Porter and Walter Bonatti. Will you regret this on your death bed? No freaking way.

guido

Trad climber

Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific

Jan 11, 2012 - 04:29pm PT

Kudos to a phenomenal TR and congratulations on the adventure with your daughter Kara.

I am glad Survival brought up the inherent concern with winter and cold and the need to move fast and light and the possibility, or as you justly stated, probability of "minor" problems. We always think of the things that can go wrong on a minor level such as a dislocated shoulder that can develop into a major scenario rapidly.

Your quick response is to be commended as you have obviously thought through such potential scenarios and made a go of it in your own style and fashion. Quite a team you have assembled. Difficult to conceive of anything more enjoyable than adventuring with my own daughter.

'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber

like Ontario, Canada, eh?

Jan 11, 2012 - 06:38pm PT

Proud ascent! Very few can send a Grade VI in a day in winter, and without ascenders. How did she second all those pitches?

Some dad you are. Every leader should leave pro for his second on a traverse!

Dave Kos

Social climber

Temecula

Jan 11, 2012 - 06:54pm PT

The ol' car-crash comparison.

In both cases P is small and X is huge.

Yup, but P is probably an order of magnitude or so bigger in one case than the other...and yet still very small...

Way too deep for me to get my head around it.

Pretty impressive stuff, no matter what the actual value of P may be.

cmclean

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Jan 11, 2012 - 08:08pm PT

Thanks for the great TR! Your previous writings about working the Salathe were very inspirational to me as I was gearing up to climb El Cap, and these recent ones are possibly more amazing.

YoungGun

climber

North

Jan 11, 2012 - 08:30pm PT

Expected value is the value of various outcomes weighted by their probability. The weights (probabilities) have to sum to one. So it should be:

EV = (1-P)*X1 + P*X2

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

Jan 11, 2012 - 08:25pm PT

Thanks for the response Jim.

P is bigger than we think, much of the time, but I do appreciate your response.

I have taken a lot of people up things that were out of their league, but well below my limit, so I know how competent and strong I can feel on a given day.

the goat

climber

north central WA

Jan 11, 2012 - 08:49pm PT

Absolutely amazing! I'm sharing this with my daughters in the hope that they will drag my sorry arse up HD or south crack sometime soon.

Trad Climber

Trad climber

Alexandria, VA

Jan 12, 2012 - 09:49am PT

Being the father of an 11 year old daughter who is pretty tough and climbs I am blown away your girl can manage the hike up and down in a day let alone the NW face!

I'd second PTPP's question too: How does she second all the pitches with jumars? Is she free climbing most of the zig zags?

Having done some much easier routes with my girl (necessary to stay within my zone of competence with kid in tow) I can only imagine the bond you guys must have.

Truly amazing.

laurel arndt

Trad climber

phoenix

Jan 13, 2012 - 09:43am PT

unfreakin believable, your daughter is sure to go far in life with the "can do and will do" attitude.
Made me laugh since I left a partner(15 years younger) in the mtneer gully of whitney on spring ascent once, he fell asleep too with my puffies, gloves and backpack as a bivy...I got sh#t for that, can't imagine what your family says!!!!