Since the permit system for climbing the cables on Half Dome was established two years ago, there has been quite a bit of conflict and frustration around the “first come, first serve” system. After the initial balking at the “reservation fee” required for permits, the attention soon shifted to the larger problem: permit scalpers. Those who weren’t lucky enough to snag a permit when they were released each month were left paying much, much more for a permit to climb the cables.
Every month during the peak season, when new permits for the upcoming month were released (limited to 400 permits per day), the permits would sell out in a matter of minutes, but not always to hikers. In fact, the largest buyers of Half Dome climbing permits were scalpers out to make a buck. Forget concert tickets–the real cash was in the Half Dome permits!
After two years of struggling to overcome these issues, the park service will be implementing a new strategy for Half Dome permits this year. Rather than a first come, first serve situation, those hoping to climb the cables this summer will be able to submit their name (and up to 6 guests) into a lottery for $4.50 online (or $6.50 over the phone). This reservation fee is non-refundable.
If, you submit your name and you are one of the lucky winners, you’ll also shell out a $5 fee per person to confirm your intent to climb the cables. This per-person fee is refundable if you find out you won’t be climbing the cables well in advance of your permit date. If entering the lottery system isn’t your cup of tea, the park service will still be doing short notice permits for those that apply through the online application lottery closer to the date they hope to climb.
The other major change is that the permits will no longer be transferable. This transferability was one of the biggest downfalls of the original system–scalpers were purchasing bunches of permits, and then transferring the tickets to their buyers. Cracking down on this was difficult but the hope is that this new system will prevent these sort of situations again. In addition to the new permits being non-transferable, a ranger will also be stationed at the base of the cables, checking permits against photo IDs. While this may sound drastic, just for a climb, these measures are important, if not a necessity to ensure that all visitors to Yosemite’s Half Dome are not put in danger from overcrowding on the cables.
According to Kari Cobb, park spokeswoman, “the Half Dome hike is the most popular hike in the park because of its popularity, we’ve seen cases of concern for safety. By implementing a permitting program, we not only are providing for the safety of our visitors, but also providing a genuine wilderness experience.”
Read more about the new policy here.
I agree with the changes and hope it in the long it gives real hikers a fair chance at getting a permit at a fair price. Kudos to NPS.
if i want to hike on a wk day i still need a permit n can i get one a couple of wks before my hike seems all the days i pick r always full when do i sign up for them