I didn’t get a chance to mention it last week, but I had just come back from a great holiday out in the States. My trip around Utah and Arizona back in February showed me just how stunning the vast landscapes of the USA are and I could not wait when my step mum suggested my brother and I come back out in July to go to Yosemite.

We spent our time in Yosemite Valley and our first drive into the valley was one full of anticipation. It’s a fair drive from the park’s entrance and I could not wait to see some of the park’s icons such as El Capitan and, of course, Half Dome.

The meandering roads revealed the forest covered slopes of the valley in increments. But the moment when El Capitan finally revealed itself was glorious – the greyish/white granite monolith excerting it’s magnitude with the might of Half Dome dominating in the distance. These granite peaks are beautiful and definitely the primary draw for the park.

There are a lot of outdoor activities in Yosemite but I was there for the hiking. Our first hike was the 6.5 mile Eastern Valley Loop. It’s an easy hike (which was great for my 11 year old sisters) and gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls.

But to see Yosemite at it’s most magnificent, you need to get to a higher elevation. And no view could possibly match Glacier Point. Glacier Point can be reached by car but the best way to reach it is via the Four Mile trail (which is actually 4.8 miles) were a fairly strenuous hike involving a 3,200ft ascent will reward you with absolutely stupendous views of the valley, and a fantastic panoramic view that captures Half Dome and the Nevada and Vernal Falls.

Of course, Yosemite’s most famous trail is Half Dome – a 17 mile round trip that takes you up a 4,800ft ascent to the top of the park’s star attraction. The trail leads you past the stunning Vernal and Nevada Falls, infamously finishing with a 400ft scramble up a combination of steel cables and wooden slabs that are seasonally bolted to the smooth granite of Half Dome itself.

Unfortunately, having hiked two-thirds of the way up and negotiated some of the most challenging sections, we did not make it to the top having found ourselves desperately short of water. We did not anticipate that there would be no clean water at any point past the base of Vernal Falls and the 90+ degree heat (Fahrenheit) had accelerated our rate of consumption.

Our learnings – bring more water (or some way of purifying water from the river) and set off earlier in the morning to beat the heat. I’d also recommend heading there in Spring when the weather is a little bit cooler and the waterfalls are at their most powerful. But I’ll be back. Half Dome is a challenge I have to conquer.

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