Half Dome, Granite dome in Yosemite National Park, US.
Half Dome is a quartz monzonite batholith at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley, rising to 2,693 meters. Its northwest side is a sheer cliff while the other three sides are smooth and rounded, so the peak looks like a dome cut in half. The summit is a broad, flat granite area.
Glaciers shaped this summit over millions of years by carving through the granite block, causing large rock slabs to fall from vertical cracks. Geologists still discuss how much material was removed by erosion.
The Ahwahneechee called this peak Tissiak and told stories of two travelers who turned to stone during an argument. Hikers today see these massive granite walls rising from the forests of Yosemite Valley.
The National Park Service requires permits for the cables route between May and October, with daily access limited to 300 hikers. Visitors should start early since the climb takes several hours and afternoon thunderstorms are common.
From Washburn Point the peak reads as a thin arête running northeast–southwest, and geologists estimate that about 80 percent of the original northwest half of the dome may still be in place, hidden from valley views.
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