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#15 Yosemite Half Dome

Half Dome is a Yosemite icon. Once believed to be impossible to scale, this striking rock beckons those keen to reach its fabled summit. Located in the National Park’s awe-inspiring eastern fringes, Half Dome is accessible to all; but that doesn’t mean that it’s safe to climb.

Park Rangers here are called upon to assist and rescue hundreds of wannabe mountaineers on an annual basis. If you don’t know what you’re doing, It might be best to give this one a miss. One thing is certain: you need to be in decent shape to tackle Half Dome. Climbing to the top involves a 16-mile round hike, and conservative estimates suggest that it’ll take around 12 hours to complete.

The last part is the scariest, with hikers using the cables attached to the granite rock’s smooth surface to haul themselves up the final 400 feet. You don’t need climbing equipment to reach the top, but slipping is a real risk and accidents do happen; since 2005, there have been at least 13 deaths, 291 accidents and 140 search-and-rescue missions on Half Dome.

Number 14